Bridging the Gap

Sadly, today was our last day of MilJo. As we were driving back to Lawrence, it was hard to leave the post and drop everyone off at the airport. We said our goodbyes and exchanged contact information as the vans idled in the terminal roundabouts.

But, even though MilJo has ended, its effects never will.

And I know that it sounds cheesy to say that, but I know its true. Even now, as I'm beginning to outline my stories (about MilJo) for the week, I remember all the things I learned: military 101, the experiences of basic training, the history of Ft. Leavenworth, and so much more.

As we began our activities today, we got the chance to skype (for real, this time) with General Gary S. Patton, who--I found out--graduated from the KU J-School. So, it was nice to see that connection.

He talked to us about his experiences--good, bad, or indifferent--with the media. He said when he was in Afghanistan, the Afghan people had doubts about the effectiveness of their new military, and had an open house for the media. Gen. Patton said that was a situation where the public needed the media to help them better understand their new military. Otherwise, they--like the media reporters themselves--would have continued doubting the military's legitimacy.

Right afterward, we had a question-and-answer with Ft. Leavenworth's Brigadier General Sean MacFarland. He said that Army leaders have to set an example for non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers on how to deal with the media. He agreed with Generals Caldwell and Patton that the Army should be "transparent" with the media, because we (journalists) serve a great purpose in the dissemination of information.

We ate a catered lunch at the College right after Gen. MacFarland's talk. A few of the majors from the College came down, and we got the chance to chat with them--on or off the record. It was a good opportunity for one last social gathering before we all left the post.

At lunch, Professors Tom Volek and Barbara Barnett (our associate deans at the J-School) presented each of us with a certificate of completion for the Military-Journalist Experience.

We recognized and thanked all of those who helped us with the program. (And in the case any of them are reading this--Thank You!) And then, we all loaded back up into the vans and headed for KCI.

After dropping everyone off at the terminals and saying our goodbyes, Professor Volek, another journalist from the Lawrence, and I rode back to Lawrence. We discussed our experiences on MilJo and what the plans were for it next year--what could be improved, what was new this year, what our favorite part was, etc.

Overall, I have to say, it was truly an unforgettable experience. I can tell that I have grown--I have learned--and I have become a more well-rounded and understanding individual. After meeting people from all over the country and the world (no joke), I have a better understanding for the cultures both in and outside this country--especially the military culture.

From Wednesday night's Night Infiltration Course (NIC) experience

While the military and the media won't have the most stable relationship, I hope that it can improve. Through workshops and programs like this one, the media and the military can learn more about one another and help to bring down that wall that sometimes exists between us.

This last week was amazing, and I was kind of sad to come back to Lawrence, which is hard for me to admit. However, I will be editing video and photos from MilJo for the next week. So, the post will never be too far away, thanks to technology.

I will update my blog one last time after all my stories wrap up next Friday (hopefully). In the meantime, enjoy my flickr page and the rest of the blog posts! Let me know if you have any comments, questions, etc. I would love to hear them!

"And then, there's Army strong..."

As I am writing this now, several of us (journalists) are sitting in our Ft. Leavenworth hotel's lounge area--swapping stories, and taking the time to relax after a long two days at Ft. Leonard Wood.

So, perhaps I should describe what all went down yesterday (Wednesday), as I didn't get the chance to explain everything. We had a full-day's worth of activities, and we started at 4 a.m. (0400 hours).

(Bare with me. This is going to be a long one, but I hope the pictures help.)

One company of new recruits, who had just arrived at basic training 4 days before we met them, were doing their physical training (PT). The majority of it was stretching, leg raises, pushups, etc.

The drill sergeants demonstrated the newest exercises to the soldiers, and we were invited to participate once the troops got into formation. Several of the new soldiers were still learning the drills and the formations, and were running around confused. Of course, the drill sergeants yelled at them, but fortunately they never yelled at us. (Even though, several of us didn't know how to do the exercises.)

The exercises lasted about 30 minutes, but that included the exercise demonstrations, getting into formation, completing the exercises, and then lining back up. On a few occasions, I felt bad for the new recruits--seeing the drill sergeants yelling at them for doing the wrong thing (especially when I had been doing the exercise wrong myself) intimidated me.

However, I know that they were doing that to help the recruit become self-conscious of their actions.

"Pay attention to detail," the drill sergeants would say. "It will save your life."

And I believe them.

After lining back up, the recruits left the "bubble" (the building they have for indoor PT whenever its cold outside) to do running drills on the track outside.

We, however, had several other events planned for the day, and we had to leave to stay on-schedule.

After breakfast, we went to the "reception center," which is where the new recruits check-in once they get on to the post. It is also where they have their medical and dental check-ups, and where they get their uniforms and daily supplies.

The sergeants took us through, and showed us the facilities. One of the first things they showed us was a case of all the items that are prohibited and will be confiscated when the recruits arrive on post. There were gambling items, including playing cards and portable electronic card game devices--drugs, alcohol, mouthwash, weapons, etc.

After that, they gave us a tour of their outfitting supplies--that's where they hand out all of the soldiers' uniforms and gear. The post has boots (unisex) sizes 1-18. There were jackets, shirts, pants, hats, gloves... even underwear.

We also got the chance to see where and how they give medical and dental check-ups. Apparently, the Army has only two colors of glasses: brown and brown.

After the reception center, we got the chance to view an obstacle course training group.

While they weren't going through the entire obstacle course, these soldiers--who were in their second week of basic training--were learning to propel down ropes and then had to use that knowledge on their obstacle course.

The drill sergeants were on-hand and giving them instructions the entire time. They were careful to make sure the soldiers were doing the techniques properly so they would execute the drill properly on the obstacle course's 60-foot wall.

Some of them, I could tell, had trouble executing the techniques properly. But, the drill sergeants were slightly more gentle, but just as serious, in correcting their mistakes. They weren't quite as "clueless" as the recruits we had seen earlier that morning, which is to be expected.

The best part was when the soldiers propelled down the large (60-foot) wall.

They crawled up a large ladder to the top of "Confidence Tower," as it's called, and harnessed themselves at the top. The drill sergeants were present to give them instructions, and their fellow soldiers were at the base to help with the rope.

As they were going down, each soldier would say something different every time he or she pushed off the wall as they propelled down.

One said, "Make me famous." (Which a few in my group believe he said because we were there.) Another, "I want some cookies!" That one got quite a few chuckles from the by-standing recruits and drill instructors.

I asked a sergeant if soldiers got to choose what they said while they were propelling. He explained that the drill sergeants tell each soldier what to say as they go down. Often times, he said, it will be something that relates to the soldier's personal experience--a favorite hobby, a personal fear or goal, or something they need to learn... or sometimes its just to humiliate and peer-pressure them into being more aware of their attitudes or actions.

After talking to the soldiers and the drill sergeants at the obstacle course, we ate lunch at the MP (military police) academy. While we didn't get to interact with the soldiers there, we did get to experience what a military mess hall is like.

We noticed that new recruits came in and sat down to eat, but five or ten minutes later, the drill sergeants would be telling them to stand up and take their trays back. We felt bad for them, and it explained why none of them were talking during their meal--there was no time.

After lunch, we went to a firing range, where the soldiers (a different group than the previous two) were learning to shoot grenade launchers and anti-tank weapons. Sadly, we didn't get to see any of the target practice, but the drill sergeants showed us the firing range and allowed us to actually hold and "fire" the weapons. (No, there weren't any actual rounds in the guns.)

The soldiers who were taking the classes on the weapons had only been training for two or three weeks, but it was clear that the drill sergeants were treating them much differently than the brand-new recruits who were doing PT that morning. They were serious, loud and detailed in their instructions, as expected. But, they still had a more professional and "down-to-earth" tone in their voices.

These soldiers weren't the "maggots" from Day 1, but they hadn't graduated from the academy yet. These recruits were somewhere in the middle. And the drill instructors treated them accordingly.

(We got to see more of this progression of both student development and instructor treatment later that evening, on the NIC or night infiltration course.)

After the firing range, we went to the vehicle operations or truck driving school, where we tested out some of their simulators.

There were four simulators, which were about the size of a living room, but had a "cab" shaped and designed to look like the cab of a car--complete with steering wheel, gears, pedals, etc. The screen displayed all around the driver, and the courses were different for each simulator.

The simulator I drove was in a wooded area, on a dirt road. I eventually found myself driving down a large hill, and overturned the "vehicle" when I took a turn too fast. (I'm glad to say, though, I have never done that in real life.)

The rest of the evening's events on the NIC are in yesterday's blog, "There's strong..."

Now, for today's events, which included:

• a tour of the CBRN school (Hazmat-type things)
• an introduction to some of the Army vehicles
• a 4-hour ride back to Ft. Leavenworth
• a nice dinner at a local restaurant called the High Noon Saloon

The CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) school trains the military's Hazmat-type personnel on how to deal with threats in the field. There were several scenarios/simulators (not the virtual type) set up throughout the facilities. There was a car crash scenario, which featured real cars, and a train car overturning, which was a real train car.

The Army vehicles were also really cool. The sergeant showed us three different vehicles used in anti-IED (anti-roadside bomb) convoys. One was mine-proof; one detected metal and had ground-penetrating RADAR; and the last one was used to dig up or around a possible IED.

The ride back to Ft. Leavenworth was a long one. After we ate lunch at the FLW food court, we headed back to Kansas. While most of us were pretty tired, we stayed awake--looking at photos from the NIC, swapping stories, asking questions, and playing the occasional car game.

The dinner at the saloon was really nice. It was great to sit down and share in the community of journalists and military people, as two (one former Marine, one army officer) had gone with us on the whole trip.

At the end, we thanked our organizers for their help and support, and gave our main organizers, Professor Tom Volek, a small momento from the NIC experience.

Tomorrow, we don't have too much scheduled, but what we do have is sure to be impressive.

We will be talking with two generals--one is at the Pentagon; the other is here at Ft. Leavenworth.

After a quick lunch, we will be on the road back to the airport and then to Lawrence.

It's scary to think that time has flown by so fast this week. Throughout the whole week, we've been getting to know one another, and now we have to say goodbye. Some of them are close enough that they can keep in touch... but then again, journalism is a small world. We're bound to run into each other at some point.

So, from Ft. Leavenworth, for the last night, take care! (And thanks for reading!)

"There's strong..."

******************************************************************

There's a wide field that stretches back to the trees. It's filled with barbed wire, trucks, fences, and ladders. Fire pits, sometimes in vehicles, light the way in the dark expanse of sand and metal.

Music is playing over the loud speakers. The gunners in the tower prepare the machine guns. Recruits, who are almost complete with their basic training, take their positions at one end of the field. The lights are off, but they can still see the target.

They know their objective, and they must complete it--this obstacle that's called the "night infiltration course."

It is something every Army soldier must overcome in order to graduate from basic training. And, they do it together.

With a loud battle cry, they take to the field. They crawl under the wires, and carefully protect their weapons from the sand.

Over their heads, gunners fire live rounds to intimidate them and simulate a real battle scene. Mortars and explosives go off, lighting up the field for a instant. Rocket flares shoot up into the sky, giving the grounds an orange glow.

After they make it past the guns, they take "the village," which are small sheds designed to simulate an infrastructure invasion. They overtake that, and then line up again.

They are ready for the next mission.

This evening, (in fact, just a few hours ago) we got the chance to witness this amazing rite-of-passage. It was an unforgettable experience--for the soldiers, and for us.

As they took to the field, we began taking pictures or recording the sounds of guns and mortars going off.

The soldiers began advancing, and the light from the glares helped me to take the pictures I needed. Fortunately, once they assembled on the first line, the drill sergeants allowed us to get up close (and personal).

After the soldiers had completed the course, overflowing with adrenaline and "hoo-ah," we got the chance to talk to some of the privates. They were very gracious and polite, and I could tell that they had a lot of pride and trust in one another. Every other word they said was something that better-recommended their platoon or squad.

Without a doubt, it was the best part of the MilJo program so far. If anything tomorrow or Friday is more amazing than tonight's activities, it has to be something spectacular.

Because, really, being able to witness the course, and interact and talk to the soldiers afterward was unbelievable.

There were several other great things we did today:

• PT (physical training) with the recruits
• talking to the MPs
• observing training on a firing range
• testing out driving simulators
• watching soldiers going through a different obstacle course. 

The activities never seemed to end. However, like this blog, they did end... and all too soon.
Since we're getting up early again tomorrow, I won't be able to write everything on this blog that I want to tonight. I will update it more tomorrow, in addition to writing a blog for tomorrow's activities as well.

We will be driving back to Ft. Leavenworth, but we have other activities scheduled between now and then. (Sleep being one of them.)

So, good night, and as the privates taught me tonight--"Hoo-Ah!"

Media & the Military: Across the World

Unfortunately, this evening's post won't be able to be too long. We are leaving the barracks at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning to watch/do physical training with the new enlistees.

Today's schedule wasn't as full as yesterday's was, but it was still great. We spent four hours on the road this afternoon, driving to Ft. Leonard Wood (where we are now).

This morning, first thing, we had a conference call with Lt. General Caldwell in Afghanistan. He talked to us about the NATO missions and how they were succeeding in training the Afghan armies, police, etc.

The first thing he told us, though, was how much he respected and appreciated journalists. He told us what we (journalists) should expect from the military, and what the military should expect from us. He said he wanted to be as open as possible with journalists, because they help get the information out to the American public.

The CGSC at Ft. Leavenworth

After his presentation, we had more than half an hour for questions. I got the chance to ask him about how the combined NATO forces were working together in their mutual mission to help Afghanistan's military become self-sufficient. He was happy to answer, and was very delighted to hear that I was a KU student. In fact, he ended the conference call with a "Rock Chalk" sign-off.

That, I think, was the highlight of my MilJo experience so far... so far, though. We have a full day of activities tomorrow.

Ft. Leonard Wood is very different from Ft. Leavenworth. Everything is more spread out; the buildings don't look as colonial; and there are more trees, or at least the trees are more clustered together. It definitely looks and feels like southern Missouri.

There are 35,000 people on Ft. Leonard Wood (FLW) at any given time, and I believe there are 10,000 enlistees in training here. There are also a few schools here, including basic training, military police, and several programs that include Hazmat and Explosives.

On the four-hour drive here, we had plenty of time to chat. We talked about colloquial terms, accents, pets, stories, the military, families, and different sub-cultures within the United States.

 A public affairs officer (PAO) from Ft. Leavenworth, who was accompanying us to FLW, sat next to me, and I got the chance to ask him about his military career and his experience with the media. It was interesting to get a perspective about the media from the military's perspective--much like General Caldwell shared with us earlier in the day.

It was also interesting to ask him more questions about the military's responsibility, infrastructure, and operations. I'm glad that the military personnel have been so open and willing to talk to us, General Caldwell especially. Obviously, someone that high-ranking has plenty of things to do, but the fact that he took time out of his schedule said that he cared enough about our program to invest his time.

Conference room at FLW

And that's something I can be proud of--the knowledge that the military is willing to be transparent and honest with us and with the American people in general. Obviously, they can't disclose everything, but it's great to know that the military is willing to work with us.

So, that's all for now. I will have a lot to blog about tomorrow night, so be looking for a long entry Thursday morning (or late Wednesday night).

And, in case you couldn't see them very well, here's the link to my Flickr slideshow of all my pictures so far. (I'm still working on the the video.) http://www.flickr.com/photos/67923100@N02/show/

"Be, Know & Do"

Sadly, tonight is our last night at Ft. Leavenworth... for now.

Tomorrow afternoon, our group is leaving for Ft. Leonard Wood in southern Missouri, but we will return to Ft. Leavenworth on Thursday.

In any case, today's events and briefings were amazing and educational.

We arrived at the Lewis and Clark Center (LCC), which is the home of the Command and General Staff College (CGSC). The Army takes great pride, as they should, in these programs, which offer college-level courses to Army officers. This is the "Intellectual Hub" of the Army -- the Army's version of "Harvard" as it were.

There are Army officers here from all over the country and all over the world, who are studying military operations, strategies, tactics, etc. at the CGSC. Today, as we were eating breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria, we saw soldiers from several different countries and all different branches of the US military.

Our first briefing, after an early breakfast at 0700 hours, was "Army 101." We learned the basic command structure of the Army, including the different ranks, and how to identify who someone is by their uniform.

I will say that as we were eating lunch later in the day, we started noticing the different battalion patches the soldiers were wearing and which rank they were based on their 'pin' (which is actually now a velcro patch).

After "Army 101," we learned about military (specifically Army) leadership. Our speaker, a colonel at the post, explained the standards of leadership that the Army holds its officers to at the CGSC.

One of the characteristics that caught my attention was "Character," and under that was something called "Warrior/ Service Ethos."

I asked about what that meant, and I read the part of the Army Field Manual about it. It is similar to a creed, and it says:

I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.


...I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American soldier.

While our speaker said otherwise, I thought that (generally) these ideals could be applied to almost any leader or individual, whether civilian or soldier. Maybe the mission can't be placed first for every person, but I think the next three things could apply to anyone. And the last part about being a guardian of freedom--I am smiling at the thought--definitely applies to journalists.

Both the military and journalists uphold the constitution and represent American life to those of other nationalities. Clearly, we're not American soldiers, but I still believe that we uphold many of the same values that soldiers do. Perhaps that's why both parties must work together to form strong bonds that will ultimately help spread the military's stories to the rest of the world.

I asked our speaker about what the difference was between the leadership model of the Army and those in the civilian world. He said that in the Army, there was a "feeling of legacy." He and other officers acknowledge that they are eventually going to move on, and they must train others to replace them; whereas in the civilian world, he said, leaders tend to stay in place longer and don't necessarily care about who comes after them.

The Army's development model has three areas (in his model, it formed a tripod): training, education, and experience. As he explained it, I couldn't help but see that these models could--and maybe they are--be implemented in the civilian world. If you're a company leader, and you're grooming future leaders, you realize that they need to be trained, educated, and have enough experience to succeed in their duties.

So, I found that talk particularly interesting, but we had several other talks/briefings:

• the disciplinary barracks (USDB), which is the military equivalent of a high-security prison
• the infrastructure of the Combined Arms Center (CAC), which is also stationed at Ft. Leavenworth
• the garrison's (or the post's) internal structure/government
• the military judicial system and military law

The other highlight of the day, other than the leadership talk, was interviewing the officers and students of the CGSC. We had a panel of five students, who talked about anything--their experiences at the CGSC, their tours in Iraq or Afghanistan, social media in the military, and more.

I'll have to talk more on that later. The soldiers offered plenty of good story-material, which I am planning on using... eventually.

Later in the afternoon, more soldiers from the college came in and offered to be interviewed. That made it very convenient for all of us to get quotes, stories, sources, etc.

It was wonderful to see the journalists and the officers interacting so well. While we might not have the same jobs, freedoms, or life experiences, we do work together sometimes--and we share goals, ideals, and 'the American dream.'

Plus, everyone has been delightful. The officers we've met are all respectable, professional individuals and leaders. But, also, the journalists in the program with me are wonderful people, too.

You would think that when a bunch of journalists get together, they just grill each other with questions all day, because that's what they do for a living, and they're used to it.

So far, though, it hasn't been that way at all. Today at lunch, five other journalists and myself had nice conversations about political media, cultural issues, and stories we've covered.

Well, it's been a long day. We had a lot of downtime after dinner, and I got the chance to see even more of Ft. Leavenworth, including the old USDB. I'm looking forward to coming back on Thursday, but right now, Ft. Leonard Wood sounds very exciting, too.

In the meantime, all I can do is continue to build on the training, education, and experience I've received in this MilJo program.

Brick By Brick

The first time someone arrives in Ft. Leavenworth, there are two things any newcomer notices immediately:

1. There are trees everywhere -- almost more so than any other place in Kansas.
2. Almost every building (especially in the eastern part of the post) is made of red brick.

So, as the post's beautiful buildings lay on their pure, green lawns against the blue sky, the fort looks very picturesque. The blocks of red and white houses are lined with trees, which sometimes block the buildings from view.

Fortunately, the Kansas weather has been consistently mild (and it looks like it will stay that way), and walking around Ft. Leavenworth today was a pleasure.

After leaving Lawrence around 10 this morning (or 1000 hours, military time), a few of us from Lawrence drove to KCI to pick up the rest of the participants. There are 17 of us, including journalists from all over the country and one from the UK.

Since my group came in before noon, we were able to make it to Ft. Leavenworth (A.K.A., "the post") by 1400 hours. This gave us plenty of time to walk around the post or to do whatever we wanted.

Just walking around Ft. Leavenworth, I completely forgot that I was on a military base. The occasional signs pointing me to the CAC, CGSC, etc. and military personnel walking around in uniform were my only reminders.

It was a beautiful day to explore this beautiful base.

The post has quite a unique and long-standing history.

Obviously, I can't go into all of its history, but I will share the things that I thought were the most interesting.

For instance, Colin Powell, Eisenhower, George Patton, Custer, Sumner, and Grant have all stayed or lived at Ft. Leavenworth.

In fact, the building I am staying in (which is has really nice VIP suites) was where Ike stayed while he was studying here.

Ft. Leavenworth is about 8 square miles or more than 5,000 acres. There are more than 10,000 people on base, and that includes both military personnel and civilians. The post is under the command of a 3-star general, and hosts the Army's "Intellectual Center." (I'll talk more about that tomorrow.)

The US Army founded the post in 1827, and it is one of the oldest communities (if not the oldest) in Kansas. It hosts the two oldest houses in Kansas, the Rookery (1827) and the White House (1841). Most of the post is part of the National Historic Landmark District. There are also a few houses there, called "Syracuse Houses," which were constructed in Syracuse, NY and floated down the river to Ft. Leavenworth.

At one point, the post was the capitol of the Kansas territory when Kansas' first governor came to the territory.

And, as an old community, there are several "ghosts" that haunt the post. On our evening walking tour of the post, we passed several houses that were supposedly haunted. The most famous Ft. Leavenworth ghost is the "Black Lady," who is supposed to read children bedtime stories and do the dishes for the residents.

As our tour guide told us, there is a certain "spirituality" about this place. He meant that the 'spirits' of the past continue to live on in this community because its residents can still feel their effects even now. The legacies of the leaders who helped build the post inspire those who will come after them.

So far, I have enjoyed every minute of my experience with MilJo. While I am the youngest of the participants, I know that there are many things that I can learn from my fellow journalists and from those stationed on the post.

I hope you are all enjoying the blog so far. I am still trying to figure out a slideshow program, but I hope that the next post will have more visuals.