Veteran's Article from 11/11/2011

Top Shot – Kinda

Originally posted in the Neosho Daily News 11/11/2011

There are times in my life that I look back and ponder some decisions I’ve made regarding my career and education.  Those would include my decision to stay “close to home” after high school vs. “going off” to college.  They would also include my decision to NOT stay in school and pursue an advanced degree of some sort (MBA, Law Degree, etc.) after receiving my Bachelors’ degree from MSSU.  But the one I ponder the most was my decision to NOT pursue a career in the US Military and serve my country in one of the branches of service.

Now that’s not to say I didn’t consider it.  I did visit with recruiters after high school.  I also spoke to some college friends who were in college ROTC programs.  But with bad eyes (i.e. not 20/20) and knowing that my vision “issue” would preclude me from pursuing a career as a military aviator, I didn’t even consider other options.  Looking back, I wish I would have considered it a bit more. 

Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting the local Missouri National Guard training facility at Fort Crowder with a proclamation recognizing their contributions and service to Neosho and our military.  During the event, I got to meet a number of enlisted personnel and officers who work to train our soldiers as they prepare to defend our country and our freedoms around the world.  It was both exciting – and humbling – as I (and other elected and Chamber of Commerce members) saw firsthand the technology and resources used to train our troops.  We heard about IED’s, saw a trainer for Humvee rollovers, and even experienced simulated combat using an arcade-like training simulator to fire M-16’s and other weapons at the enemy.

In the simulator, ten of us took on the task to battle armed enemy forces coming from buildings.  While the simulator didn’t tell me how many times I was shot and injured (or worse) as I defended my position, I did have the highest kill percentage of the group (my good friend and military veteran Sy Werner was right behind me.)  While I don’t know if my score was “good”, 37% of the enemies I engaged were hit.  For me, as someone who never thought I’d have the opportunity to fire a round from a military weapon, I was pleased.  But more than that, it gave me a renewed respect and admiration for all of the men and women in our military who have, are, or will work to protect the freedoms and the country that we value so much.

Thank you to everyone at Fort Crowder (especially Chief Shields) for providing me with an experience I will remember for a lifetime.  We have a great group of men and women working right her in Neosho who directly impact the lives of our soldiers all over the world.  It’s a pleasure to know them.  It’s a pleasure to honor them.  And it’s reassuring to know they and many others are there for us – 24/7 – sacrificing their lives to protect, serve and secure our country.

Happy Veterans Day!  Until next time, stay the course and God bless!