Face of Defense: Military Couple Extends Family From Africa

By Army Sgt. Adrianna Barnes

16th Combat Aviation Brigade

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash., Sept. 26, 2012 – Adoptions can be both challenging and rewarding, but the challenges military couples face can be uniquely different due to frequent changes of duty station. For Army Maj. Peter Hathaway, 1st Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment, and his wife, Kristen, overcoming those challenges was a must in completing their family.

Both Kristen and Peter wanted to adopt a child even before they met. When the couple first began dating, they said, one of the things that attracted them to one another was their desire to adopt a child with a special need for a family.

“We knew there were a lot of kids out there that need a family, and we just want to provide a family for a child,” Peter said. “We were lucky enough to find someone to fill that need for.”

Choosing the right time to take on the many challenges of adopting was essential. With their biological daughter, Amelia, now 2 years old, Kristen and Peter decided they were ready to adopt.

“So when we were married, we prayed about when the right time would be, and about seven months ago, we felt like God opened the doors and we began the process,” Kristen said.

While there is great need of families for children both domestically and internationally, the couple decided to adopt from Ethiopia, because Kristen had done missionary work in Kenya for seven months. She fell in love with the people and culture there, she said, and saw an immense need for adoption due to the orphan crisis in many African countries.

In Africa, a large majority of the children are orphans due to poverty or illness -- the most prominent being HIV and AIDS. Ethiopia has more than 100,000 orphans in the capital city, Addis Ababa, and more than 5 million in the country. About 800,000 are AIDS orphans.

“At that time [during missionary work], I knew Africa would be where I chose to adopt,” Kristen said. “Pete felt the same way about Africa, so it was natural for us to move in that direction when considering adoption.”

The couple began researching adoption agencies and identifying which programs they were eligible for, which brought on its own set of challenges due to Peter being in the military and the family moving so frequently. “Although all adoptions have some significant loss or grieving process, we felt the international route might be a better match for a military family,” Peter said.

After deciding on an agency, the couple began the adoption process with what many adoptive parents affectionately refer to as the “paper chase.” Essentially, they laid their lives out in paper form. Documents included birth certificates, marriage licenses, financial worksheets, letters of reference, and background checks from every state in which they had lived for the preceding five years.

A licensed social worker met with Kristen and Peter three times to assess them as prospective adoptive parents. Findings from the home study were put into a document that was sent to Ethiopia. Once the dossier was approved by the agency, the couple then waited for a referral.

For couples requesting to adopt an infant from Ethiopia, the waiting time is two to four years. For families wishing to adopt a child who is older or who has special needs, the wait ranges from one month to four years. The fastest way to adopt a child is to choose a child from a “waiting child list.”

Kristen and Peter said they chose to adopt a child from the list because they felt those children were most in need of a family. They chose an 8-year-old girl named Tshion, pronounced “See-on.” Once the referral was received and accepted, a court date was set to award them custody of the child. The court date was the couple’s first chance to meet their new daughter.

“She is a bright, funny, vivacious, caring, kind 8-year-old that has been through more things than most people can imagine,” Kristen said. “She is athletic and has a dream right now of becoming a supermodel. Seriously, she has her own runway walk made up. She is so excited to have a family, and we feel honored that we are going to be that family.”

When the Hathaways met Tshion, one of her first questions was “Where’s my sister?” Peter said Tshion and Amelia both seem very interested in being a sister. “She had a little pair of sunglasses she wanted us to give to Amelia,” he added.

The Hathaways’ process has been simple and easy compared to what some families have experienced, they said. Their biggest challenge was the quick time frame -- from the start of the process to bringing her home will be right at nine months, they said.

Going through the process so rapidly has created some financial strain, they acknowledged, but they said they receive support from their family and friends, and had set aside savings just for the fees associated with adoption.

“Right now, the hardest part is the waiting. We will hopefully have her home by the end of October,” Kristen said. “It is hard being away from a child that is legally yours. It is hard not being able to care for her when she is sick and not being able to remind her every night of how loved and desired she is.”

At 8 years old, Tshion is very aware of her situation and circumstances. She speaks little English, so Kristen and Peter want to keep her close to home for a while before sending her off to school. They said they are as eager to teach their new daughter English and American culture as they are to learn and embrace her Ethiopian culture.

“Family is not just about blood, color or anything else that we like to separate ourselves by,” Kristen said. “It is about loving another human being. It is about living out your life sacrificially for another person so that they might see their worth or beauty.”

Face of Defense: Soldier Intervenes to Help Troubled Friend

By Army Sgt. Megan Garcia

3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 25, 2012 – The day Army Sgt. Sheldon Benjamin’s friend asked him if he wanted his TV, Sheldon knew that something just wasn’t right.

“He was real teary faced -- a way that I just wasn’t used to seeing him,” said Benjamin, an infantryman with Honor Guard Company, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). “I told him to [unlatch] his door and that I would be over there in a little bit.”

When Sheldon arrived to his friend’s room, he was shocked at what he saw. Instantly, he knew his friend was in trouble.

“When I went into his room, there were weird things I just wasn’t used to seeing,” Benjamin said. “His room was really messy. There were little pills on the floor and the desk counter, and when I looked at his computer, I saw a MoneyGram website for transferring money.”

However, no warning sign was more apparent than when Benjamin heard these four words: “I’m done with this.”

Immediately, Benjamin staged an intervention, calling on other soldiers to come and sit with his friend while he went and sought help.

“I was relieved,” said Army Spc. Andre Whyne, an infantryman with 4th Battalion, Headquarters and Headquarters Company. “I was really stressed out. I had a lot on my mind at that time, like family and a little bit of financial issues, and it all just caved in on me. When Benjamin and the other guys responded the way they did, I knew someone actually cared about me and was there for me.”

Whyne gained hope after seeing how his comrades reacted to his distress. He credits the quick actions of Benjamin and his battle buddies, as well as the immense support of his unit, for saving his life. As he took steps toward his recovery, he said, members of The Old Guard were with him every step of the way.

“After everything happened, I was in the hospital for two weeks, and every day someone from my platoon came to visit me,” Whyne said. “It felt good to have people there who understood me and what I was going through.”

Whyne said Army Chaplain (Capt.) Mark Denning reached out to him not only as a source of spiritual strength, but also as a friend and a listening ear.

“At first I was very closed and didn’t want to talk about it, but we continued to have regular meetings, and sometimes he would take me out to lunch,” Whyne said. “Eventually, I was able to open up to him.”

Denning said relating to Whyne on a more personal level was key.

“For me, the difference I can make is to get to know someone for who they really are outside of just the Army,” the chaplain said. “I think everyone has worth, and being able to walk through that journey with Whyne was important. Caring about someone is not just what I say, but what I do.”

Whyne went back to work immediately following his release from the hospital, although he said his chain of command was willing to give him as much time as he needed.

“The biggest role that the unit has to play is leaders and other soldiers not only have to be aware and alert to a soldier who is suicidal, but also have to be willing to step up and take action,” said Army Col. Michelle Roberts, Military District of Washington public affairs officer, who worked for two years on an Army suicide-prevention task force.

“With the way everyone rallied around [Whyne] and helped him through that rough time, it was natural for him to come back to work, because he still felt like part of the team,” she added.

Thanks to tremendous support, Whyne said, his outlook on life has definitely changed.

“I really didn’t see where my life was going at that time, but now I know things aren’t as bad as I thought they were,” he said. “I once thought everyone was in their own world and nobody cared about each other, but now I know differently.”

Whyne said he hopes his story will inspire other soldiers to reach out to someone if they are in a desperate place.

“Talk to your closest buddy in the Army or someone in your squad or platoon,” he said. “They will help you through it. Without the help of my battle buddies, I never would have made it.”

Face of Defense: Army Captain Looks After Her Troops

By Mollie Miller

1st Infantry Division

FORT RILEY, Kan., Sept. 17, 2012 – Army Capt. Lisa Halvorson’s troops have called her "Mama Halvorson" since she took over the 1st Infantry Division’s Company C, 601st Aviation Support Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, nearly two years ago.

Halvorson, a signal officer who served as commander of the "Crusaders" until a few weeks ago, is an experienced soldier with just a hint of a southern drawl. And being Mama Halvorson to her troops suits her just fine, she said.

"I love my soldiers," Halvorson said. "I'm not just here doing a job, and they can tell."

Halvorson took command of Company C in October 2010, about halfway through the unit's deployment to Iraq. Quickly, the new commander realized her troops faced some challenges, and she began designing a plan to strengthen the men and women in her unit.

"I asked myself, 'How am I going to mentor all of them to become better soldiers?'" Halvorson said. "I immediately stopped, though, and said, 'No, how can I help my soldiers become better people?'"

Over time, Halvorson's plan to make her team into better soldiers and better people evolved into a schedule that included weekly classes covering topics such as resilience training, life skills and sexual assault prevention. The goal of the classes, Halvorson said, was to help to teach her soldiers how to "live the right way."

"In the beginning, we were building the trust level and getting to know one another," she said. "I talk a lot, but when I'm talking to my soldiers, I listen a lot, too."

Once the Crusaders returned to Fort Riley at the end of their deployment, Halvorson added more elements into the plan to strengthen the company. Monthly family readiness group events, long-range calendars and classes designed to address the unit's specific needs all provided stability and predictability as the soldiers returned to their "normal" lives back in Kansas.

"Charlie Company is a very tight group of soldiers, and they watch out for each other like family," said Lt. Col. Allan Lancetta, 601st ASB commander. "[Halvorson] and her leadership have found the right balance of educating soldiers, training soldiers and engaging soldiers."

The plan that kept her soldiers and family members safe during an often challenging reintegration time was not created in a vacuum, Halvorson said. To create something that works, she said, it was necessary to get out from behind her computer and really get to know her soldiers.

"Leaders need to step outside their offices," Halvorson said. "When you step outside your office, you will really see what is going on."

The Crusaders' success hasn't gone unnoticed. In December, the company received the 1st Infantry Division's "Encased Saber," honoring a record of more than 1,400 days free from alcohol- or drug-related incidents. At the award ceremony, Halvorson said her company's success could be traced to engaged leaders at all levels who listen and use their resources to take care of soldiers.

"Long gone are the days when a commander or senior noncommissioned officer simply scared people into listening," Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Sasser, the division’s senior NCO, said during the saber presentation ceremony. "Saving a career, and, sometimes, saving life requires outside-of-the-box thinking like this. This is a great accomplishment."

Halvorson concluded her time with the Crusaders at the end of August. Although she is no longer with her team -- men and women who she still considers family -- the signal officer will never forget the lessons they taught her during the past 20-plus months.

Halvorson said she hopes her soldiers do not forget the lessons she’s tried to teach them.

"I hope what I did here made them stronger," she said. "I hope that caring for them, listening to them and really seeing them will lead them to be positive, successful leaders and people in the future."

Face of Defense: Pilot Helps Iraqis Earn Wings

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Nathan Maysonet

47th Flying Training Wing

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas, Sept. 11, 2012 – Mounted aboard an armored SUV with a pistol at his side, an 85th Flying Training Squadron pilot based here begins his days in Iraq checking in on classes miles apart, filled with students not unlike those he left in Texas thousands of miles from home.

Air Force Lt. Col. Chris Lachance is one of a handful of American airmen working to ensure that Iraqi Air force units at Al Sahra Airfield in Tikrit are getting the level of training they need to protect their skies.

"I look at the big picture of the Iraqi training mission from here to see if they are being taught and properly engaged by the American contractors and Iraqi instructor pilots," Lachance said. "I make sure Iraq is getting what it pays for."

The training, which originally was operated by the United States, now is in the hands of contractors and Iraqi airmen. Now, just three U.S. airmen advise the more than 800 civilian contracted instructors and fresh Iraqi airmen. They are tasked with training the growing population of Iraqi students set to become their nation's future maintainers, pilots and air traffic controllers.

"If you were to squish Randolph, Keesler and Laughlin [Air Force bases] together, you'd get a picture of what our base here is like," Lachance said.

Lachance, who has served in Iraq for the last three months, acts as the security assistance lead in Tikrit for the U.S. Embassy Office of Security Cooperation Iraq. He helps to advise Iraqi squadron commanders on the finer points of pilot training.

"We are teaching them to be a lot like Laughlin," Lachance said. "A pilot here or at Laughlin would recognize the training."

Much like Laughlin's specialized undergraduate pilot training, the pilots training in Iraq begin from scratch. They learn the basics of aviation, following a syllabus similar to that used at Laughlin, Lachance said. But there are some differences, he added.

"We in the U.S. Air Force are selected for a specialty and then train to perform that job," he said. "Because the Iraqi air force is so small, they each have to do so much more, and it can be a distraction."

It's not uncommon for Iraqi officers and enlisted service members alike to work all night and show up the next day in class with little sleep, Lachance explained. Other differences can be found in the schedule and in the resources available to the Iraqis for training. Due to limited fuel, only 10 to 15 sorties take place per day, in comparison to the more than 250 flights at Laughlin's airfield, the busiest in the U.S. Air Force.

Additionally, the T-6 Texan II trainer, which is used by both countries as a key part in training, serves different roles to each, Lachance said. At Laughlin and at all U.S. pilot training bases, the T-6 is flown for several months before the student is sent to either the T-38 for fighter training or T-1 for tanker and airlift training. In Iraq, though, the T-6 is used as a replacement for the T-38 portion of training.

Cultural differences also play a part in what Lachance and his co-workers deal with daily. Things in Iraq are slower-paced, he said, with decisions being made after both parties slowly get to know each other.

"We want to get it done now, but they like to move slowly," he said. "Following that pace has led to a good partnership that will give us friends for life."

Regardless of the difficulties, Lachance said, he has high hopes for the future and is thankful for his experiences as an instructor pilot here, which have helped him prepare for his time in Iraq.

"I've seen the best and worst of pilots. Being with first-assignment instructor pilots at Laughlin has helped me, because in Iraq, they are all first-assignment instructor pilots starting something new," he said. "There is no animosity towards us. They want to rebuild as our partner and friend. Things are going well. And although there are bumps in the road, no one is giving up."