ROTC Representatives Share Lessons From Service

Transcription

1 Published on ( Home > ROTC Representatives Share Lessons From Service ROTC Representatives Share Lessons From Service University Relations - Communications November 2014 In honor of Veterans Day, and with appreciation for all those who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces, Lo Que Pasa talked with representatives from the UA's Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC programs about their military service and their jobs at the UA. LTC Dale E. Barnett Jr., professor of military science, has been stationed in Oklahoma, Germany, Washington, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Hawaii, and has been deployed to the Republic of Kosovo, and Mosul and Baqubah in Iraq. What year did you join the Army? 1996 What motivated you to join the armed forces? Ultimately it was a calling to serve the nation. However, my initial motivation was that I wanted to fly a military aircraft, whether it was in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force or the U.S. Army did not matter. The flying part of the adventure didn't go as planned, but I have had a great time in the 17 years I have been in the United States Army. What has been one of the best experiences? The best experience I have had during my service is easy, and it is meeting and developing lifelong friendships and working with all of the great Americans that I have over the past 17-plus years of service. you might otherwise not have learned? The importance of managing your time cannot be understated. There are only so many hours in the day and days that you will spend in service to your country and you have to capitalize on that time. While the time I have spent in the U.S. Army might seem like a long time to others, the years have flown by and I feel like I have so much more I would like to accomplish before my service to the nation ends. What do you enjoy most about your job at the UA? As the professor of military science, I play a vital role in preparing future second lieutenants for their first assignment and preparing them to care for and lead the great soldiers in the United States Army. I am amazed every day how dedicated our cadets are and how excited they are to lead in the United States Army.

2 Col. Brian P. Donahoo, professor of aerospace studies and commander for the Air Force ROTC Detachment 20 at the UA, has been stationed in North Carolina, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Arizona, and has been deployed to Italy and Iraq. What year did you join the Air Force? 1982 What motivated you to join the armed forces? I wanted to serve this great nation of ours and have a chance to fly? I was lucky enough to do both. What has been one of the best experiences? Americans thanking me for my service? I am humbled every time and it has been an absolute honor to serve. you might otherwise not have learned? I never cease to be amazed by the caliber of exceptional men and women who serve. We give our young airmen and officers more responsibilities than most militaries give their senior leaders. We expect more and we get more? it is an awesome thing to witness. What year did you start working at the UA? 2013 What do you enjoy most about your job at the UA? It is fantastic working with young cadets every day. These are future Air Force leaders and it is a joy to see them progress from freshman cadets to commissioned officers. I envy all of my cadets. With the exception of my family, I would give up everything I have if I could swap places with any of them and start my grand Air Force adventure all over again. Capt. Sandra Spoon, assistant professor of aerospace studies and operations and recruiting flight commander, has been stationed in California, Texas and Arizona, and has been deployed to the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. What year did you join the Air Force? 1998 What motivated you to join the armed forces? My family legacy was definitely a large part of the reason I joined the Air Force. My dad is a prior-enlisted retired Air Force captain, my brother is an Air Force master sergeant, my grandfathers were in the Army and the Navy, and my mother-in-law is a retired Air Force master sergeant, so the military is something that is a legacy I wanted to continue. Also, having my husband serving with me definitely makes me even more proud. What has been one of the best experiences? One of the most memorable moments for me would have to be when I officially received my commissioning at Officer Training School. My father went through the same program 20 years earlier and he had his father swear him in. So when my dad asked me to raise my right hand and then proceeded to swear me in, I actually

3 had tears in my eyes; so did he. It was amazing to have my father bring me on as an officer. I have a picture frame that means so much to me; on the top is a picture of my dad with my grandfather? his dad? being sworn in, the bottom picture is one of my dad swearing me in with almost the exact same pose. Bottom line: That moment I will treasure always. you might otherwise not have learned? The core values? above all? are values I never truly understood until I joined the military and embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all you do? three phrases that made me realize being part of something bigger than "me" required a greater devotion and understanding to those core values. Every day I saw these core values in airmen, officers and civilians at each step of my career and each one has inspired? and still inspires? me to do my best in supporting my country. I have had friends who have died in either stateside and in deployments and with each one, I continue to be humbled by the amount of courage and selfsacrifice that our core values teach us to hold to. The core values have made me a better mother, wife and ultimately the officer I am today. What year did you start working at the UA? 2011 What do you enjoy most about your job at the UA? The best part of my job of teaching at the UA is knowing that I am actually mentoring our future officers who will one day lead our Air Force. I look at the cadets who come through our AFROTC program and because of the teaching and leadership experiences we give, I know the Air Force is going to continue to be amazing. Cpt. Craig B. Morehead, armor officer, has been stationed in Kentucky, Texas, Colorado and Arizona, and has been deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. What year did you join the Army? 2006 What motivated you to join the armed forces? A little bit of family tradition got me to enroll in ROTC. I found it appealing and was good at it, so after my sophomore year, I was awarded a scholarship. The education benefits didn't hurt. What has been one of the best experiences? My most memorable experience in the Army was the joy I felt once I got my final needed passing grade in Ranger School, which meant that I would graduate and be allowed back into society.... If it weren't for the Army, I may have never had the chance to work in the locations I've worked and meet the great people that I've served with. you might otherwise not have learned? Animation in PowerPoint. The Army makes you very, very proficient in PowerPoint. What do you enjoy most about your job at the UA? The opportunity to share my experiences over the past nine years with future lieutenants that will soon be serving in the

4 Army. The absence of deployments and long field problems isn't too bad, either. Cmdr. Todd Mencke, executive officer and associate professor of naval science, has been stationed in Florida, New York, Japan, California, Virginia, Italy and Hawaii. He has been deployed to the Arabian Gulf, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. What year did you join the Navy? I enlisted in the Navy Nuclear Power Program in I received my commission in 1995 upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy. What motivated you to join the armed forces? I enlisted in the Navy for the education benefits and the training in nuclear propulsion. I applied for a commissioning program because I wanted to lead sailors. What has been one of the best experiences? One of the most memorable experiences has been sharing my experience on ships with my family through Tiger cruises and family day cruises. I have been able to take family members on ships for several days so they can experience what life is like at sea. It is rejuvenating to teach your family about your ship while they are at sea with you. During the hard work and long hours, we sometimes forget just how impressive Navy ships are, and how much more impressive our sailors are in how they perform. Being able to share these experiences with family members reminds us how great a privilege it is serving in the Navy alongside some of the finest citizens of our nation. you might otherwise not have learned? Command presence. I'm naturally a quiet, reserved person who doesn't like to be in front of groups. The Navy taught me how to present myself in front of groups and lead with authority without being overbearing. What do you enjoy most about your job at the UA? The best part of my job is working with the exceptional students in the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Program. I'm a Tucson native. My father worked at the University of Arizona for 33 years. My brother graduated from the UA. I'm very happy to return home to Tucson and be a part of this great University. Maj. Andrew J. Bauman, logistics officer, has been stationed in Germany, North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas and Washington, and has been deployed four times to Afghanistan and once to Djibouti, Africa. What year did you join the Army? I started my military career in the Arizona National Guard in 1989 while I was still in high school, but I switched to active duty in 1991 after trying the college thing and thinking that was not for me. What motivated you to join the armed forces? My father was in the Air Force and I always wanted to serve our nation to be a part of an organization that is much larger than me.

5 What has been one of the best experiences? Thanks to the Army, I now have a master's degree. It took a lot of work, long days to achieve and 20 years, but I feel it was well worth it. you might otherwise not have learned? I think the Army has taught me to be an outstanding leader that can react and adapt to multiple situations and tasks at the same time. What year did you start working at the UA? 2013 What do you enjoy most about your job at the UA? I find it extremely rewarding to be able to share my knowledge with future leaders of the Army, and being stationed in my hometown is great to be close to family and friends. Source URL: