Posted on: Thursday, July 1, 2004
ISLAND VOICES
The U.S. military is something to be proud of
 |
Recently, I was honored to be granted a firsthand view of what the women and men in our armed forces are doing to make the world a safer place in hotspots from Bosnia to Azerbaijan.
The opportunity came through participation in the Pentagon's annual Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC).
Joining in this 5-decades-old program provided me an extraordinary view of U.S. military and security operations.
The JCOC program included: briefings at the Pentagon; a review of European Command Headquarters; observing infantry and Air Force training in Germany; accompanying a patrol in Bosnia; viewing cooperative training between U.S. Navy SEALS and their Azeri counterparts in Azerbaijan; and watching land and sea training in Spain.
Each day of this week-long whirlwind tour typically began at 6 a.m., not to end until 10 p.m.
Photo by T. Michael May From these remarkable experiences, I formed the overwhelming conclusion that, despite differences of opinion in the nation today on particulars of our foreign policy, we all should take enormous pride in the people serving in our military both at home and abroad, as they daily do challenging and dangerous jobs with discipline, distinction and honor.
In Washington, I met Marine Harold Lucas, the youngest Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. He's a friendly, unassuming "old-timer" now, but when under attack at Iwo Jima in February 1945, Pfc. Lucas unhesitatingly threw himself on a grenade to shield his comrades.
An inspiration of self-sacrifice, Private Lucas told us with a smile that he lied about his age to serve his country in its time of need.
On the streets of Banovici in Bosnia, we accompanied armed patrols in Humvees and on foot. Their mission: to bring stability and hope to the people of Bosnia. Their sacrifice is very real, as the threat of harm is omnipresent.
Yet, I also watched as a soldier played soccer with a young boy on a side street, using an empty water bottle as a "ball." It reminded me of the timeless game of "kick the can" that we played as kids, now revealed in a moment of tranquility, a natural act of humanitarianism and one-on-one diplomacy.
From the carrier Enterprise in the middle of the Mediterranean, we watched Navy SEALS conduct a mock interdiction exercise from helicopters onto the deck of a vessel, suspected of terrorist activity, moving through the seas and supported by aircraft moving in utter precision.
We saw teams of women and men changing their skills for a changing world. The unfortunate truth is that many of the exercises are designed for terrorist and riot situations, to protect the peace and minimize harm in an almost countless range of possible scenarios.
It is amazing to observe the merging of technology, training and human discipline to achieve these ends.
The JCOC participants were selected from hundreds of candidates nominated by military commands worldwide. Varying as our broader viewpoints on life may have been, we were bound together by a unanimous admiration for our troops' commitment, focus and willingness to sacrifice for a greater good.
This entire experience brought home for me the depth of pride and honor we can, and should, share in America's military service women and men.
Let us not forget. Our military women and men serve us from their heartfelt mission to protect the precious gift of peace. I believe that no gift is really ours until we have thanked the giver.
Thank you, armed forces of America.
T. Michael May is president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Co.
I was one of a group of nearly 50 academic, local government and business leaders from all across the United States. Participants came from such enterprises as Duke University, the Kennedy School at Harvard, a chamber of commerce in Texas, the Frito Lay Corp. headquarters, a leadership institute in New Mexico, the city manager of Las Vegas, and the CEOs and officers of several public and private companies.
A U.S. soldier and Bosnian boy play soccer with an empty water bottle.
