Day 4: In Review

As I mentioned in a previous post, the group of men and women that are a part of this JCOC class are all very well accomplished in their respective fields.  In order to protect the privacy of those here I won't disclose names, but I will share their professions to give you a glimpse. We have with us:

• A college president
• Multiple doctors
• Presidents & CEO's of large companies
• Other elected officials
• Multiple people who are in the TV or film profession
• Professional and college sports executives

This is just a sample of the dynamic collection traveling with our group.  For the TV junkies, I promised a picture of a recognizable face.  She is Ms. Diane Neal (photo below).  She is an accomplished TV actress starring in television hits such as Law & Order and NCIS, just to name a few.  I must admit I don't get to watch much television.  I have, however, seen episodes of these shows.  In each of her roles she plays a very serious and professional law enforcement officer.  Well, let's just say she's a great actress because the real person is the total opposite!  She's completely down to earth and wonderful to be around. She's the life of the group, often cracking some of the funniest one-liners I've ever heard.  She has been a hit with the troops, and many of them immediately recognize her.  She has been great to all of them and is genuinely a true supporter of our military.  It's been great to meet her. I also want to share two other stories that have been very moving.  Both of them happened yesterday on Marines Day, but I wanted to save it for this post.  At lunch yesterday, I was seated with two members of team Air Force as we chatted about our experiences.  During the later half of our meal we were approached by a Marine who asked to join us.  We were honored and quickly moved over to make room.  I asked him about his family and if he had kids.  He replied that he did - one daughter that is five and another that just turned two.  He went on to describe a medical condition that his youngest daughter suffered from.  The name of the disease escapes me now, but what happened next doesn't.  

A pediatrician, who is now a director at a top medical institution, happened to be one of the two others sitting at the table for lunch.  He knew exactly what the Marine was describing and explained that the reason he was on the trip was to attempt to develop a program to help families of the military that need medical assistance.  Not only was he exploring that, but he offered his willingness to personally get involved and help the young girl.   The Marine, who could have picked any one of over two dozen tables to sit at, seemed immediately relieved that he picked ours.  The connection of those two was magical to witness and reminded me that these men and women have so much more to worry about than just their assignment.  They, like me and you, are humans with real human problems and issues to deal with.  This calling impacts all aspects of their life.  

Secondly, at our morning welcome session, we were welcomed by Colonel Benjamin S. Blankenship.  The colonel is about 6' 4" and is in great physical shape.  I'd estimate he is in the range of 50 years of age.  He's been a Marine for 28 years and looked as fit as many of the twenty-somethings.  Marines preach to always be prepared, and true to the mission he had read all of the biographies of our group.  I know this because at one point he mentioned a woman with us specifically by name.  The reason - her husband died in the attack at the World Trade Center on 9/11.  Immediately, when the colonel recounted his whereabouts during the attack his eyes welled with tears.  He attempted to continue as tears rolled down his face.  After a short time he was unable to continue, which prompted the widow of the 9/11 attack to stand and weep with him in a deeply moving embrace.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house.  If it wasn't real before that moment, it was now.  This is real.  For every American.  It's a moment I'll never forget.I've enjoyed getting to know this group and learn more about them.  I'm honored to be included in such an esteemed group.

- MLR

Me with Law & Order actress, Diane Neal 

Day 3: "Marines Day" In Review

I hate to sound like a broken record, but today was another wonderful day!

Let me start off by saying that the Marines are a special and talented group.  I'd catorigize them as just a little bit different (in a good way) than the other services we have visited thus far.  A little more direct and in your face than the others.  No let me take that back, A LOT more direct and in your face!  

After we sleepily boarded the bus at 5:15 a.m., we left our hotel for Parris Island. As we pulled thru the gates, a drill sergeant greeted us by jumping aboard and yelling so loudly that we couldn't understand a word that he screamed.  We all frantically attempted to respond, but our actions seemingly made him more irritated and louder.  After a few minutes of trying to respond in an acceptable way, our group finally caught on that every time he spoke we were to reply: "Aye, Sir."  No matter what he said, unless it was a direct question, we were to respond "Aye, Sir."  If we failed to do so, we were met with a loud "I DIDN'T HEAR YOU.  I SAY SIT.  YOU SAY AYE SIR.  GOT IT?"  "Aye sir" we then proudly shouted as if we were catching on.  Not realizing he actually asked a question, to which the correct response would have been "Yes, Sir" the Sergeant once again quickly corrected us. This went on and on and on.  I kid you not, I must have yelled "Aye, Sir" 500+ times from that point on.  

Our arrival, and the way we were treated, was exactly what a Marine recruit encounters when they arrive at Parris Island.  Our day was designed to give us a flavor of what a Marine boot camp is like.  We exited the bus and lined up the infamous yellow footprints.  Every Marine that enters the force has stood on those footprints when they started.  We then moved inside where the process of enlisting begins.  It includes: 

• the removal of all contraband
• a strip search 
• various tests
• a 20 second phone call to only one person to let them know that you arrived safely 
• the "20 second haircut" -  This process normally takes place for a recruit class at 0200, or 2 o'clock in the morning.  

This is day one of their 12-week boot camp.   The attrition rate for males is on average 10%, for females 16%.  The grueling program includes what the drill sergeant described as three phases.  Each phase has a specific and intended purpose.  Phase 1 "breaks them down" - Phase 2 "begins to build them up" - Phase 3 "takes them under our wing." 

As our day progressed, our drill sergeant simulated this by changing his behavior accordingly. By the end of our day, the screaming maniac that greeted us at 5:30 a.m. was smiling and happily answering our questions.  He explained that he simply wanted us to get a feel for how a recruit was handled through his/her 12-week training.  

Trust me Sergeant, we got the point!  The program is crafted in a way that instills the Marine Corps three core values : 1. honor, 2. courage and 3. commitment.  The three months are filled with early mornings and numerous measurable goals that must be met.  The training culminates with the main event: The Crucible.  Read this carefully and imagine going through this yourself. My written words will not do it justice.  In fact, we watched a video that attempted to capture the difficultly of the task.  However, it too fell short in my opinion.  Consider the following:

• The Crucible lasts for 54 hours straight
• Over those 54 hours, the recruits travel 38 miles by foot
• They are given only 8 hours of sleep (4 each night)
• They get 3 ready-to-eat meals (not very good)
• They have 8 major events along their journey and travel through 28 individual stations
• It is a continuous physical and mental challenge

Absolutely unreal.  Even at the height of my athletic days, I could have never even imagined attempting this let alone believing I could complete it.  After they complete this last and final journey, they receive the coveted Eagle, Globe & Anchor.  This signals that they are ready for graduation.  The impressive gathering of men and women in the Marines is a comforting feeling.  Knowing that so many dedicated people are there to defend us and protect this country's freedom is awesome!  

Throughout the course of the day, we got to experience some of the obstacles and exercises that Marines regularly participate in.  I chose to do a few, including jumping a wall.  I also chose to do the most dangerous one - a repel from the 47-foot-high USMC tower!  I'll admit that it was scary, but I did it and I even have the video to prove it.

All in all, it was again a wonderful day.  Another 5 a.m. wakeup call tomorrow and then straight to the airplane to takeoff for "Army Day." I know I promised to describe our class, but sorry you're going to have to wait.  I'm exhausted and these posts keep getting longer as the days become more and more interesting.  

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

- MLR 

Preparing to fire an M-16

A few other things:


I met another proud Pittsburgher today at Parris Island.  Sergeant Tye Bogart was one of our group leaders today.  He was born in Pittsburgh in 1985.  He then lived in Beaver County until the age of 10.  Thank you for you service.  

Me with Sergeant Tye Bogart

Speaking of service, I want to also take a quick minute to shout out a good family friend who is a former Marine -  Mr. Tom Pace.  I spoke with him today via text about how impressed I am with the Marines.  I also joked that I couldn't believe he made it through boot camp!  In all seriousness, thanks Tom for your service to our Country.  Tom served from 2004-2008 as an active duty infantryman.  He was deployed twice overseas - once for 6 months to Afghanistan in 2006, and again in 2007 for 7 months in Iraq.  I'm happy to report that Tom is now back living in our wonderful City of Pittsburgh!  Hoorah!

Oh, and one last thing... Congratulations to my brother Adam who won his election last night for the 20th Legislative District.  Well deserved!  I was sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate.

Day 2: In Review

Another great and action-packed day.
 
After our breakfast at Hurlburt Field, we departed aboard our C-17 southbound to Miami.  We arrived at the Coast Guard Air Station around lunchtime, where we had a lunch briefing led by Captain Joe Kimball.  We learned that the Coast Guard is responsible for protecting the maritime economy, protecting the maritime borders and saving those in peril.  What struck me the most was just how much they were responsible for with a relatively low (versus other services) force of 40,000.  Impressive work.  Their most recent "bust" came less than a week ago when aircraft and ships cooperated to stop a boat that contained approximately 200 kilograms of cocaine.  
 
To put that in perspective, in 2011, all land law enforcement agencies in the continental U.S. confiscated 20,000 kilos.  So, in one day’s work, the Coast Guard did 10% of what all land law enforcement combined did last year.  I had no idea (until today) not only how hard they work, but how good they are at keeping illegal drugs and paraphernalia out of our country.
After our lunch briefing with the Coast Guardsmen, we toured the facilities.  Similar to the Air Force, the equipment and personnel were exceptional.  We were able to handle all of the firearms used by the Coast Guard.  They are well equipped to say the least! From there, we went on to a tour of the aircraft.  The helicopters used to perform water rescue are actually much smaller than I would have imagined.  The reason is so that they are able to maneuver the aircraft to handle any and all types of rescue missions.

We then took a half-hour bus ride further south to a port near Downtown Miami.  Once we arrived, we immediately boarded the 154-foot WPC-1101.  This type of ship is commonly referred to as a “Cutter.”  This particular ship, USCGC Bernard C. Webber, was named after the man who executed one of the greatest search and rescue missions in the history of the service.  Under a beautiful cloudless sky in 82-degree weather - sorry, I had to get that in :) - we sailed for over two hours.  During the time at sea, we were able to tour the enormous ship and see the "behind the scenes" efforts.  In addition, the back of the ship includes a smaller rescue type of boat that launches in the rear.  It seats eight people, and we all had the chance to take a quick ride.  It was a blast!

Toward the end of our two hours on the Cutter, the Coast Guard performed a water rescue effort from the exact helicopter I toured only hours earlier.  It's difficult to put into words how stressful it must be to be suspended from the rescue cable hundreds of feet in the air as you prepare to save your target.  Brave men and women.  Once we docked, we got our "chow" for the evening.  Meals are often referred to as chow in the military.  After chow, it was back on the bus and to the airport.  Our day would conclude elsewhere after our late flight.

Tomorrow is "Marines Day" and is expected to be our most physically grueling one yet.  And they made sure we have plenty of time to experience it ... wake-up call is at 4:45 a.m.  Yikes!  I'll be posting more tomorrow and I hope to have time to talk a bit about some of the extraordinary people who are a part of this JCOC 83 class.  It is an extremely accomplished group of professionals that come from all walks of life.  We even have someone I'm sure many of you TV show fans will recognize!  I'd like to give you a hint, but I'd rather ask her tomorrow if she's comfortable taking a picture and posting it on here.  She's super cool, so I'm sure she'll say yes.  

But for now, goodnight.

- MLR

Rescue helicopter

Getting to tour the helicopter

Coast Guard ammunition

One of the rescue boats

The "Cutter"

Water rescue mission right outside downtown Miami

Day 2: Taking a minute to say THANK YOU

The United States is clearly the most well-equipped military operation anywhere in the world.  While this is certainly obvious to us all, to see it firsthand makes me very proud.  What has impressed me the most so far is not the equipment, or the planes, or the weapons ... but instead the makeup of the men and women in uniform. 

I think we all take for granted sometimes what these folks do on our behalf.  Not only are they in harm’s way at any moment, but they embrace it and are eager to defend.  Their warm smiles and friendly greetings are constant.  They all continue to thank us for being on this trip and what we're doing for them.  It's amazing that they feel the need to thank us.  As if we've done anything near what they have and continue to do.  Members of our class have talked privately about how impressed we are by this, and so in my remarks this morning I had a chance to return the favor. I told our military members that they are the ones who deserve the thanks, and that we are grateful for what they do. 

The other striking thing to me is the age of many of them.  I would say that between half and 75% of those active members we've met so far are under the age of 25.  Many of them already have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times.  Many of them, too, have families with young children. It's remarkable the sacrifice that these families make in order to be members of our military.  I mentioned in my first entry how I'll miss seeing my son, Cooper, this week.  And while I certainly have, this trip has put things into perspective.  I won't see him for one week, but these service members leave their kids for months and months at a time - sometimes years.  To hear their personal stories and sacrifices makes you realize just how lucky you are. 

The members of our military are special in every way.  If you know an active duty member or a veteran, take some time during your busy day to tell them thanks.  It will go a long way.

- MLR

Day 2: Our morning at Hurlburt Field

Just left Hurlburt Field, FL.  This is where we spent our time on "Air Force Day."   On behalf of our class, I had the honor of thanking Lt. General Eric Fiel for his tremendous hospitality on the base.  He was very kind and even presented me with a special coin.  Great stuff!   

We're now heading to a Coast Guard facility. I look forward to seeing what the rest of today holds in store.

- MLR 

Below are pictures of our group - both civilian and active duty, and the coin I received from the General.

 

Day 1: In Review

All I can say is... Wow.  What a day.  The day started with a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call and ended at 10:45 p.m. when we finally got to our hotel. The 83rd JCOC has 37 participants that are broken down into 5 teams: Army, Marine Corp, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.  I am a member of the Air Force team and we are led by Captain Bryon McGarry.  For security reasons, I can't disclose all locations but I will be as detailed as possible.  

Our first stop this morning was at the Pentagon.  What a huge and amazing structure.  We visited the Press Briefing room first and had our week outlined for us, including an overview of the Department of Defense.  The highlight of the morning was an address and Q&A with the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr.  He was extremely open and candid.  It was a great start. 

We also had the chance to visit the Hall of Honor.  The hall contains all of the names of the 3,458 people who have received the Medal of Valor, the highest award for valor in action in the U.S. Military. Our final stop at the Pentagon was a visit to the 9/11 Memorial.  It's a beautiful display and a humbling reminder of the threats our nation faces.  

From the Pentagon, we headed to Andrews Air Force base to board our aircraft for the week, a C-17. From there, we flew to "Air Force Special Operations Day."  We were greeted warmly by the men and women from the Air Force. "Air Powerrrrrr" is the greeting members use and chant.  The afternoon included a command briefing from the Lieutenant, followed by a static tour of a special operations capable aircraft.  These included both planes and helicopters.  Following the tour of the aircraft, we experienced the daily workouts that members participate in.  Ummmm... Let's just say I'm out of shape!

We then experienced what a troop goes through when they are deployed abroad.  It was amazingly thorough and we each received our own military "dog tag."  After a quick dinner, we then began to prepare for the main event of the day - a simulated night mission.  What an incredible experience.  We started by being briefed by a superior, who outlined in detail what was expected of us. By the time he was completed, we made our way outside into the now-dark night.  The special tactics team led us to our designated aircraft. On the "import" trip, my chalk group took the CV-22.  Our "export" was on the MI-17.  Both trips were amazing, but the CV-22's speed and rapid ascent/decent was extraordinary.  We literally felt as if we were in a mission.  It left us all speechless.  

The final part of the mission was a simulated mission that included gunfire from the C-130 planes.  We were given night glasses to view the fires.  The C-130s circled high above and fired time and time again, repeatedly striking their targets perfectly.  Impressive, to say the least.  I would love to include more, and I hope to in future days.  But for now it's time for bed.  Our wakeup call is late tomorrow... 7 a.m.

Special shout out to Operations Manager Jeff George who went out of his way to say hello to me.  He heard I would be in attendance. Jeff is originally from Zelienople and went to Riverside High School. It was great to talk about Pittsburgh.  He has been serving our Country for 18 years now with multiple deployments overseas.  Thank you, Jeff, for keeping us safe and for proudly representing Pittsburgh.

- MLR

Captain McGarry and I holding ammunition
for the 105mm canon aboard the C-130.

Ammunition for the 45mm aboard the C-130

Aboard our C-17 - the aircraft we'll be flying on all week.

Video of  the CV-22 we flew on at night!

Off to participate in the JCOC 83

Tomorrow, I'll be joining 40 business and community leaders from across the country to participate in the week long Joint Civilian Orientation Conference(JCOC) - a program sponsored by the Secretary of Defense that aims to increase the public's understanding of national defense. 

I 'm excited, and a little nervous, to see what this week has in store. The information I've received on what I'll be doing exactly is pretty vague for security reasons. I know that I'll be attending briefings by senior military officials at the Pentagon. Throughout the week we'll gain hands-on experience by participating in operations and interacting with troops and military leaders, and we'll visit military installations on the East Coast. 

Judging from the clothing items I've been told to pack, we will be working in water and getting physical. One of the hardest adjustments will be the 5 a.m. wake up time and the fact that I'll be away from my son and of course, my home town. 

This opportunity, however, is something I am very much looking forward to. I have so much respect for the men and women and their families who serve to keep our great city and nation safe. After this week, I'm sure I will gain a whole new level of understanding on just what their sacrifice and commitment entails.

Mayor Lawrence wrote the secretary of defense back when he was Mayor, encouraging JCOC to have more mayors involved. And so, I think it is appropriate to thank him - one of our City's greatest mayors - for this opportunity.

I encourage you to check in every night to read about my experiences as a JCOC 83 participant. 

Wish me luck!

- MLR