Today was a very good day. The family and I were due to fly out of Mississippi this Tuesday on a plane bound for London. However, Courtney and Finlay's Visas had not arrived by yesterday. It was looking bleak to say the least and we'd resigned ourselves to leaving in January and missing Xmas at home. Then, due to luck all of my own making (a phone call to a contact at the UK Embassy in D.C. on Monday), we received a phone call from the Visa issuing office in Chicago yesterday saying that the Visas had been approved and would be arriving today!! At 2:40 pm today, a UPS guy finally bought me a package containing $3100-worth of Visas for Courtney and Finn! So we are now assured of making our flight on Tuesday and being home for Xmas!!
At the same time, today was my last day in the Air Force (I have to go in to outprocess on Monday for one hour, but that's it). It was an emotional day/week/month/year.
Leaving the AF is bittersweet. I'm glad I will be returning home to England, I'm glad to be leaving Mississippi - the worst place I've ever lived, I'm glad to be leaving the U.S. - I'm just not cut-out for this country, but I'm REALLY glad that I'll no longer have to be away from Courtney, Cate and Finn anymore because of deployments, TDYs, etc. I missed many important events in Cate's life, thanks to the AF - her first steps, her first real talking, two out of her first three Xmases, etc, etc. I was determined not to let that happen again with Finn. Leaving the AF was really the best decision for me and for my family.
At the same time, there are many things about it I'll miss. The sense of being in a fraternity (and though I say fraternity, I include the female AF members, of course)with many others, working toward a common goal. Of being a part of something greater than myself. I'll miss the positive attitude toward fitness, manners, work ethic, pride in yourself and your work, thinking of others before yourself and many other positive influences and traits I've taken on since signing up.
I'll always be glad I joined the AF (in fact, I wish I had joined earlier in my life) and I'll always be proud of the many things I accomplished. At the same time, I'm glad I'm leaving the AF and returning to the place where me and my family belong.
I'm sure as the reality of my new reality sets in, I'll have more to say/post on this. For now, a mere 45 minutes since I left the office for the last time, I'm done.
Showing posts with label air force. Show all posts
Showing posts with label air force. Show all posts
19 Dec 2008
11 Oct 2008
Anchorman - The Legend of Rod Sergeant
Here's me in my first anchor position as I present the Keesler Air Force Base 3rd Quarter review...(original link found here)
22 Aug 2008
My latest story for the paper
Here's a story I just did for the paper on Keesler's military working dogs. Though I've always been a big fan of all things canine, I didn't really know much about working dogs until I started researching and interviewing for this story...they're uh...pretty fierce, to say the least, but EXTREMELY well looked after. Anyway, here's the story (original link here):
Man's best friends train as canine warriors
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/19/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- The dog was big, fluffy, shaggy and golden-brown ... perfect if you want a big hug from a furry friend.
Or not. This dog wasn't trained for hugs. This dog was trained to attack!
The 81st Security Forces Squadron's military working dogs aren't your average hounds. They're specifically raised from birth and trained to be the canine equivalent of those who protect and serve.
"They're not pets, and they're not bred to be pets," said Tech. Sgt. Damian Phillips, kennel master. "They're trained attack dogs. If they're tolerant of people, (they won't be able to) apprehend a potential threat."
Because of the temperament required to be a working dog, these canines can't just "sleep at the foot of the bed." They live in a specially-designed kennel and each dog has his or her own specific enclosed area.
"The dogs are maintained in (the kennel) 24/7 and only myself, military working dog trainers or the on-duty handler are allowed inside the kennels," said Sergeant Phillips. "Even regular patrolmen aren't allowed to pet, touch or feed the dogs, but they can give them water (through a caged door) and spray out their area."
Working dogs receive complete and precise care every day.
"We go into the kennels every two to three hours and have a checklist that must be signed annotating all checks," explained Sergeant Phillips. "We ensure that they always have enough water and that their area is clean."
Weight maintenance and nutrition for the working dogs are closely monitored by the dog handlers. Per Department of Defense regulations, all military working dogs must be fed a particular brand of high-qualilty dog food, said Sergeant Phillips. In order to maintain the correct weight, the amount of food is constantly adjusted.
"(The type and amount of) food they get is exact, their training is exact and their duty is exact," said Sergeant Phillips. "They are required to have daily exercise, like physical training runs with their handlers, and they're also required to run our obstacle course at least once daily."
While the dogs are closely looked after by all of the trained security forces personnel that work in the working dog shop, each dog has a specific handler.
"I like working with the dogs -- it's a step up and new challenge from being a normal cop," said Staff Sgt. Benjamin McQuagge, a working dog handler. "(My dog and I) have a good relationship; we work out and play a lot."
The close relationship between a working dog and his handler extends beyond normal duty hours.
"Our job involves long hours and coming in on our days off," said Sergeant Phillips. "Even when we deploy, our dogs go with us -- be it the Middle East, the U.S.-Mexico border or even in support of the Secret Service. We do it, though, because we care about the dogs, and we love our job."
The technical training school for security forces personnel is about 10 weeks. The technical school to be a dog handler, referred to as "K9 school," at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is even longer -- 12 weeks.
"The training style is based on repetition -- the training gets drilled into us," said Sergeant McQuagge. "They teach us that each dog is different, how to read a dog and how to work with a dog. You're very comfortable with being a dog handler by the time you leave."
Not just any cop can become a military dog handler. Specific steps must be taken in order to qualify.
"You need to be a 5-level with a good record to be a dog handler," explained Sergeant Phillips. "You have to then put in a package with the virtual military personnel flight and, of course, successfully make it through the K9 school at Lackland."
With all of the care and training it takes to work with military working dogs, when it comes to where to house the operation, Keesler's new working dog facility more than meets the requirements, said Sergeant Phillips.
"This building is a $2 million facility with its own veterinary examination room, trainer office and food preparation room," said Sergeant Phillips. "Having every room (that you need) on site is nice."
Man's best friends train as canine warriors
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/19/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- The dog was big, fluffy, shaggy and golden-brown ... perfect if you want a big hug from a furry friend.
Or not. This dog wasn't trained for hugs. This dog was trained to attack!
The 81st Security Forces Squadron's military working dogs aren't your average hounds. They're specifically raised from birth and trained to be the canine equivalent of those who protect and serve.
"They're not pets, and they're not bred to be pets," said Tech. Sgt. Damian Phillips, kennel master. "They're trained attack dogs. If they're tolerant of people, (they won't be able to) apprehend a potential threat."
Because of the temperament required to be a working dog, these canines can't just "sleep at the foot of the bed." They live in a specially-designed kennel and each dog has his or her own specific enclosed area.
"The dogs are maintained in (the kennel) 24/7 and only myself, military working dog trainers or the on-duty handler are allowed inside the kennels," said Sergeant Phillips. "Even regular patrolmen aren't allowed to pet, touch or feed the dogs, but they can give them water (through a caged door) and spray out their area."
Working dogs receive complete and precise care every day.
"We go into the kennels every two to three hours and have a checklist that must be signed annotating all checks," explained Sergeant Phillips. "We ensure that they always have enough water and that their area is clean."
Weight maintenance and nutrition for the working dogs are closely monitored by the dog handlers. Per Department of Defense regulations, all military working dogs must be fed a particular brand of high-qualilty dog food, said Sergeant Phillips. In order to maintain the correct weight, the amount of food is constantly adjusted.
"(The type and amount of) food they get is exact, their training is exact and their duty is exact," said Sergeant Phillips. "They are required to have daily exercise, like physical training runs with their handlers, and they're also required to run our obstacle course at least once daily."
While the dogs are closely looked after by all of the trained security forces personnel that work in the working dog shop, each dog has a specific handler.
"I like working with the dogs -- it's a step up and new challenge from being a normal cop," said Staff Sgt. Benjamin McQuagge, a working dog handler. "(My dog and I) have a good relationship; we work out and play a lot."
The close relationship between a working dog and his handler extends beyond normal duty hours.
"Our job involves long hours and coming in on our days off," said Sergeant Phillips. "Even when we deploy, our dogs go with us -- be it the Middle East, the U.S.-Mexico border or even in support of the Secret Service. We do it, though, because we care about the dogs, and we love our job."
The technical training school for security forces personnel is about 10 weeks. The technical school to be a dog handler, referred to as "K9 school," at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is even longer -- 12 weeks.
"The training style is based on repetition -- the training gets drilled into us," said Sergeant McQuagge. "They teach us that each dog is different, how to read a dog and how to work with a dog. You're very comfortable with being a dog handler by the time you leave."
Not just any cop can become a military dog handler. Specific steps must be taken in order to qualify.
"You need to be a 5-level with a good record to be a dog handler," explained Sergeant Phillips. "You have to then put in a package with the virtual military personnel flight and, of course, successfully make it through the K9 school at Lackland."
With all of the care and training it takes to work with military working dogs, when it comes to where to house the operation, Keesler's new working dog facility more than meets the requirements, said Sergeant Phillips.
"This building is a $2 million facility with its own veterinary examination room, trainer office and food preparation room," said Sergeant Phillips. "Having every room (that you need) on site is nice."
15 Aug 2008
My latest story for the paper and, I believe, my best story yet!
Here's the most recent story I did for the newspaper. Not only was I very interested in the subject matter (the environment), I really believe it's the best story I've ever done for the paper. I especially like the lead (the opening paragraph) and some of the transitional sentences (these are harder to construct than you think. You have to setup the next quote with a question or statement that isn't a question and you can't let the writer's "voice" be heard in the construction).
Anyway, here it is. (original link here)
Transporters embrace "green" initiatives
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/13/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States is the biggest polluting nation in the world. The U.S. has the highest greenhouse emissions and uses the most energy of any country, despite having a population one-fifth that of China.
Despite these statistics -- or perhaps because of them -- many Americans are going "green." An example of this attitude shift can be found right here at Keesler where the 81st Training Wing commander, Col. Greg Touhill, is a great supporter of a spate of new and existing green initiatives.
"'Going green' is all about being good stewards of America's resources," said Colonel Touhill. "As Americans, we should all be striving to preserve our environment and conserve resources."
One agency on base dedicated to making a concerted effort to fight global warming and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions is the 81st Supply-Transportation Squadron, winner of the 2008 Arbor Day Foundation award -- a program run by the 81st Civil Engineer Squadron to find the "greenest" unit on Keesler.
"We're really going with the vision set forth by Colonel Touhill and our commander, Maj. Clarence Lee," said Master Sgt. Kevin Benjaman, the unit's vehicle management superintendent. "From an environmental perspective, it's important that Keesler's going green."
Among the many initiatives already in place, vehicle managers place a lot of emphasis on recycling.
"We currently purchase only recycled oil, recycled antifreeze and recycled tires," said Capt. Tyrone Hill, vehicle management flight commander. "We also recycle all of our used oil, antifreeze, oil filters and tires.
As well as these current initiatives, the squadron also plans to introduce even more environmentally-friendly policies in the next two years.
"We are introducing low-speed vehicles into our fleet," said Captain Hill. "They have automatic speed limiters, are 50 percent cheaper than regular four-door sedans and get almost double the fuel economy.
"We already have one LSV in our fleet and are forecasted to receive 12 by 2010 and a total of 20 by 2011," he added.
LSVs are only one type of energy-saving vehicle planned to become part of Keesler's future fleet.
"We also plan to introduce alternative fuel vehicles such as those that run on E85, a blend of ethanol and gasoline, and are also slated to start leasing gasoline-and-electricity hybrid vehicles," said Captain Hill.
The impetus behind these myriad changes comes not only from the wing, but also from the federal government.
"Some of the new federal rules do dictate some of our policies," said Sergeant Benjaman. "But, I believe that Keesler is among the Air Force's leaders in these new eco-friendly initiatives."
Even with all of these changes, the vehicle management team takes its "green" commitment further.
"We send out monthly newsletters to all of our base vehicle control officers with tips on how to conserve fuel and be energy efficient with their government-owned vehicles," said Sergeant Benjaman.
These green policies, while saving energy and reducing the base's carbon footprint, also save the wing money.
"The intention of the 'go green' initiatives is not to save budgetary monies, though," said Captain Hill. "The initiatives are designed to reduce harmful emissions in the air and chemical contamination in landfills and groundwater. The savings to the environment carry significant ethical importance."
Anyway, here it is. (original link here)
Transporters embrace "green" initiatives
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/13/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States is the biggest polluting nation in the world. The U.S. has the highest greenhouse emissions and uses the most energy of any country, despite having a population one-fifth that of China.
Despite these statistics -- or perhaps because of them -- many Americans are going "green." An example of this attitude shift can be found right here at Keesler where the 81st Training Wing commander, Col. Greg Touhill, is a great supporter of a spate of new and existing green initiatives.
"'Going green' is all about being good stewards of America's resources," said Colonel Touhill. "As Americans, we should all be striving to preserve our environment and conserve resources."
One agency on base dedicated to making a concerted effort to fight global warming and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions is the 81st Supply-Transportation Squadron, winner of the 2008 Arbor Day Foundation award -- a program run by the 81st Civil Engineer Squadron to find the "greenest" unit on Keesler.
"We're really going with the vision set forth by Colonel Touhill and our commander, Maj. Clarence Lee," said Master Sgt. Kevin Benjaman, the unit's vehicle management superintendent. "From an environmental perspective, it's important that Keesler's going green."
Among the many initiatives already in place, vehicle managers place a lot of emphasis on recycling.
"We currently purchase only recycled oil, recycled antifreeze and recycled tires," said Capt. Tyrone Hill, vehicle management flight commander. "We also recycle all of our used oil, antifreeze, oil filters and tires.
As well as these current initiatives, the squadron also plans to introduce even more environmentally-friendly policies in the next two years.
"We are introducing low-speed vehicles into our fleet," said Captain Hill. "They have automatic speed limiters, are 50 percent cheaper than regular four-door sedans and get almost double the fuel economy.
"We already have one LSV in our fleet and are forecasted to receive 12 by 2010 and a total of 20 by 2011," he added.
LSVs are only one type of energy-saving vehicle planned to become part of Keesler's future fleet.
"We also plan to introduce alternative fuel vehicles such as those that run on E85, a blend of ethanol and gasoline, and are also slated to start leasing gasoline-and-electricity hybrid vehicles," said Captain Hill.
The impetus behind these myriad changes comes not only from the wing, but also from the federal government.
"Some of the new federal rules do dictate some of our policies," said Sergeant Benjaman. "But, I believe that Keesler is among the Air Force's leaders in these new eco-friendly initiatives."
Even with all of these changes, the vehicle management team takes its "green" commitment further.
"We send out monthly newsletters to all of our base vehicle control officers with tips on how to conserve fuel and be energy efficient with their government-owned vehicles," said Sergeant Benjaman.
These green policies, while saving energy and reducing the base's carbon footprint, also save the wing money.
"The intention of the 'go green' initiatives is not to save budgetary monies, though," said Captain Hill. "The initiatives are designed to reduce harmful emissions in the air and chemical contamination in landfills and groundwater. The savings to the environment carry significant ethical importance."
Labels:
air force,
environment,
my job
9 Aug 2008
A sports personality feature I did for the newspaper
Here's my most recent story for the newspaper. It's a personality feature on this Airman 1st Class who was picked to represent Air Education and Training Command (the major commande that Keesler falls under) in the annual Air Force Marathon. (original link here)
Keesler Medic gears up for Air Force Marathon
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/6/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- How do they do it? How does someone run 26 miles nonstop? Or, to put it another way, 104 laps around the track. Just think about that number for a second -- 104!
One person who has decided to put himself through this organized form of "torture" is Dominic Ancona, an aerospace medical service technician with the 81st Medical Operations Squadron.
Ancona has been selected to represent Air Education and Training Command in this year's Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 20.
Ancona and Zachary Foulk from Lackland AFB, Texas, are the two male individual runners representing AETC. The command selected Laura Baugh from Lackland and Rebecca Welch from Maxwell AFB, Ala., as its female representatives.
AETC selected the men's team from Columbus AFB, Miss., and the women's team from Altus AFB, Okla., for the open 10-kilometer relays.
Though this will be his first marathon, Ancona has been running since a very early age.
"I've been running really since I was about five," said Ancona. "My Dad was into running and he got me into it.
"I got serious about running in my sophomore year of high school," he added. "It was then that I set one of my life goals that I would someday run a marathon."
Though Ancona knew he wanted to run the 26.2-mile endurance race since high school, events have conspired to keep him from finally achieving his goal until this year.
"There have been several things that have kept me from running a marathon," said Ancona, a native of Novi, Mich. "I joined the military after high school and things like job requirements, being minimally manned at work and deployments have always gotten in the way."
After several aborted attempts to run in the Air Force Marathon because of these factors, it seems that Ancona will finally get his chance this fall in Ohio.
"It's been hard to stay motivated this past few years, but I just look at it as something I've always wanted to do," said Ancona.
Ancona was nominated for the marathon by his flight chief and was accepted by his commander based on his outstanding run time on his physical training test.
"I managed to run a 9-minute, 15-second mile-and-a-half," said Ancona. "I was actually a little disappointed. I made an 8:20 in (technical training) school."
Ancona's training regime for the big day concentrates on endurance and strength.
"The first thing you need to do is work on your nutrition," he explained. "(You need) a good supply of protein and make sure your electrolytes are up for hydration."
"On the weekend I go swimming, biking and (I go for) long runs," he added. "(During the week) I lift weights using lighter weights, but with plenty of (repetitions). I also do a lot of resistance training."
Ancona said he hopes that his months of training and desire to fulfill his lifelong goal will help him run a good race in September.
"I want to at least get a 2-hour, 49-minute time (on the marathon)," said Ancona. "I'm looking at finishing in the top 25 or 30."
Though he will have finally run a marathon, Ancona doesn't intend to cure his athletic bug once he achieves his goal.
"After the marathon I want to do a triathlon or even an ultra marathon which is 50 miles," said Ancona.
One thing is for certain. Ancona's dedication and pursuit of his goal could serve as an inspiration to anyone looking to run the ultimate race.
Keesler Medic gears up for Air Force Marathon
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/6/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- How do they do it? How does someone run 26 miles nonstop? Or, to put it another way, 104 laps around the track. Just think about that number for a second -- 104!
One person who has decided to put himself through this organized form of "torture" is Dominic Ancona, an aerospace medical service technician with the 81st Medical Operations Squadron.
Ancona has been selected to represent Air Education and Training Command in this year's Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 20.
Ancona and Zachary Foulk from Lackland AFB, Texas, are the two male individual runners representing AETC. The command selected Laura Baugh from Lackland and Rebecca Welch from Maxwell AFB, Ala., as its female representatives.
AETC selected the men's team from Columbus AFB, Miss., and the women's team from Altus AFB, Okla., for the open 10-kilometer relays.
Though this will be his first marathon, Ancona has been running since a very early age.
"I've been running really since I was about five," said Ancona. "My Dad was into running and he got me into it.
"I got serious about running in my sophomore year of high school," he added. "It was then that I set one of my life goals that I would someday run a marathon."
Though Ancona knew he wanted to run the 26.2-mile endurance race since high school, events have conspired to keep him from finally achieving his goal until this year.
"There have been several things that have kept me from running a marathon," said Ancona, a native of Novi, Mich. "I joined the military after high school and things like job requirements, being minimally manned at work and deployments have always gotten in the way."
After several aborted attempts to run in the Air Force Marathon because of these factors, it seems that Ancona will finally get his chance this fall in Ohio.
"It's been hard to stay motivated this past few years, but I just look at it as something I've always wanted to do," said Ancona.
Ancona was nominated for the marathon by his flight chief and was accepted by his commander based on his outstanding run time on his physical training test.
"I managed to run a 9-minute, 15-second mile-and-a-half," said Ancona. "I was actually a little disappointed. I made an 8:20 in (technical training) school."
Ancona's training regime for the big day concentrates on endurance and strength.
"The first thing you need to do is work on your nutrition," he explained. "(You need) a good supply of protein and make sure your electrolytes are up for hydration."
"On the weekend I go swimming, biking and (I go for) long runs," he added. "(During the week) I lift weights using lighter weights, but with plenty of (repetitions). I also do a lot of resistance training."
Ancona said he hopes that his months of training and desire to fulfill his lifelong goal will help him run a good race in September.
"I want to at least get a 2-hour, 49-minute time (on the marathon)," said Ancona. "I'm looking at finishing in the top 25 or 30."
Though he will have finally run a marathon, Ancona doesn't intend to cure his athletic bug once he achieves his goal.
"After the marathon I want to do a triathlon or even an ultra marathon which is 50 miles," said Ancona.
One thing is for certain. Ancona's dedication and pursuit of his goal could serve as an inspiration to anyone looking to run the ultimate race.
3 Aug 2008
"The Military is More Liberal Than You Think"
Here's an interesting article I came across on The Huffington Post. I've always maintained that since I joined the AF in 2003, there are more liberals serving than you would think. Don't get me wrong, I think there are still more conservatives in the military, but I was always slightly surprised at just how many left-leaning people I ran into on active duty.
Now with this catastrophic war and even worse administration, there are even more liberals. Rod Lurie, the writer of the following article, hits this particular nail on the head:
(original article here)
Here is a direct quotation from a column written by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times on July 23: "Asked by a Democratic lawmaker a while back why there weren't more democrats in the military, General Petraeus smiled slyly and said 'there are more than you think.'"
Now go to Colonel Steven Boylan of the General's public affairs office in Baghdad who said of the quotation that it is "in error, as he never made nor never would make such a statement."
Well, I certainly believe that Petraeus did not want to make such a statement given that it is inappropriate that a military officer make any partisan comment at all. But it does bring up an interesting question : Is the military more liberal than the clichés would have you believe?
The answer is "yes" and the reason that Obama will win the active duty vote this November.
Most people with whom I talk, often quite educated, think the military is made up of knife-between-the-teeth grunts, uneducated robots without any kind of free will whatsoever -- people who goose step to Republican philosophy and particularly the Bush cowboy mentality.
It is true that in the recent past most members of the military have voted Republican. This is because the GOP is far more likely to flood the military with cash and thus make the lives of the service member bit easier. However, I believe any sort of polling will show, on an issue-by-issue basis, that the military is mostly made up of people with a liberal mindset. And that is what Petraeus was talking about.
Let's take a look at the most ardent post-military political leaders in our nation today. Who are they?
John McCain -- Vietnam vet, former prisoner of war -- is a Republican. Robert Dole is a World War II hero. George Bush, the elder, is a World War II hero.
But now look at the rest of congress. The former military that serve in the House and Senate are mostly Democrats
Here are the political leaders with military experience who have taken prominent positions on defense issues. They are:
Wesley Clark - Democrat.
Jimmy Carter - Democrat.
John Kerry - Democrat.
Bob Kerrey - Democrat (winner of medal of Honor)
Max Cleland - Democrat.
John Murtha - Democrat.
Jack Reed - Democrat.
Daniel Inouye - Democrat. (winner of Medal of Honor)
Jim Webb - Democrat.
Charles Rangel - Democrat.
Al Gore- Democrat
Why do so many members of the military who decide on continuing in public service join the Democratic Party? There are several answers to this, here are a few:
1) Forty percent of the military is made up of ethnic minorities. Most of those, as is also the case with most of the Caucasian members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, come from the lower economic classes. These demographic groups have largely voted Democrat in the past and will continue to do so. When officers (the more likely to go into politics) live with their soldiers day in and day out, a certain empathy builds. It is unavoidable. Those officers begin to understand and respect the problems their soldiers and their families face or have faced on a day-to-day basis. Indeed, the primary reason that young men and women join the service is not their fetish for combat or killing but to satisfy the dire economic needs of their family.
2) The United States military is probably the most socialistic institution in the United States. Think about it. There is universal health care in the military (though we have seen how unconscionably horrific our medical attention has been to our soldiers in places like Walter Reed). Housing is available to all members of the military. Educationally, the children of the officers, even the Generals, go to a school with the children of the lowliest Private in the army.
The major institutions that produce our most elite officers come from a position of absolute meritoriousness as opposed to wealth or contacts. Right now Annapolis and West Point are two of the nation's most difficult colleges to get into. Those two schools, as well as the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy, are blatantly transparent in who and how they admit because they are federally funded. The students who are accepted have to come from the highest academic stock. Were a qualified high school student to be be rejected in favor of somebody because of that person's family's wealth or political connections, it would create a gigantic scandal, given that it is Congressmen who nominate (though do not appoint) cadets and midshipmen.
Just for myself to be transparent myself, I graduated from West Point in 1984.
3) Former soldiers will almost always gravitate to the anti-war party. This happens for obvious reasons. The men who have been in battle tend not to romanticize it and tend not to take it flippantly. The reasons for going to war need to be extraordinarily convincing before anybody who has taken a bullet, seen their friends take a bullet, or who has lodged a bullet in the enemy's brain will put their support behind a war. Recent history has shown that the Republicans are more likely to use the military as a tool of policy rather than as a tool of defense. That is unacceptable to anybody who has served.
4) Finally, and maybe most importantly, is the Iraq war itself. The Bush administration sent our soldiers in on a mission that was initiated either by a lie or by the greatest act of incompetence in the history of this nation's intelligence gathering. In battle, our soldiers were ill equipped and not properly supported. (The "surge" was needed because Bush didn't send in enough troops to begin with). Our wounded soldiers have returned him to find inadequate medical care. The "love" that the soldiers felt from Republicans in peacetime turned into neglect and apathy during war.
The latest poll from Military Times shows that less than half of the military identify themselves as Republicans. The poll goes on to show that much of this anti-Republicanism comes from the bungling of the Iraq war.
As of the start of the year, only 35% of military personnel approve of the president's handling of the war, and 75% said the military is "stretched too thin to be effective."
A few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas playing blackjack. Two soldiers who were a couple of days away from being re-deployed to Iraq sat at the table with me. After a few minutes of conversation I asked them whom they were voting for. They both said they were voting for Obama (these two guys were white). When I asked them why, they very simply and honestly told me they want to vote for the guy that will get them out of Iraq.
I think this year we will see, for the first time, the active duty military voting for the Democratic candidate.
Now with this catastrophic war and even worse administration, there are even more liberals. Rod Lurie, the writer of the following article, hits this particular nail on the head:
(original article here)
Here is a direct quotation from a column written by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times on July 23: "Asked by a Democratic lawmaker a while back why there weren't more democrats in the military, General Petraeus smiled slyly and said 'there are more than you think.'"
Now go to Colonel Steven Boylan of the General's public affairs office in Baghdad who said of the quotation that it is "in error, as he never made nor never would make such a statement."
Well, I certainly believe that Petraeus did not want to make such a statement given that it is inappropriate that a military officer make any partisan comment at all. But it does bring up an interesting question : Is the military more liberal than the clichés would have you believe?
The answer is "yes" and the reason that Obama will win the active duty vote this November.
Most people with whom I talk, often quite educated, think the military is made up of knife-between-the-teeth grunts, uneducated robots without any kind of free will whatsoever -- people who goose step to Republican philosophy and particularly the Bush cowboy mentality.
It is true that in the recent past most members of the military have voted Republican. This is because the GOP is far more likely to flood the military with cash and thus make the lives of the service member bit easier. However, I believe any sort of polling will show, on an issue-by-issue basis, that the military is mostly made up of people with a liberal mindset. And that is what Petraeus was talking about.
Let's take a look at the most ardent post-military political leaders in our nation today. Who are they?
John McCain -- Vietnam vet, former prisoner of war -- is a Republican. Robert Dole is a World War II hero. George Bush, the elder, is a World War II hero.
But now look at the rest of congress. The former military that serve in the House and Senate are mostly Democrats
Here are the political leaders with military experience who have taken prominent positions on defense issues. They are:
Wesley Clark - Democrat.
Jimmy Carter - Democrat.
John Kerry - Democrat.
Bob Kerrey - Democrat (winner of medal of Honor)
Max Cleland - Democrat.
John Murtha - Democrat.
Jack Reed - Democrat.
Daniel Inouye - Democrat. (winner of Medal of Honor)
Jim Webb - Democrat.
Charles Rangel - Democrat.
Al Gore- Democrat
Why do so many members of the military who decide on continuing in public service join the Democratic Party? There are several answers to this, here are a few:
1) Forty percent of the military is made up of ethnic minorities. Most of those, as is also the case with most of the Caucasian members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, come from the lower economic classes. These demographic groups have largely voted Democrat in the past and will continue to do so. When officers (the more likely to go into politics) live with their soldiers day in and day out, a certain empathy builds. It is unavoidable. Those officers begin to understand and respect the problems their soldiers and their families face or have faced on a day-to-day basis. Indeed, the primary reason that young men and women join the service is not their fetish for combat or killing but to satisfy the dire economic needs of their family.
2) The United States military is probably the most socialistic institution in the United States. Think about it. There is universal health care in the military (though we have seen how unconscionably horrific our medical attention has been to our soldiers in places like Walter Reed). Housing is available to all members of the military. Educationally, the children of the officers, even the Generals, go to a school with the children of the lowliest Private in the army.
The major institutions that produce our most elite officers come from a position of absolute meritoriousness as opposed to wealth or contacts. Right now Annapolis and West Point are two of the nation's most difficult colleges to get into. Those two schools, as well as the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy, are blatantly transparent in who and how they admit because they are federally funded. The students who are accepted have to come from the highest academic stock. Were a qualified high school student to be be rejected in favor of somebody because of that person's family's wealth or political connections, it would create a gigantic scandal, given that it is Congressmen who nominate (though do not appoint) cadets and midshipmen.
Just for myself to be transparent myself, I graduated from West Point in 1984.
3) Former soldiers will almost always gravitate to the anti-war party. This happens for obvious reasons. The men who have been in battle tend not to romanticize it and tend not to take it flippantly. The reasons for going to war need to be extraordinarily convincing before anybody who has taken a bullet, seen their friends take a bullet, or who has lodged a bullet in the enemy's brain will put their support behind a war. Recent history has shown that the Republicans are more likely to use the military as a tool of policy rather than as a tool of defense. That is unacceptable to anybody who has served.
4) Finally, and maybe most importantly, is the Iraq war itself. The Bush administration sent our soldiers in on a mission that was initiated either by a lie or by the greatest act of incompetence in the history of this nation's intelligence gathering. In battle, our soldiers were ill equipped and not properly supported. (The "surge" was needed because Bush didn't send in enough troops to begin with). Our wounded soldiers have returned him to find inadequate medical care. The "love" that the soldiers felt from Republicans in peacetime turned into neglect and apathy during war.
The latest poll from Military Times shows that less than half of the military identify themselves as Republicans. The poll goes on to show that much of this anti-Republicanism comes from the bungling of the Iraq war.
As of the start of the year, only 35% of military personnel approve of the president's handling of the war, and 75% said the military is "stretched too thin to be effective."
A few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas playing blackjack. Two soldiers who were a couple of days away from being re-deployed to Iraq sat at the table with me. After a few minutes of conversation I asked them whom they were voting for. They both said they were voting for Obama (these two guys were white). When I asked them why, they very simply and honestly told me they want to vote for the guy that will get them out of Iraq.
I think this year we will see, for the first time, the active duty military voting for the Democratic candidate.
25 Jul 2008
The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force meets Staff Sgt. Rodriguez (and in his spare time does a few other things during his visit to Keesler!)
So, the current Chief Master Sgt. of the AF, Rodney McKinley, made an official visit to Keesler for the first time since taking office and yours truly interviewed him, wrote a newspaper story about his trip and made the below video...(original link here)
20 Feb 2008
ALS
Today I started my first day of Airman Leadership School. What is Airman Leadership School, I hear you ask?
ALS is a six-week leadership course that every enlisted member must go through before they are allowed to become a noncommisioned officer, i.e. sew on Staff Sergeant stripes. (I made the rank of Staff Sergeant [at my first attempt] back in September, but I'm not due to actually sew on the rank [and get the extra pay that comes with it] until May 1st of this year.)
As with any mangement course, there's sure to be some superfluous and perhaps even unnecessary stuff that I'll have to endure, but the point of the course is to prepare young (and that damn sure doesn't mean me!) enlisted troops with the tools they'll need to make unsupervised decisions and to supervise/lead/train those even younger Airmen under them. And this can only be a good thing.
It is thus that I find myself in ALS for the next six weeks.
I already have a lot of leadership experience, having been a retail manager for four years. However, I realize that the military will teach a somewhat different style of management/leadership and therefore am looking forward to learning another way to lead/supervise/manage.
Surely the things I learn in ALS (and in the military as a whole since I've been in) will only help me when I separate from the service early next year.
I'll blog any significant/interesting/humorous things that happen in the course during the next six weeks.
ALS is a six-week leadership course that every enlisted member must go through before they are allowed to become a noncommisioned officer, i.e. sew on Staff Sergeant stripes. (I made the rank of Staff Sergeant [at my first attempt] back in September, but I'm not due to actually sew on the rank [and get the extra pay that comes with it] until May 1st of this year.)
As with any mangement course, there's sure to be some superfluous and perhaps even unnecessary stuff that I'll have to endure, but the point of the course is to prepare young (and that damn sure doesn't mean me!) enlisted troops with the tools they'll need to make unsupervised decisions and to supervise/lead/train those even younger Airmen under them. And this can only be a good thing.
It is thus that I find myself in ALS for the next six weeks.
I already have a lot of leadership experience, having been a retail manager for four years. However, I realize that the military will teach a somewhat different style of management/leadership and therefore am looking forward to learning another way to lead/supervise/manage.
Surely the things I learn in ALS (and in the military as a whole since I've been in) will only help me when I separate from the service early next year.
I'll blog any significant/interesting/humorous things that happen in the course during the next six weeks.
18 Feb 2008
And speaking of my job...
The previous post got me thinking...how many people, both in the military and out, actually know what public affairs is...what I actually do? Well it involves all of the following: journalism, photography, marketing, media relations, PR work and community relations.
Public Affairs can be, and actually is, broken into three parts: internal information, media and community relations (COMREL).
Internal Information: The base newspaper falls into this category. Essentially, we write articles, shoot photos for articles or for stand-alone pieces, and then publish them in the base newspaper - be it paper or electronic (ours at Keesler is an actual newspaper). Unfortunately, we are somewhat constricted by what we can and cannot write (this is the military, after all) - you won't find any Vanity Fair-like features or New York Times-esque commentaries. It's pretty much straight news reporting. Some examples of my articles can be found here, here and here (page 4). I don't actually work in the internal information section of my office, so I don't get to write as many stories as I'd like.
Media: This is where the marketing, media relations and public relations comes into it. Whenever something is going on at Keesler (read: always!), we send out press releases to the local press (within 2-hour radius) "selling" the story to them to see if they might want to cover it. Needless to say we get a lot of good press from some of the great things the base does.
Also, media come onto base quite often. When they do, a member of the public affairs office has to escort them and be with them at all times. Usually WLOX-TV (the local ABC affiliate) comes onto base to film an event or interview. In fact, I had to escort reporter Krystal Allan onto base today (I'm on-call this weekend) for a piece WLOX were doing on the Rust College choir's visit to Keesler (the choir, BTW, were AWESOME!! I'm an atheist, but can honestly say I had an absolute blast at the gospel service today!). On Thursday, we escorted NBC Nightly News reporter Maria Menounos onto base for a story she was doing on returning veterans suffering from PTSD and no, she wasn't entirely unpleasant-looking (she was actually very nice as well)!
Also, NPR, the Sun Herald, WWL (the local Fox affiliate) and even Good Morning America (in Dec.) come to Keesler for various stories. Again, though, I'd do more media if it were my main job in PA, but it's not. My primary area of concern is...
Community Relations: In COMREL, I am the liaison between the base and the surrounding community. Again, marketing comes into it. I have to get the base involved in the local community and get the local community involved in the base. I have to sell the base (not that it needs much selling here, being, as it is, the largest employer on the Gulf Coast). Whenever our wing leadership goes off-base for an event, engagement, etc., I'm usually there with them. I plan, organize and execute base involvement with the local community. I also have to attend many of the local Chambers of Commerce (and there are about five of them!) monthly meetings and events.
It's quite a hectic job and I'm usually very busy (especially when I bring groups of civilians on base for a usually-all-day base tour).
Overall, I love this job. Despite the ton of work and the fact that I often have to attend engagements/deal with media during non-duty hours, I'm so glad I cross-trained into this career field (from IT). I still like IT, but this is much more my bag. Hopefully, when I get out of the Air Force and move back to England early next year, I'll be able to do some PR/Media relations for a high-profile IT company (like Microsoft, Cam) where I can get the best of both worlds.
I also hope to continue the journalism side of the job after I get out. My dream would be to be on TV with my own opinion/review show...in other words, the televisual equivalent of this blog!
Public Affairs can be, and actually is, broken into three parts: internal information, media and community relations (COMREL).
Internal Information: The base newspaper falls into this category. Essentially, we write articles, shoot photos for articles or for stand-alone pieces, and then publish them in the base newspaper - be it paper or electronic (ours at Keesler is an actual newspaper). Unfortunately, we are somewhat constricted by what we can and cannot write (this is the military, after all) - you won't find any Vanity Fair-like features or New York Times-esque commentaries. It's pretty much straight news reporting. Some examples of my articles can be found here, here and here (page 4). I don't actually work in the internal information section of my office, so I don't get to write as many stories as I'd like.
Media: This is where the marketing, media relations and public relations comes into it. Whenever something is going on at Keesler (read: always!), we send out press releases to the local press (within 2-hour radius) "selling" the story to them to see if they might want to cover it. Needless to say we get a lot of good press from some of the great things the base does.
Also, media come onto base quite often. When they do, a member of the public affairs office has to escort them and be with them at all times. Usually WLOX-TV (the local ABC affiliate) comes onto base to film an event or interview. In fact, I had to escort reporter Krystal Allan onto base today (I'm on-call this weekend) for a piece WLOX were doing on the Rust College choir's visit to Keesler (the choir, BTW, were AWESOME!! I'm an atheist, but can honestly say I had an absolute blast at the gospel service today!). On Thursday, we escorted NBC Nightly News reporter Maria Menounos onto base for a story she was doing on returning veterans suffering from PTSD and no, she wasn't entirely unpleasant-looking (she was actually very nice as well)!
Also, NPR, the Sun Herald, WWL (the local Fox affiliate) and even Good Morning America (in Dec.) come to Keesler for various stories. Again, though, I'd do more media if it were my main job in PA, but it's not. My primary area of concern is...
Community Relations: In COMREL, I am the liaison between the base and the surrounding community. Again, marketing comes into it. I have to get the base involved in the local community and get the local community involved in the base. I have to sell the base (not that it needs much selling here, being, as it is, the largest employer on the Gulf Coast). Whenever our wing leadership goes off-base for an event, engagement, etc., I'm usually there with them. I plan, organize and execute base involvement with the local community. I also have to attend many of the local Chambers of Commerce (and there are about five of them!) monthly meetings and events.
It's quite a hectic job and I'm usually very busy (especially when I bring groups of civilians on base for a usually-all-day base tour).
Overall, I love this job. Despite the ton of work and the fact that I often have to attend engagements/deal with media during non-duty hours, I'm so glad I cross-trained into this career field (from IT). I still like IT, but this is much more my bag. Hopefully, when I get out of the Air Force and move back to England early next year, I'll be able to do some PR/Media relations for a high-profile IT company (like Microsoft, Cam) where I can get the best of both worlds.
I also hope to continue the journalism side of the job after I get out. My dream would be to be on TV with my own opinion/review show...in other words, the televisual equivalent of this blog!
My Job - Me interviewing Major General Mark Welsh
Part of what I do in my job (Public Affairs) is interviewing military bigwigs. Here's a video of my most recent interview. The man I'm interviewing is Major General Mark Welss, the vice commander of Air Education and Training Command in the Air Force. We filmed the interview to put on Keesler Air Force Base's public website and to submit up to AETC and Air Force Link for their websites.
Labels:
air force,
my job,
public affairs
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)