Boot camp, screaming instructors, standing at attention for seemingly hours on end, thousands of pushups…the list goes on. My military career started with a trip to San Diego for Marine Corps basic training. Then 3 years later in what I briefly thought was insanity, I went through 3 weeks of Air Force basic training as I crossed to another branch of service. As I had an Air Force technical instructor yelling at me, I thought to myself, “Why in the world would I go through another boot camp? It ought to be illegal to submit yourself to that experience again.” But, as i served for 25 years as an Airman I think I made the right decision. Certainly my career had its usual share of tough duty, early morning recalls and separations from my family. But, the unique opportunities within a military career is well worth it.
INCENTIVE FLIGHT
After winning the 1992 Disaster Preparedness Noncommissioned Officer award for United States Air Forces in Europe, my commander nominated me for an incentive flight on an F-16 fighter jet. It was an amazing flight as we were sitting on the runway one moment and the next rocketing upward with a force that seemed to melt me into the seat cushion behind me. Captain Mark McCarthy blasted us through the German cloud cover and turned the aircraft east so we could fly up the Rhine River and back down the Mosel River over the western edge of German air space. The views of the castles along these two rivers were breathtaking to view. At one point, he turned the control of the aircraft over to me and I was able to take us on an aileron roll quickly rolling us in a 360 degree pattern along the same axis of flight.
MISSION TRIP TO ROMANIA
Watching the fall of the Berlin Wall on the British news was very memorable. Never did I dream I would travel to a Communist country when. However, that series of historical events would pave the way for me to drive a truck with relief supplies to Oradea, Romania three years later. The people of Second Baptist Church in that town were so appreciative of the appliances, clothing and food that we brought them. It was incredible to see how far behind their technology still remained. For instance, I watched as a telephone repair man rode up to the house I was staying in on a bicycle and unwrapped the phone he had wired to the handlebars.
USS CONSTELLATION
People in the military sometimes wonder what it would be like to be in another branch of service. I sometimes mused what it would be like to be on a ship in the middle of the ocean. I was elated when Colonel Tim Jones asked me to fly with him to the USS Constellation for a meeting. It was delightful to spend six hours on that ship in the Middle of the Persian Gulf. The view was phenomenal as our helicopter circled the carrier before landing on the deck of that mighty ship. The return trip to our base in Kuwait was a tremendous experience as we flew in the Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) airplane which had to be catapulted off of the end of the ship while the propeller driven engines were performing at near full speed.
Certainly military recruiters will tout the benefits of pay entitlements, 30 days of annual leave and educational benefits. But, the unexpected experiences are amazing. That’s why two veterans rarely tell the same story. Despite the usual visions of the military being steeped in uniformity, compliance and routine, a military career enables one to weave a tapestry of experiences that make for an incredible life.
