Monday, June 9, 2008
Priceless Opportunities I've Had as a Member of the US Army
I find it hard to believe the richness of opportunities I've had access to during and after my Army career. Share with us one of the opportunities you were offered during your career. It can be an assignment that stretched your leadership capabilities; it could be an opportunity you never saw coming that was offered because someone saw potential in you and looked out for your interests.
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I had the opportunity to represent the United States Army in the the 1983 Canadian Army Trophy (CAT) Competition. The CAT Competition was considered the "Olympics of Tank Gunnery" and was a NATO tank gunnery competition between NATO member nations organized into Northern and Central Army Groups, Europe - NORTHAG and CENTAG. 1983 was the first year the US Army participated using the M-1 Abrams tank. There was much anticipation as the CAT Competition was a major assessing event for foreign military sales. It was a terrific event with much great training leading to the event and CENTAG - lead by our Company, won the competition. The opportunity to represent the US in an international competition was indeed, priceless.
I thought long and hard about this one. After discussing it with my wife, we both agreed that the most priceless thing that the Army has given us was making travel accessible. Since we came onto active duty in May of 1997, I have had the opportunity to live in Augusta, GA, Fayetteville, NC, Sierra Vista, AZ, Pyontaek, South Korea, Columbus, OH, and Alexandria, VA. The downside of this is of course having to move your family and possessions multiple times. Anyone who has waded through the sea of hundreds of boxes won’t tell you it is a fun experience. However, the opportunities that these moves provide for Soldiers and their families are priceless.
We have been able to take weekend trips to various places over the last 10 years. While we lived in Augusta, GA we were able to go on multiple day trips to Hilton Head Island, hang out on the river front area in Augusta and see the ethnic festivals there, and enjoy the traditional southern architecture. From Fayetteville, NC we were able to be standing on the beach (Myrtle or Wrightsville) within 2 hours of leaving our driveway. Of course this led to multiple day trips. We also were about 1 hour from the Raleigh/Durham area which allowed us to take our daughter to visit Duke Univ., the Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and N.C. State University.
From our home in Sierra Vista, AZ we were able to take day trips to Mexico, explore Tombstone, take a long weekend up to the Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, and the Meteor Crater. My wife and I were also able to take advantage of having some family in Phoenix, AZ who watched our kids while we spend the 4 day weekend for New Years in 2001 in Las Vegas. For that one we had 6 of our cousins fly in to make it a big family party. The only regret I have from living there was not making the 8 hour drive to San Diego.
While I lived in South Korea, I had the opportunity to explore a 3,000 year old culture and experience the vast amount of historical and cultural activities. Anyone who has ever eaten Kae-gogi can attest to it being an adventure. Many of my friends also took advantage of MWR trips to Guam, Thailand, China, and others. I hope to go back to Korea with my family next time in order to have the opportunity to take my kids to see these places so few in America ever will.
Now that we are living in the D.C. area, we have the ability to visit all of the landmarks of American history and government. I can take my kids on tours of the Pentagon, the White House, the Smithsonian, see the monuments downtown on “the mall”, and travel to the homesteads of the most prominent figures in American history. It is my hope that my family can leave this area with a full appreciation for having had the opportunity to live here and see these things that so many in America only get a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to see. We can still make it to the beach in less than 5 hours if we want, and we have already.
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