Public Health

Nearly 1,200 Airmen gathered for a change of command ceremony at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City June 3, 2023.

Air Force Special Operations Command Airmen with the 137th Special Operations Wing stood in formation alongside Air Combat Command Airmen with the 146th Air Support Operations Squadron and 205th Engineering and Installation Squadron, as well as Air Mobility Command Airmen with the 137th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

“Every unit on base makes up what I see as the 137th family,” said Col. Christopher Gries, 137th SOW outgoing commander. “My oldest son has joined here, and this is the unit I have spent the most time with in the military. I trust it has put him on an amazing path because of the way it molded me as a leader.”

He passed the 137th SOW guidon to Col. Jason Davis during the ceremony, handing over the authorities and responsibilities of the wing.

Gries did not know he would be a wing commander when he first enlisted in the active duty Air Force in 1993. He became a tactical air control party specialist for five years before joining the Washington Air National Guard and going to college. He worked to get his private pilot’s license and finish college, then commissioned with the Idaho ANG to fly C-130H Hercules aircraft in 2002.

“One of my bosses said when I commissioned that you’re not moving up, you’re taking a new path and starting over,” Gries reflected.

He joined the Arizona ANG in 2009 and flew the RC-26B until 2012, after which he became the director of operations for the 146th Air Support Operations Squadron with the Oklahoma ANG.

Gries said becoming commander for the 146th ASOS from 2015-2017 was a special milestone in his career.

“Coming in as an airman basic and then ending up in charge of a squadron of a career field I grew up in while enlisted meant a lot to me,” he said.

He continued to lead units at the base, taking command of the 185th Special Operations Squadron from 2017-2018, noting that he was especially proud of “being trusted to take the MC-12W unit on its first deployment and make sure it was successful.”

“We performed beyond anyone’s expectations and have continued to do so. That’s thanks to the men and women with the 137th continually setting the Oklahoma Standard. Then and now, they make their mission a success no matter the obstacle.”

Gries then led the 137th Special Operations Group before assuming command of the 137th SOW on May 13, 2021.

“The U.S. Air Force has made a huge tactical pivot to near peer competition, and to lead a unit through a significant moment of change is what all commanders strive for,” he said. “It’s that opportunity to lead into the dark and to be on a path of absolute success. Those times that were most challenging for me as a leader are what have been most rewarding.”

As the 19th commander of the 137th SOW, Davis will help the wing continue to pivot as an organization to prepare for a combat mission in the future fight. His goal is to make processes as efficient as possible.

“I have a responsibility to help our people become the best at what they do,” he said. “My job is not to be the best pilot that I can be anymore. My job now is to provide, protect and lead, and to help our Airmen understand how I’m preparing them to do a mission that we will perform alongside our active duty counterparts.”

Davis, who grew up in Oklahoma, attended the Air Force Academy, where he was the starting catcher for the Academy baseball team.

After graduating in 1999, he married Amanda, also an Oklahoma natives and began pilot training (UPT) at Vance AFB

At UPT, Davis was selected to fly the A-10 Thunderbolt II and quickly began his follow-on courses at Sheppard AFB in Texas..

“I graduated from my Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) course on a Friday, and our oldest daughter, Blaire, was born on Saturday,” then, “I went to Tucson that next week for A-10 FTU (Formal Training Unit) and a month later 9/11 happened.”

After FTU, he was assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron at Pope AFB. During this assignment, Davis was an A-10 pilot and jump battalion air liaison officer He deployed to Afghanistan in 2003 with the 82nd Airborne Division as a battalion air liaison officer and deployed again in 2005 with his squadron flying the A-10.

“My youngest daughter was born in between those deployments,” he noted. “I’m proud about having a young family through that time. My wife, Amanda, and my two girls have always kept me grounded.”

After his deployments, he spent two years at Osan Air Base as a squadron weapons officer. He then taught weapons school at Nellis AFB. Later, he joined the Michigan Air National Guard to assist Selfridge AFB with a conversion from F-16s to A-10s.

From there the family moved to Georgia with the Air Force Reserves 76th Fighter Squadron before moving back to Oklahoma City where he taught IFF at Sheppard AFB for four years.

In March of 2017, he was conducting a close air support sortie for one of the IFF students and learned that pilots were being hired to help the 137th Combat Training Flight train students in their JTAC qualifications course.

“At the time I was living in Oklahoma City, so I told them ‘Give me your commander’s number and tell them I’ll be there tomorrow,’” he laughed.

He officially joined the OKANG in 2018, becoming commander of the 137th CTF.

“After that position, I had the opportunity to take command of the 185th SOS in 2021, he said. “Then everything just fell into place. I deployed to Iraq in 2022 with the MC-12W, got back, became commander of the SOG and here we are now.”

Davis moves into his next chapter by continuing to help every 137th SOW Airman be the most experienced operator in their fields while supporting the base’s mission.

“Everything our wing is moving toward is to ensure our Airmen are ready, relevant and resilient,” he emphasized. “We are adopting missions that will give us longevity, which means we will be the most experienced aviators on any platform we operate, we’ll deploy in a cycle with our active duty counterparts, and we’re going to have the most experienced mission support group as a result.”

Davis’ biggest focus is to ensure Airmen have the tools and training to execute their mission to the Oklahoma Standard. He said Gries’ mentorship highlighted the importance of “flattening comms” by introducing Airmen at every experience level to the vision, mission and goal of the wing.

“We have to help our Airmen understand ‘The Why’ so they are prepared to face the struggles we see coming in the next five, 10 or 15 years,” Gries clarified. “If you pass the torch to the right people, who are masters at the basics, they will accomplish anything. It’s them who are going to be leading this mission into the future, and it starts as soon as they enter the gates of our base.”

After the guidon was passed, Gries concluded his time as the 18th commander of the 137th SOW with a message for the Airmen he led:

“Make sure whenever you are given the opportunity to do anything, large or small, to do it right all the time. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve alongside you. These past 11 years have been the greatest years of my military career.”

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The U.S. Army’s air and missile defense integrator said the Department of Defense has moved away from the concept of “global missile defense,” and is now implementing the concept of trans-regional missile defense.

Lt. Gen. Daniel L. Karbler, commanding general, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, was a keynote speaker during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Greater Los Angeles Chapter’s 2023 Symposium on June 1. This year’s theme was “Space: Enabling Multi-Domain Operations.”

Following publication of the 2019 Missile Defense Review, the 2021 Unified Command Plan, and the establishment of U.S. Space Command, Karbler has led efforts to properly assign missile defense responsibilities.

Working with the commanders of U.S. Strategic Command (Adm. Charles Richard), U.S. Space Command (Gen. James Dickinson), U.S. Northern Command (Gen. Glen VanHerck), and the Army Chief of Staff (Gen. James McConville), Karbler forged what became known as the “16-Star Memo.” This memo ultimately led to publication of the April 25, 2023, Unified Command Plan, assigning USSPACECOM responsibility for “trans-regional missile defense.”

As stated in the UCP, the commander USPACECOM, conducts trans-regional missile defense planning and operations support in coordination with other combatant commands, the services, and as directed, appropriate U.S. government agencies, allies and partners; supports assessment of missile defense operational capabilities; and ensures continuity of operations, as required.

Karbler emphasized that the new UCP acknowledges the missile defense mission is trans-regional versus global in nature and that U.S. allies and partners are contributors.

Another notable result of the UCP is moving the 100th Missile Defense Brigade, the Army unit responsible for protecting the United States against ballistic missile attack, from the operational control of USSTRATCOM to USNORTHCOM, which has the mission of defending the homeland.

Introducing the concept of “missile defeat,” which has been under development by USASMDC, Karbler said it is the next logical step, evolving from missile defense to missile defeat.

Missile defeat encompasses whole-of-government activities to counter the development, acquisition, proliferation, potential and actual use of adversary missiles of all types, and to limit the damage from such use. It has two parts:

Trans-regional missile defense – providing attack operations; active defense; passive defense; and battle management/command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to the regional combatant commands.

Left of launch – providing deny, delay, disrupt and degrade missile defeat effects in coordination with global combatant commands, the intelligence community, joint staff, interagency, and Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Karbler said all missile defense intercepts are regional. There are no global interceptors; they belong to regional combatant commanders. Left of launch on the other hand, requires a whole-government approach.

Karbler proposes making USSPACECOM the missile defeat effects coordinator for the Department of Defense. The Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense will become USSPACECOM’s missile defeat effects coordinator to integrate space, cyber, special operations forces, and strike effects (with interagency coordination). JFCC IMD would allow USSPACECOM to provide:

• Presentation of cohesive, mutually supportive solutions to Supported combatant commanders

• Integrated effects applied across multiple domains to gain/maintain advantage

• Leverage left-of-launch to mitigate need for difficult, costly hit-to-kill defense

• Explore novel active, passive and attack ops across all warfighting domains

• Visibility/coordination on Non-DoD Missile Defeat activities

Karbler said JFCC IMD will have its first opportunity to exercise this concept in support of USSPACECOM’s first tier one exercise, Space Sentry 23, next week.

“We’re going to exercise the heck out of this integrated missile defeat effects coordinator and missile defeat concept with the USSPACECOM staff,” Karbler said.

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islanders heritage month, the U.S. Army Garrison Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA) is paying tribute to Ben Fuata, an Army veteran with a remarkable military career. Fuata dedicated 10 years to the Regular Army, primarily in the aviation field, and an additional 19 years serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard and Federal civil service. He currently remains engaged in federal civil service as a reemployment annuitant at PTA, where he serves as the base operations officer at Bradshaw Army Airfield, utilizing his extensive leadership and aviation expertise.

Fuata’s military journey was marked by exceptional achievements. He graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Santa Clara Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in California and received a Regular Army commission in 1983. Throughout his active duty and reserve service, he held various leadership roles in different installations. His true passion lay in flying aircraft, and he excelled in this field. Fuata served as a test pilot for the OH-58 Kiowa helicopter, piloted CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and played a crucial role in the development of the OH-58D Armed Kiowa helicopter.

One of Fuata’s notable accomplishments was initiating the armed Kiowa program at Fort Hood and being the first chosen to be part of the Army Helicopter Improvement Program (AHIP). He led aerial wire hazards reconnaissance in West Texas, expanding the aviation training area to prepare for the Apache training brigade at Fort Hood.

“”I was part of the Team that started the Apache training brigade in Fort Hood before Apaches were even popular,” said Fuata. “A lot of the aircrafts I flew are now in museums.”

After his service during Operations Desert Storm, Shield, and Comfort as an Aviation Unit Maintenance (AVUM) Company Commander for the 1/3 Aviation Attack Helicopter Battalion, Fuata transitioned to the National Guard. “As a Captain, he became a project officer responsible for the aviation restructuring program and modernization aircraft and facilities in the Hawaii National Guard.”

He also piloted helicopters to support the Drug Enforcement Administration, provided law enforcement support, participated in numerous natural disaster relief missions, and aided civil defense efforts. Concurrently, he held a supervisory pilot technician role in federal civil service as the Army Aviation Support Facility Commander/State Army Aviation Officer for the Hawaii Army National Guard and served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics until his retirement. In 2012, Fuata retired as a Colonel and a GS14.

Following his retirement, Fuata ventured into the civilian sector, working with Sikorsky Support Services, Inc. as a site manager responsible for helicopter maintenance for the UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program at Fort Irwin, California. He later served as a Field Service Representative for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Houston, providing maintenance and engineering support to Bristol Helicopters Inc. and their clients worldwide.

His desire to be with his family led him back to Hawai’i, where he was hired as the base operations officer at Bradshaw Army Airfield, PTA in 2019. “I like being around aviation and providing mentorship to service members and staff,” said Fuata. He plays a vital role in ensuring the safe operation of the airfield, contributing to the mission’s success.

Fuata’s impact extends beyond his military and civilian roles. He actively volunteers in the community, serving as a life-member with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, the American Legion, the Big Island National Guard Retiree Association, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Hawai’i as the Department’s Jr. Vice Commander & Veteran Service Officer.

His dedication lies in assisting people. “I like to help homeless veterans, by connecting them with services and helping veterans navigate the complex VA system, including benefits counseling, entitlements, and disability claims,” said Fuata. He emphasizes the importance of supporting the families of veterans, as they often lack awareness of available benefits and assistance.

Currently, Fuata is part of a significant project in collaboration with other veterans in the community. They are working to bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall that Heals (https://www.vvmf.org/) to Hawaii, an initiative spearheaded by Michael Doolittle, Chairman of the Hawai’i County Veterans Advisory Committee and Hawai’i Island Veterans Memorial Inc.

“The Vietnam Memorial Wall has been to all 48 states except Hawai’i and Alaska,” said Fuata. “Bringing the Wall to Hawai’i not only allows residents to pay tribute to Vietnam Veterans but also provides an opportunity for those unable to travel to Washington, D.C. to honor and find healing.”

The idea was inspired by Fuata’s wife, Teresa, who attended a ceremony in 2022 where her father, Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret) Chester Via, was inducted into the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Fund (VVMF) In Memory program. Teresa herself is an active community member, serving as the VFW Post 3830 Auxiliary Sr. Vice and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Hawai’i Loa Chapter.

“We are incredibly blessed to have Ben and his extensive experience and knowledge supporting the airfield operations,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Cronin, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Pohakuloa Training Area. “He is one of many examples of how veterans continue to serve the country, and help us be the Pacific’s Premier Training Center providing critical training space for our service members and Allies, as well as our County partners.”

The TriService Nursing Research Program held its annual Research and Evidence-Based Dissemination Course April 4-6, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas. This course included keynote lectures by military leaders and nationally known clinical experts, along with plenary sessions featuring research and EBP presentations from tri-service active, reserve, guard, and retired military nurse scientists and researchers.

TSNRP is the country’s only Department of Defense program that supports and fund armed forces nurses to conduct operationally relevant military nursing research and EBP that improves the quality of care provided to service members. TSNRP is led by Executive Director Col. Young Yauger, PhD, CRNA, and is governed by an Executive Board of Directors that is

compromised of the nursing corps chief or directors of each service.

The annual Dissemination Course serves as an opportunity for military nurse scholars to come together to discuss ongoing and past research, as well as plan future research efforts.

“Army, Air Force, and Navy officers, and even Canadian Armed Forces nurses were all in attendance,” said Yauger. “It is important to have that partnership because many of the challenges that we’re experiencing our allies are facing as well.”

The program fosters and funds collaborations to solve complex problems in both operational and garrison environments to provide better care and plan for upcoming operational needs.

“Nurses are in every aspect of the medical field and are responsible for carrying out the duties given to us by the Nurse Corps Chiefs and focus our research on their specific priorities,” he said. “The research and EBP is used

to identify and address the current gaps in nursing practice.”

Ongoing research is being conducted by military nurses across the country and outside of the continental United States in US miliary facilitates. Military nurses come together through TSNRP’s six Research Interest Groups- Anesthesia, Biobehavioral Health, Expeditionary Care, Health Systems Informatics, Military Family and Women’s Health. All the groups play an

important role in enhancing quality of care for patients and the work-lives of nurses.

“Our nurses are doing research right now to identify effective strategies to employ or improve resiliency within our military forces,” he said. “Utilizing system informatics to analyze data plots, we are able to better understand burnout for nursing care, how it affects our practitioners and clinicians, and the overwhelming changes within the medical field, particularly with the incorporation of the Defense Health Agency as the primary provider of Garrison Medicine within the DoD.”

It was a sentiment that was echoed by the nurse corps leaders who were present for the course.

“Tri-Service Nursing Research Program created evidence on the best practices on communication for women’s health concerns in combat and shaped policies through evidencebased solutions for resilience, recruitment, and retention of nurse corps officers,” said Brig. Gen. Jeannine Ryder, Chief Nurse of the Air Force. “Findings from nursing anesthesia, women’s

health, nursing workload, and behavioral health are informing the Defense Health Agency guidance and emergency trauma nursing guidelines with resources.”

Col. Yauger believes that the issues being discussed by the RIG membership take on a think-tank mentality because members of TSNRP are addressing questions that senior leaders are intrigued by and attempting to find feasible solutions, for example combat palliative care.

“We’re shaping the narrative on combat palliative care as we move forward,” said Yauger. “There aren’t many people who are thinking about these concerns, which provides ample opportunity to demonstrate our innovative thought on how to reincorporate these efforts, potentially, from the past, by bringing those ideas back to the present, and applying them to the future.”

Col Yauger and TSNRP representatives are working to increase the reach and knowledge of the program among military nurses, and the officers they serve.

“We’ve created the Early Career Investigator Coaching Program dedicated to the recruitment of junior officers by providing an immersive experience that emphasizes the value of nursing research and EBP,” he said. “Along with inspiring them to view TSNRP as an asset that contributes to the overall efforts of the Military Health System in the DoD.”

Major Enesha Hicks, Clinical Inquiry in Nursing Readiness Fellow, 59th Medical Wing, became familiar with TSNRP five years ago. She was presented with the Karen Rieder Outstanding Poster Award for her presentation on “Accelerating Evidence-Based Practice Through a San Antonio Market Council” during the dissemination course.

“Dr. Rieder was an exceptional nurse who significantly impacted military nursing well beyond her service in the Navy,” she said. “I am humbled and thankful to receive this award and would like to bolster other nurses and interdisciplinary team members to continue her legacy.”

Hicks commented that those who are associated with the program have been a supportive community that has broadened her reach as a professional and has inspired her to optimally support junior members, peers, and leaders. That push for junior officers to become involves in research and EBP, as well as the TSNRP community, was also discussed by Brig. Gen. Ryder.

“We encourage junior officers to cultivate innovation, ideas, and solutions to practical nursing problems concerning operational and garrison nursing paradigms, while senior officers leverage their skills and advanced education to utilize these concepts,” said Ryder.

Collaboration among all military nurses and military nurse retirees is essential for fostering innovative nursing science solutions and relies on every member to contribute to the overall success. Once you’re a member of TSNRP, you can always contribute and give back to the organization through mentorship.

“The value of nursing research and EBP in the DoD are ubiquitously recognized throughout the Military Health System, and we need to ensure we as a community disseminate that information to increase the general awareness of potential solutions,” said Yauger. “TriService Nursing Research Program is a community of individuals with warm, embracing arms that are working together to address different medical concerns…we have a lot to offer, and our nurses are working hard to ensure our voices are heard.”

Written by: Navy Cmdr. Robert Liberato, Boston MEPS Commander

With events happening around the world at a moment’s notice, service members must always be ready for the fight. Not unlike the skills built over time by a pilot; the culture, language, and regional expertise the total force needs for critical missions cannot be “just-in-time” trained.

Through the Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP), more than 3,400 Airmen, are trained in one of 93 strategic languages. Serving as pilots, maintenance officers, finance journeymen and medics, these scholars develop and maintain their skills “at the ready” while serving in their primary career fields.

Air Force Tech Sgt. Jude Baidoo, medical technician, Boston MEPS, is one of only 11 LEAP Scholars developed by the Air Force Culture and Language Center (AFCLC) in the African language Krio. His career-spanning involvement in the highly selective program resulted in his participation in the program’s first-ever area studies immersion to the West African country of Sierra Leone in March 2023.

“They not only improved on their Krio language ability, one of the other (potentially) major effects of running a course like this is forming a cohort within the USAF of African language speakers and those born and raised in the region,” said Dr. Scott Edmondson, associate professor of Regional and Cultural Studies-Africa at the AFCLC. “Put simply, such cohorts are the US military’s invaluable ‘secret weapon’ for strategic competition/integrated deterrence via strengthening alliances and partnerships. Their ability to build rapport—and quickly—with African partners is unmatched. Everywhere we went they impressed people. It also makes an impression about America that signifies global leadership.”

To carry the LEAP Special Experience Identifier, Airmen must endure consistent, active, and vigorous language and culture training and be ready to engage anywhere in the world when needed. These service members aren’t just finely tuned warriors, they are also lifelong learners who routinely consume language and culture education. A LEAP scholar’s skills are sharpened and honed over years of study and practice through one-on-one interactions and coursework.

Baidoo recognizes the importance of this program, and its responsibility to help further partnerships with other nations and honor their cultures.

“Having in-depth knowledge about people and their culture helps to integrate and assist them in various aspects of their daily lives,” Baidoo said. “It also improves US-African relations.”

For more information on the AFCLC, visit www.airuniversity.af.edu/AFCLC/

As Asian Pacific Island Heritage Month comes to an end the 688th Cyberspace Wing would like to highlight and celebrate U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Veronica Babauta, a trailblazer, native of Guam and 22-year veteran within our ranks.

Babauta is the 688th Cyberspace Wing A2/3 and the 690th Cyberspace Operations Group Senior Enlisted Leader.

Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month holds significant importance as it provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month also highlights the challenges and experiences faced by these communities, raising awareness about issues such as discrimination, social inequality, and the need for inclusivity. By acknowledging and embracing the heritage of Asian and Pacific Islander peoples, this month encourages unity, dialogue, and the celebration of diversity in our increasingly interconnected world.

Babauta, was born and raised in Guam and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force when she felt the call to serve after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Babauta is third generation military in her family, with family members having served in the Air Force, Marine and Army.

She described her decision to join the Air Force over the other branches as happenstance.

“I always had a desire to serve, but September 11th pushed me.”

“The Army and Marine Corps were closed for lunch and the Air Force was open,” she joked.

Babauta also speaks Chamarro, which is the native language of Guam. “It comes out more when I use it with my grandma, I encourage her to keep speaking it, because it provides me that connection to our culture.”

She described Pacific Island culture as being known for being hardworking, family oriented and strong.

“I am particularly proud growing up as a minority, female and member of the LGBT family– I am a triple threat,” said Babauta.

“All of this has helped me to find strength and be a success.”

Babauta also finds extreme pride in being an American Citizen and reflects on her time observing differences in other militaries and some of the lesser freedoms other Asian countries have. She cited the outcome of the war as a determining factor in whether or not Guam would become a U.S. territory.

“I am so grateful to be an American Citizen and just knowing the history and having gathered the wisdom from working with international militaries,” said Babauta. “It drives me to serve, because it could have been different.”

Babauta said she draws strength from growing up in a poorer nation and that she learned to be resourceful and self-sufficient. This same strength she implements in leadership, breaking a room and influencing others to come together.

“Pacific Island culture is all about the more the merrier, we are lovers not fighter,” said Babauta. “Once we establish hat connection, with any team we become family and genuinely devoted.”

In her free time, Babauta continues to dedicate herself to service. She spearheads operations in a grass-roots initiative, “Project Nomad” that partners with the Air and Space Force to cultivate and optimize organizational cultures through human centered systems thinking.

The all-volunteer group, empowers leaders to deliberately manage their organizational culture in order to get after strategic initiatives in a custom-tailored way.

Babauta leads and organizes working groups globally and discussions with Airmen and Guardians targeting leadership major graded areas and providing actionable feedback to commanders.

More recently, she led a team of Airmen in working group at the 90th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, 67th Cyberspace Wing, Shadows Edge office suite or the “SHED” in downtown San Antonio.

As Babauta reflected on how she has transcended as a leader from the time of “Don’t Ask, Don’ Tell” to today’s inclusive military.

“It was hard to serve during that error and not being able to bring my partner to functions,” said Babauta.

“Fast forward to now, and my time in Hawaii I was able to open up more and speak to Airmen about it. I want to reach those Airmen who are suffering in silence for fear of being open about their identity—that is my goal.”

In closing she offered some words of wisdom to all Airmen and Guardians.

“Don’t be afraid to be you and share your light and your greatness with everyone else,” said Babauta. “You may not know, but someone may need that story and confidence—be a good human.”

Soldiers from the National Training Center, Fort Irwin and Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion participated in Los Angeles Fleet Week May 26-29, in Los Angeles, California.

LA Fleet Week is an annual event held Memorial Day weekend with events including tours of active duty ships, military vehicle and equipment displays, live entertainment, a dodgeball competition and a culinary cook-off competition.

Capt. Stephan Negron, a company commander with the Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion, attended Fleet Week.

“We saw this as an opportunity to engage with the local community [and] we’re thankful that the Navy and Marines allowed us to come here and be part of this event,” Negron, an Orlando, Florida, native, said.

Fleet Week is one of the leading events for the year for recruiting because it allows the public to interact with military branches, Negron said.

“This is just one of those events that we’re around our peers, we’re around different branches [of the military], and military-friendly individuals come here, so we try to capitalize on that,” he said. “For the Army, specifically, we need people that want to join and that want to be part of our team, and if we’re not out here providing that information, nobody’s going to get the message.”

LA Recruiting Bn. invited Soldiers from Fort Irwin, including Sgt. Maj. Sedrick Brown, the operations sergeant major for the National Training Center, to set up a military static display that included a UH-60 Black Hawk, a joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV), an explosive ordnance disposal bomb suit and robot and other vehicles and equipment.

“We come down and we show off our vehicles and equipment and our personnel and we take part in some of the events and we’re just out here to have a good time and to mingle with [the LA community] and showcase what we have and what we can do,” Brown, a Clarksdale, Mississippi, native, said.

Attending Fleet Week allows the community to better understand the capabilities of Fort Irwin and the Army, Brown said.

“We like to participate [in events like Fleet Week] just to let our civilian counterparts know what we bring to the table, so they can have that understanding of how we support them and having their support as well and coming together to ensure that we’re representing the Army and we’re representing our armed forces as a whole,” Brown said.

U.S. Army Soldiers from Fort Irwin won first place in the dodgeball competition against teams from several other military branches, which also can impact the community’s view of the military, Brown said.

“When the community sees us participate, when they see us join in, they can see what we represent,” Brown said. “They can see our physical toughness, they can see our drive and the spectators on the side clapping motivate us to keep going, which gives us that fighting spirit.”

Brown said leaving a positive impression on the community is important.

“I hope that the community can see and they can understand that we are America’s fighting force and we’re representing something bigger than ourselves,” Brown said. “We’re here to ensure that they can see that we are taking our job seriously and that we are the protection for this nation, whenever that time is called for us to do so.”

Negron said for those who couldn’t attend Fleet Week, but are interested in the Army, the LA Recruiting Battalion is hosting a Grad Bash to celebrate recent graduates in the LA area June 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Autry Museum of the American West in LA.

BONY, France – Somme American Cemetery held a Memorial Day ceremony honoring fallen service members, especially those killed on the hallowed WW1 front lines upon which the cemetery rests, May 28.

Rear Adm. Brad Collins, Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central (EURAFCENT), served as the senior military representative, paying tribute to the fallen and missing in action (MIA) service members.

As a gentle breeze rippled through the trees, waving U.S. and Allied flags, the crowd stood stiffly at attention while Collins laid a wreath to honor the 333 MIA and 1,844 Americans buried in the gentle rolling hills of the peaceful French countryside which were once suffocated in the fog of war, and saw the bloodshed of over 1 million killed and wounded men.

“Today we remember the terrible cost of war, the values that are worth fighting for, and the men who were willing to stand and fight at all costs,” said Collins. “It is jarring to comprehend the juxtaposition between the chaos of warfare and the tranquility surrounding us now. But I am glad that this place, with such a bloody past, has become such a peaceful place for those who are honored here, laid to rest among their brothers in arms.”

Between 1916 and 1918 Somme hosted trench warfare in its most horrifying form. Chlorine gas, disease, and endless deadly charges into the machine gun fire of no man’s land to move the front line mere inches became the new normal for an entire generation of men. One of the deadliest battles in all of human history, more so than even Normandy or the Battle of the Bulge, was fought for 6 blood-saturated miles of German-held territory at the Somme.

In 1918, after the arrival of American troops at a rate of five thousand a day, the Allies launched a counter-offensive at the Somme. British, French, Belgian, and American troops fought together, reversing the German advance. This Allied 100-Day Offensive ultimately led to the end of World War I.

Given time, it is all too easy to forget the brutality once visited on these now verdant fields. It is easy to unlearn the lesson learned in blood and take for granted the comfort of peace that came at such an unspeakable cost.

“On this day, Memorial Day, we are joined in solidarity for the fallen heroes who stood with our allies, sacrificing their lives, with conviction and full devotion, for our common ideals,” said Collins. “I am here today to say we do not forget. We remember your sacrifice, and we carry on lives dedicated to freedom and liberty.”

The Somme American Cemetery is preserved by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Established by Congress March 4, 1923, ABMC celebrates a century of kept promises. Their mission and oath remains to honor the sacrifice of more than 200,000 U.S. service members who paid the ultimate price overseas, and ensure their memories do not fade.

Navy Region EURAFCENT oversees nine installations in seven countries, enabling U.S., allied and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed in order to ensure security and stability in the European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility