Air Force Women Officers Associated

Web Site: www.afwoa.org OCTOBER 2006 President: Pat Murphy, Col, USAF Retired

From Pat’s Pen Our board members have been invited to attend a meeting of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Evaluation of the Presumptive Disability Decision-Making Process for Veterans. The Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission is charged with doing a comprehensive study of benefits provided to compensate			veterans and their survivors for disabilities and deaths attributable to military service. The Commission wants the IOM to review the scientific bases used for making presumptive decisions. The meeting will be held Oct. 4 in San Antonio. We are pleased and honored to represent AFWOA and to offer input into this most important study, given its possible consequences for women veterans. We'll have more information in our next newsletter. Thanks for all your kind comments about the newsletter. Keep those cards and letters and e-mails coming. Pat
The Quarterly National Board of Directors Meeting was hosted by Bev LaFond, and was held on Wed, Sept. 20th, at 9:30 a.m. at the Air Force Village.			Recruiting Expanding membership continues to be an endeavor. An article in Air Force base newspapers was suggested. We welcome ideas from the membership at large.
News from our Members
Carolyn Shillcutt Patrick was recently selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Regan, her active-duty husband, meets the November board, so keep your fingers crossed for him as well.  Carolyn and Regan are plugging away trying to get a join-spouse assignment. It looks like Carolyn will be going to Kirtland to fill a position in the AF Inspection Agency. They plan to move to Albuquerque in late October, before Regan deploys to Iraq.  He comes back in Mar 07, and hopefully, by then, AFPC will have found a job for him at Kirtland, too.  Their daughter, Elle, is doing well and has become a good swimmer.  She still loves horses, but is losing interest in ballet.  “We only have time for one big hobby at a time, so she is thinking of trying her hand at either karate or piano at our next assignment.”  On Memorial Day, Carolyn spoke to the local (Tucson) VFW about her deployment to Baghdad. Read her riveting speech, beginning on page 7 of the newsletter.
From Sylvia Reeves Dake Hello Ladies! So good to be kept posted on the lives of the women veterans who supported our country by serving in the AF. THANKS! Many of you supported my AF career and have remained friends through the years. This is a blessing! Guess what? I'm bucking for employment with the federal government again. I have applied for recently-announced positions with FEMA in an effort to fulfill what I believe is a calling to serve our country again. Wish me luck. I am finding that a lot of my skills and experiences from the Air Force will be useful in terms of the requirements for these positions. My career seems to be coming full circle. I just wish all the women on active duty could know that their experiences today could bring opportunity and advancements even 20 years down the road. Thanks for making the best of my memories, and helping keep my future connected to it. Regards to all!							Doris Winter Walters aka Doris K Winter wrote, “I was at OTS when Dianne Ordes was the Commander.  She was the first woman officer I ever saw.  I wasn't a star in OTS but I had a great career and she certainly sent me off into the wild blue yonder.  More about our Yacht club.  We recently had a Love Boat themed cruise and I wore my original mess dress issued at OTS in May of 1968.  My friends were impressed... by the uniform and that I still was the same size 38 years later.  My husband beamed.”
Vivienne Sinclair-Vuosalo sends greetings from Helsinki Finland. She sent us the postcard (right), commenting that she often sees swans in the area around Helsinki. Mary Baldwin’s husband, Bob, wrote to tell us that Mary had a stroke, is stable, but faces a long recovery.
					Gloria Linfante Makowski returned home on July 24 from a bus trip that went to NYC, Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and back to NYC.  “It was a wonderful tour.  It was the first time I had seen the Falls and the spray was quite refreshing on that warm, sunny day.    I had free time after visiting the memorials and museums in D.C.   I had contacted A.F. friends and was so happy to have dinner with Gerry Freehof, Anne Farrer and Roslyn Knapp on 21 July.   Gerry picked me up.  Anne had
made reservations at a lovely French restaurant, Le Bergerie, in Alexandria, VA, and they treated me to a delicious dinner.  I was so pleased they had time to meet me.  Gerry, Anne and I graduated from OCS in September 1953.  I had met Roslyn at other reunions and it was so good to see them all. P.S. On my trip, most of the people were from Australia and England.  (When I checked into the hotel, I was told I'd be sharing a room with Miss Crabbe!  Ooohh....Fortunately, she turned out to be a pleasant 39 year old woman from England.) Others were from Canada, India, Ireland and Mexico.  Just about a dozen from the U.S. out of the 49 people aboard the bus.  I asked a family of 3 who appeared to be from the Far East where they came from and they replied -- TEXAS! At the Lincoln memorial, I was surprised to learn from an Australian couple that they, too, had to memorize the Gettysburg Address when they were in grade school in Australia.”
Marci Smith writes from Denver Colorado. Marci retired in Sep 05 (O-4 with 28 years – 16 of those enlisted). She enjoyed about 9 months of retirement before re-entering the workforce. Marci is now a flight attendant with Frontier, and is traveling all over the U.S. Ran into Lisa Ward at the Randolph Clinic, then again at the Commissary. She is no longer teaching this year; she is spending more time with her family. Her husband, Rick, is in Afghanistan. Toreaser Steele stays busy with various activities, and especially enjoys caring for her grandchildren while her daughter is in Iraq.				Guten Tag writes Connie Lutz from Germany. Connie happily reports that she is cancer-free since Jan 05. Connie retired in Sep 05 and is now working part-time in the Chapel on Ramstein AB. Pat Hinneburg participated in the Northwest Ladies Golf Association Championship in September, came in fourth in her flight, and won 'closest to the hole' award on a Par 3, 92 yards, over water.  She used an 8 iron and the ball hit the green to the left of and above the pin and then began a slow roll to the hole.  Everyone in her foursome, including Pat, thought it was going to roll into the hole. But then, it decided enough was enough and stopped fourteen and a half inches from the hole!  The next closest was seven feet.
Lisa Firmin was profiled in the September 2006 Scene Monthly Magazine in San Antonio. Her biography is a terrific inspiration to young women today. Lisa was the first colonel to command the expeditionary mission support group at Balad Air Force Base in Iraq, in early 2004. She just took over the AFROTC program at the University of Texas San Antonio – a program with the 2nd largest cadet corps in Texas. Lisa’s son graduated from high school last spring, and is now attending college.
Virgie Mahan who identified herself as “from back in the 60’s” wrote to say, “It’s great to be in touch!” Virgie finished her approximately two year 229 mile Katy Trail Walk as scheduled on Saturday 8/12. The end of the trail was a special moment.  Major General Castro, Fort Leonard Wood, presented Virgie with the Commander's Award for Public Service, and a Certificate of Appreciation for all that she has done for Fort Leonard Wood and the surrounding communities. Then, Judy Castro and Dawn Daley presented Virgie with a certificate showing that a bench is being presented in her name along the Trail.  It will have a plaque on it thanking Virgie for all she does for the Fort Leonard Wood Area.
									Katy Trail http://www.americantrails.org/resources/railtrails/WalkKaty.html
Excerpts from what the local media said:
http://richlandmirror.com/publish/article_656.shtml Local woman walks entire Katy trail …Mahan, a well known community leader in the Waynesville-Fort Leonard Wood area, walked the entire 225-mile Katy Trail. On Saturday, Aug. 12, Mahan completed this feat in St. Charles. …In February 2004 she and a friend set out on this journey. They started in Clinton, walking a few miles each month….The most she walked at one time was 12 miles, and she had several walking partners toward the end of the hike. …The Katy Trail is operated by the Department of Natural Resources…“I have seen wonderful parts of Missouri that you would not see unless you walk the trail, like the old saying, you do stop and smell the roses when you do this,” Mahan said… Commanding General of the Maneuver Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood Randal Castro presented Virgie Mahan with a Letter of Accommodation from Fort Leonard Wood. She was also presented a bench that will be located along the Katy Trail with her name and an inscription stating that she made the 225-mile hike. …The interactive Katy Trail is available online at katytrail.showmestate.com. © Copyright 2006 by www.richlandmirror.com		http://www.flw-guidon.com/community/Community0817.dwt Community honors long-time philanthropist The Fort Leonard Wood community honored a community leader and philanthropist for her service to the community, Saturday. Fort Wood Community Spouses Club members Dawn Daly and Judy Castro presented Virgie Mahan with a plaque for a bench to be placed in Katy Trail State Park in her honor, as she finished walking the final 6.2 miles of the trail in St. Charles, Mo. …Daly said, "Judy Castro and I decided that purchasing a bench in Virgie's honor would be a perfect way to recognize all the things Virgie does for the entire military community," …At the line, Maj. Gen. Randal Castro, Maneuver Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood Commanding General, presented Mahan with the Commander's Award for Public Service and a medal, not for walking the trail, but for her volunteerism, he said. Following Castro's presentation, Judy Castro and Daly presented Mahan with the bench plaque. Daly said honoring Mahan was a way to recognize her for the work she puts into the Fort Leonard Wood community. "Virgie works tirelessly, enthusiastically to support our military, their spouses and families, international students, our youth, our elderly, the Committee of Fifty, Friends of the Fort, Phelps for the Fort, Armed Services YMCA, Red Hat Society, Red Cross," Daly said. "I challenge you to name a volunteer organization that Virgie has not worked for, or a person in our community whose life she has not somehow touched with her generosity. When I grow up, I want to be just like her,"
You can find current addresses and phone numbers in our Website Directory: http://www.afwoa.org/members/ The AFWOA Member Directory is now on-line in a password-protected "Members Only" area. Contact the Webmaster (webmaster@afwoa.org) to receive the User ID and Password.
submitted by Roz Knapp

New service dress prototypes continues to pique AFWOA’s interest AFWOA Members still sending in their comments! § The new uniform is awful. That tight collar (we are not Marines) and drooping belt have got to go!!! § From Grace “Tomi” Johnson, Former CWO, USAF. In the June newsletter, you asked if we remember any malfunctions of uniforms.			OCTOBER IN the HISTORY of Air Force Women Officers 1943 Allied Command requested WAC officers to act as secretaries and as administrative assistants or adjutants. Five captains, who had served with General Eisenhower's Headquarters in North Africa were transferred to this theater and ten other officers with similar qualifications were requested.
When the new Air Force uniforms were designed by Hattie Carnegie (circa 1948-1049), I wore my new raincoat to work—unfortunately, after being drenched by a downpour, my raincoat emitted an odor similar to the nauseous spray of a skunk. My boss, Gen Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff, USAF, said, “What in the world is that hideous odor?!” I meekly replied, “My raincoat, Sir.” He explosively ordered me to have Colonel Geraldine May (Director of WAF at the time) report to him ASAP. As a result, the entire supply of raincoats was replaced by a new supply, sans odor. Some years later, I met Colonel May again at a reunion of AFWOA in San Antonio. I asked her if she remembered me. She laughed and said, “Do I remember you? How could I forget?! Your boss (and mine) talked with me to discuss a very “smelly situation! Oh yes, I remember you!” (Really, I didn’t ask Hattie Carnegie to have the raincoats saturated with skunk oil.) Mark your calendars			1944 Lieutenant Colonel Anna W. Wilson, WAC Staff Director was awarded the Legion of Merit. Lt Col Wilson was the first member of the Women's Army Corps to receive this award. She was cited for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services as Director of Women's Army Corps, Personnel, Headquarters, European Theater of Operations from 14 April 1943 to 4 October 1944. She has been directly responsible for the success of the WAC in the European Theater of Operations." 1975 President Gerald R. Ford signed legislation, permitting women to enter the nation's service academies. 1993 Airman Magazine profiles Lt Col. Patricia Fornes, the first woman commander of a combat missile squadron (740th Missile Squadron at Minot AFB, ND). 1993 Airman Magazine article about the first ten women selected as combat pilot training candidates. 1997 Good Housekeeping magazine profiles Retired USAF Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, one of the most decorated women in US history, and president of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc." I'd always wanted a job that would let me be in charge," she told the magazine. "So as soon as I found out I could get a direct commission as a second lieutenant, I chose to join." 1997 Raymond E. King and Suzanne McGlohn publish article Female United States Air Force Pilot Personality: The New Right Stuff, exploring the psychological and psychiatric gender differences of pilots. They found that female Air Force pilots were higher on the Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness scales than male pilots.
To honor America’s military personnel for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good of America, Golden Corral Restaurants across the nation will again celebrate Veterans Day with a free “Thank-you Dinner Buffet and Beverage” for all active duty, retired, reserve and guard members of the U.S. military. This year, the Golden Corral Military Appreciation Night is scheduled for Monday, November 13, from 5 to 9 p.m.
Address Corrections		New Members
Mary Baldwin 809 Alden Road, Redlands, CA 92374   Linda S. Cirillo Rector, Lewis Hall University of Notre Dame PO Box 256 Notre Dame, IN 46556	Leonora E. Embich 14000 E. Linvale Pl, #304 Aurora, CO 80014 Joan B. Tyler 136A Arch Street #130 Keene, New Hampshire 03431	Sylvia Monice Reeves Dake 200 Bear Swamp Rd. Andover, CT 06232-1122 860-498-1692 wxlady@earthlink.net Helen Dalman Knight, but she is known as Pat 9 S 370 Skylane Drive Naperville IL  60564 (630) 886-3978 pknight@earthlink.net		Ruth C. Bragg 8719 Tahiti Lane Tampa, FL 33615 Deborah McNeil 7027 Hidden Hills San Antonio, TX 78244 Helen A. Pulliam 4111 Walshwood CT Riverside, OH 45424-4667
Wild Blue Yonder

Patricia A. Hayes, Major, USAF Retired, passed away August 28, 2006, in Bethesda, MD. Her funeral will be at Arlington on November 6^th.

Patricia was born in 1921. She entered the Air Force in 1952, and retired in 1972. Pat served in Climatology and Meteorology positions at: Molesworth and High Wycombe, England; Langley, Virginia; Westover, Massachusetts; Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam; and Ent, Colorado. In 1984, she received an award for 40 years of Federal Service from Social Security Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. Her other Federal jobs included: Meteorologist at the US Weather Bureau (1945-49); & Climatologist in the Department of the Army (1949-52). Submitted by Carol Bessette

In Memoriam Tribute: Did you know Pat? Do you remember any stories about her? We were Pat’s “Air Force Family”--let’s put together a fitting tribute to the wonderful Air Force Officer and woman that she was.

For example, I can only imagine the challenges of being in the US Weather Bureau in the 1940’s, especially as a woman.

Send your thoughts about Pat Hayes to VEStaley@peoplepc.com, and we’ll publish them in December.

Is Cooking and/or Baking Your Hobby?
Rae Cosca, a member of the Women’s Army Corp Veterans’ Association (WAC VA), and also an Air Force Veterean, is helping to put together a Cookbook as one of the fundraisers for the WAC VA. They would love to include recipes from AFWOA Members. Please share one of your favorite recipes with her:	Rae Cosca 812 St Marks St #1 Redding CA 96003 H 530-247-7074 C 530-515-3498 raenjoe@aol.com

AFWOA Board
President: Patricia Murphy Executive Vice President: Carol Habgood Vice President, Recruiting: Karen Rankin Treasurer: Patsy Hughes Executive Secretary: Wanda Seals Newsletter Editor: Ellen Staley Webmaster: Linda Allen	Director: Beverly LaFond Director: Gina M. McGuiness Director: Marianne Rogers Director: Clara "Chris" Johnson Air Force Academy Liaison: Bonnie O'Leary	The Military Coalition Representatives:  Elizabeth Bustamante Rosalyn Knapp Anne Farrer

Carolyn Patrick’s Speech to the Tucson VFW

May 2006

Reprinted text and photos (on pages 9 & 10) with permission

Thank you for inviting me to speak in celebration of loyalty day to the very group that initiated recognition of this day in 1950 as a national salute to patriotism

About a month ago, I got e-mail from a much-respected commander asking if I would speak to this group today, and she suggested I talk about the time I spent in Iraq last year. She and I had been through a lot together and I would do anything she asked of me. I told her I would do it, but I was not sure if I was ready to talk about Iraq yet. I saw some terrible things in Iraq. Things that keep me awake at night wrestling with ghosts long after my husband and daughter have gone to bed. Some of these things I try hard not to think about, much less talk about.

I called Hawk to get the details of where and when I needed to be, and to try and figure out what I would speak about. Hawk told me how the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars had fought to establish loyalty day. We chitchatted for a while and I found out his son and I had served together a few years back. Then he said something that made me decide to talk for the first time about some of my experiences in Iraq. When I asked him who would be in the audience and he said, “we will all be veterans.” You, my friends and brothers in arms, I felt could understand some of the pain and the pride that comes from serving our country in the US Military. I am also hoping that by telling you some of my war stories you will share yours with me.

Growing up an Air Force Brat, I thought I knew a lot about loyalty. My Dad was serving in Vietnam when I was a pre-schooler and I distinctly remember a sticker for my tricycle that said “POW/MIA--gone but not forgotten”. My father taught me that loyalty meant keeping your word, obeying the law and serving your country. During our frequent cross-country moves, my dad would play Patton’s famous “Blood and Guts” speech on our 8-track cassette tape in the station wagon. My sister and brother and I would always giggle at all the swear words and pantomime when George C. Scott’s booming voice said “You may be thankful when twenty years from now you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II, you won’t have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, “well, your granddaddy shoveled shit in Louisiana.’ No Sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, ‘Son, your granddaddy rode with the Great third army and a son-of-goddamned-bitch named Georgie Patton!” That is all.”

My speech today will not be nearly as colorful or as entertaining as those given by the great General Patton. In fact I can guarantee you my views on war and military life are different than his in many ways. However we all have something in common. We have all learned some tough lessons on loyalty through our military service.

When the war in Iraq first began I was glued to the television. My husband was over there flying combat search and rescue missions, and I was stationed stateside with our new baby. For the first time in my life, I had doubts about whether our country was doing the right thing. I agreed we needed to fight terrorism, I agreed Sadaam was a bad hombre and should be removed, but I questioned our decision to act without UN approval, and to invade on the premise of Iraq having Weapons of Mass Destruction. Loyalty kept me from speaking out about my doubts on the invasion, because I knew it was important to support my country and its leadership. The invasion was covered mile by mile, with imbedded reporters. It was difficult to watch from afar, but knowing my husband was out there with them, I could not stop watching. Then, one terrible day, the ticker tape across the bottom of the CNN screen read “USAF HH-60 crash during rescue operations…” I was certain the blue sedan was going to be pulling up in front of my door any minute and was furious at the thought of being a widow over a war I did not support. A few hours later I got the call through the wives network…it was not my husband that day. My relief turned to sadness for the families that did lose their loved ones that day, several of them our friends. I also began what I call my “journey of understanding” on what loyalty and patriotism mean to me.

Of course I continued to support our administration and our military, because I had taken an oath to “support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and bear true faith and allegiance to the same.” But for the first time in my life I was questioning whether or not our country was doing the right thing. I needed to see for myself why and how we were fighting this “war on terror” in order to make a decision about right or wrong. So I volunteered to deploy, and someone from HQ ACC graciously gave me their deployment to Baghdad.

I was assigned to the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq. My title was assistant Chief of Staff for Base Management, and I was a staff of two. It was 2nd Lieutenant and a Civil Engineer, me. Together we were tasked to build and transition ten Base Support Units to provide logistical support to the entire Iraqi military. Like the men that followed Gen Patton into battle, I hope to tell my grandsons someday about the great Gen Petreaus and Gen Schwitters that I worked for during this deployment. They gave me the guidance and tools to do some amazing things that I would never have thought I could do. I could give a whole speech just about these great leaders, but that is for another time.

My living quarters were on the banks of the Tigris in a trailer park behind Sadaam’s main palace in Baghdad. The opulent Palace had been transformed into the US Embassy and HQ for Gen Casey the Commanding General for Multi-National Forces Iraq. We received mortar attacks every night (we like to call it trailer park bingo because there was no predicting where they would land). There were car bombs and guns shots during the day. I was amazed at how quickly this became normal to me. I worked out of Phoenix Base which is in the green zone but adjacent to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense (MOD) which is only “kinda” in the green zone.

I have to admit I was a little nervous the first day I went over to the MOD. It is guarded by Iraqi military and Iraqi civilians with a variety of machine guns, tanks, and 50 Cals welded on pick up trucks. Now understand… I came in the military at the start of the first gulf war, so for my entire military career the Iraqis have been our enemies. All the sudden I am supposed to walk into their bee hive with my little 9mm for protection. This was really beyond my scope of understanding how they were going to let me train them how to run their military.

My predecessor had done some amazing work developing a logistical concept for the Iraqis based on an Austrian model of centralized base support units. The Iraqis had agreed that these 10 Base Support Units (BSUs) would be the foundation of their military logistical system. Six of the BSUs were operational and the coalition was paying contractors to run all the life support functions. Each of these contracts was costing the coalition over $1Million a month. General Petreaus tasked my Lt and me to help the Iraqis develop their own life support standards at the BSUs and take over all life support functions for their own military by the end of the year. By life support I mean providing housing, food, water, sanitation, and pay for the Iraqi soldiers, sailors and airmen.

I arrived in February just after the first election, and the first base was supposed to transition in April. The General my predecessor spent so much time mentoring had just been assassinated, and was replaced by Col Tariq who didn’t speak a word of English (and I didn’t have a translator). There were six other men who worked for him and two of them spoke very good English. Against all odds we formed a very cohesive team with a common goal to transition that first base, Umm Qasr, on time!

The Iraqis taught me all about Iraqi bureaucracy, how to outsmart some of the corruption in their government and the true meaning of “Ensh Allah”. That means something like “god willing” or “I will do it if and when I feel like it”. I got them cell phones, computers, and took them all over the country to show them the bases they would be running. Sunday through Thursday, we would show work out of the MOD and drink Chi with cardamom, eat chocolates, smoke cigarettes, and type contracts and manning documents in Arabic.

In April we proudly turned the keys to Umm Qasr, the Iraqis only Naval base, over to the MOD. It was truly one of the proudest days of my life. Col Tariq was promoted to General and we forged ahead to transition the next base.

The next base, An Numaniyah was a large training base and the contracts were much bigger and more complex. The leadership there was known to be corrupt, and despite our best efforts the Iraqis awarded contracts based on tribal loyalties instead of merit. I spent 10 long days there at An Numaniyah helping them through the transition. I was the only female on base and I was living in the Iraqi officer dorm. Don’t tell any of my Air Force folks, but I slept with my weapon loaded and laying across my chest. There was a lot of bad blood between the Iraqi base leadership and the South African contractor who had been running the base. The Iraqis were certain the contractor had been trying to poison them by feeding them bad meat; the contractors thought the Iraqis would surely fail when they took over the care and feeding of 10,000 troops. I was the middleman negotiating what equipment we would buy for the Iraqis and what equipment the contractor would take. I was overjoyed when the MOD finally agreed on a food contractor who said he would have no problem feeding 10K soldiers good Iraqi food. The Americans who lived and ate with them however were not too happy with me when I told them how they would do this however. There is a special way in which Iraqis slaughter and bless their food, and the soldiers were only happy when they were able to witness this was being done. Thus they had to put a livestock pen and slaughter yard near the chow hall. I was honored that they invited me to the first meal served and it was actually very tasty. There were some problems, but still the transition happened.

My team and I were on a roll and we got the Minister of Defense to agree to let us stand up two more BSUs as soon as construction was complete, without the luxury of putting a coalition contract in place first. Our next trip was up north to Kirkuk where a brand new Iraqi Army base was being built just outside the US base there.

Back at Phoenix base in Baghdad I shared an office with the Air Cell. These brave Airmen had the duty of rebuilding the Iraqi Air Force and training pilots. A few days before Memorial Day last year my friends in the air cell arranged a ride in an Iraqi C-130 that would take my entire team to Kirkuk. They were very exciting at the thought of flying in an Aircraft owned and operated by the Iraqi Air Force. We convoyed up Route Irish to Baghdad Intl and then had to wait several hours for the plane, which was coming up from Ali Air Base. It was miserably hot as we waited on the tarmac, and then even worse as we sandwiched in the C-130 with full body armor, rucks, and weapons.

Carolyn next to Iraqi Air Force helicopter

The whole time I was thinking—there has got to be a better way to get home than this. It was a bonding experience none-the-less and when we arrived at Kirkuk I promised them all a fancy dinner at one of the best DFACs in the country. I met up with one of they guys I shared a desk with in Baghdad, Maj Brian Downs and the pilot he advised Capt Abass who had served in the Iraqi Air Force with some of my team.

When we arrived at the DFAC that night my Iraqi companions sampled hamburgers, pasta, stir-fry, all the desserts, and of course Baskin Robins Ice cream while Capt Abass told us a harrowing story of a recent emergency landing he had to make on a dirt road far from the base. He was flying with an American pilot and as they were getting out of their aircraft men from around the area starting making their way over to the plane. Abass feared how the men would respond to an American pilot so he told the pilot to hide behind a berm and call for help while he kept the crowd at bay. He told the crowd of onlookers that he knew they were friendly, but worried that the Americans who were coming to recover the plane would see the large crowd as something to fear. He urged the men to get out of the area and most took his advice. About an hour later they were rescued. We were all thankful and impressed at what he had done, but he reminded us that we are a team and we are all working together to make Iraq a better place.

After dinner we had coffee, and started talking about what life was like in Iraq before the war. I was curious how they felt about us being there in their country. They said in many ways life was better for them before the invasion. They did not like the everyday violence that they lived with now, and having to get up every four hours to fuel the generators. They were embarrassed that their military had become so weak, but they had hope that things were going to get better now that we were allies.

Carolyn on Saddam’s throne

Every one of them had a story of about how Sadaam’s regime had tortured, killed, or imprisoned family and friends, and how they could not believe how he lived in riches while the rest of his country fell to tatters. One of my teammates had been in the Army when he was younger and while he was watching TV in the Barracks someone said he turned the channel while Sadaam was giving a speech. For this he was put in prison for 5 years! When he finally got a chance to go in front of the judge to plead his case, his only defense was, “Why would I change the channel when Sadaam was speaking…when he is speaking he is on every channel”. The judge knew that this was true and he was immediately released.

By the end of the evening, I knew that we were there for the right reasons, and we were making a difference in the fight against terrorism. I had been trying to put myself in their shoes about how I would feel if another country invaded the United States, and would I be able to cooperate with former enemies in the same way the Iraqis now were. It was then that I understood they were loyal to the same principles that we were: safety, freedom, and hope for a better life for their children. To me that had always meant patriotism, because that is what our country stands for. The Iraqis I met were also Patriotic, but their country had become something under Sadaam that even they could not support or defend.

We got a lot of work done that week and all of us were worn out and wanted to get back to Baghdad. Brian and Capt Abass had offered to give us a ride back on Memorial Day if our Airlift fell through, but the thought of being crammed in a Comp-Air with my Iraqi friends after a week in the field was even less appealing than the C-130 ride. As luck would have it, we were able to get a Blackhawk to take us all the way back to the Green Zone, and were home in time for our Memorial Day BBQ.

After a long, dry flight back to Green Zone, I took a shower and headed back in to work. After dinner the air cell got a call… Brian, Capt Abass, and three other Americans had crashed in the eastern Diyal province—no survivors.

I got a Bronze Star for the work I did in Iraq. I don’t tell many people that because they always ask what I did to deserve it. The only thing I have ever been able to say was I just did my job. Brian got a Bronze Star too, but it was presented to his widow posthumously as he was laid to rest in Arlington. Because of the nature of the crash Brian’s remains along with the crew and Capt Abass are in a combined silver casket. Capt Abass is the first Iraqi buried in Arlington. Their absolute self-sacrifice is at the true heart of loyalty, and I ask you to remember this first anniversary of their death on Memorial Day at the end of the month.

In closing I am reminded of a movie my husband and I saw recently called “Good Night and Good Luck”. At the center of the story is Edward R. Murrow, the CBS anchor. The film dramatized the five-month period from late 1953 to early 1954 during which Murrow combated the McCarthy-inspired hysteria over communist subversives on his weekly television series. One of Murrow’s quotes from in the movie is: “We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” Although I was not yet born when that debate was taking place, I was fascinated by how Mr. Murrow’s criticism of the government was viewed as disloyalty by some and absolute patriotism by others. I am at peace now in my belief it is not disloyal to question whether or not our country is doing the right thing. I am also at peace that our military is strong and the mission we are performing in Iraq is essential to the stability of peace in the Middle East and here at home.

I will leave you with this quote from General Carl Schurz, “My country right or wrong; when right to keep her right; when wrong to put her right.” Thank you again for inviting me to speak to you here today.