England Meets, Thanks 'Why We Serve' Participants

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England today thanked a group of servicemembers who have completed nationwide speaking tours as part of the "Why We Serve" public-outreach program. Since the draft ended in 1973, the average American has had diminishing experience with members of the military, England told the servicemembers in his Pentagon office.

With U.S. troops deployed worldwide in support of the war on terrorism, it is especially vital that Why We Serve participants "go out and make that contact" with the American people, he said.

"This is the best military we've ever had. The all-volunteer force is terrific," said England, as he thanked the servicemembers and provided each with his personal coin.

"At the end of the day, we rely on the support of the American people," observed England, who also wished the servicemembers a happy holiday season.

"Thanks for representing America and representing your services. You did a great job for us," he said.

Why We Serve participant Marine 1st Lt. Tabitha B. White, an Iraq veteran, said she enjoyed meeting England and telling her story to the public.

"Meeting the deputy defense secretary is a wonderful experience," White said. "The American public wants to hear our stories, and they are so supportive."

White, who returned from a tour in Iraq in August, said audiences often asked her if she had any interaction with Iraqi citizens. "I did get to meet an Iraqi civilian while I was over there. She was volunteering at the hospital. She was just grateful to have that opportunity to volunteer and help her country," White recalled.

White also remembered when formerly violent areas became pacified during her eight-month tour of duty in northeastern Iraq. "It was really violent and hostile. And, now, they are opening hospitals and schools, and all of their sheikhs are meeting together to try to figure out a better way to run their country," White recalled.

Another Iraq veteran and Why We Serve participant, recently promoted Marine Sgt. Sean M. Henry, said he was pleased to meet England and is proud of his participation in the program.

"It's outstanding, what this program is doing, getting out and interacting with the American people. That's priceless," Henry emphasized.

Other members of the fifth group of Why We Serve participants include: Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Bruce Binda, Army Maj. Cedric L. Burden, Marine Staff Sgt. John Costa, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mark A. DeCorte, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sivenson Guerrier, Army Sgt. Jose J. Munoz, and Air Force Maj. Marcia A. Potter. Munoz wasn't able to meet England today because of his pending deployment to Afghanistan.

Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace started the Why We Serve program in 2006. The program is conducted in quarterly segments and participants perform 90-day duty tours talking to schools, veterans organizations and business groups across the United States.

The sixth Why We Serve group of servicemembers assembles in January, and it will be the largest group since the program began, said Marine Maj. Chris Devine, the Why We Serve program director. The new group, Devine said, will consist of 12 servicemembers representing the military service branches.

"All of the Why We Serve participants have done a great job," Devine said.

Why We Serve continues to improve, Devine said. The program, he noted, is "one more way for us to provide information to the American people about what it is these young men and women are doing in the global war on terrorism."

Combat Veterans Connect With America Through 'Why We Serve' Program

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - Wrapping up three months of speaking engagements around the country, recently returned combat veterans said Americans long to hear firsthand accounts about duty on the front lines without media filters. "They were so hungry to hear our personal stories," said Marine 1st Lt. Tabitha White, after sharing experiences about her eight-month deployment to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, with schoolchildren, employers and civic groups through the "Why We Serve" program.

"The only information they had about what's going on came from the news," White said. "They said they never get a chance to hear personal stories."

The Defense Department established the Why We Serve program in July 2006 to give returning veterans the opportunity to fill that void.

The brainchild of retired Marine Gen. Peter Pace, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the program sends servicemembers just back from Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa into the community. They crisscross the country sharing their firsthand experiences with community organizations, business associations, academic institutions, veterans groups and other non-profit or non-partisan organizations.

Today, the latest group, made up of three Marines, two soldiers, two sailors and two airmen, wrapped up the fifth three-month iteration since the program's start.

Air Force Maj. Marcia Potter, who visited 12 states describing her work as a nurse practitioner at Balad Air Base, Iraq, said the program helps balance information the public receives about the combat theater from other sources.

Program participants share straightforward details about what they did, what was happening around them, and how it felt to be part of it.

"The Pentagon doesn't tell me what to say," Potter said. "I simply talk about my own experience."

Wherever the participants took their stories, audiences responded. "I heard over and over again how people now have a better idea about the military and what it's doing," Potter said.

Army Maj. Cedric Burden, who spoke at 30 events through the program, said the groups he talked with couldn't get enough. Many people came to the speaking events with written questions, some with three parts. At one event, the emcee had to cut off the questioning when it stretched well beyond the allotted two-hour time block.

Potter said the program gave people with little or no previous exposure to the military a chance to see that it's made up of people not all that different from themselves. "It helped show people that in the military, we have relatable people -- people like them, but who have dedicated themselves to serving their country," Potter said.

For Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sivenson Guerrier, a highlight of the program was speaking at Navy veterans' functions to explain the broad missions today's sailors are conducting in the war on terror.

"There's a new generation of sailors on the ground, not on ships," said Guerrier, who returned from Afghanistan, where he served as a maintenance officer for the provincial reconstruction team in Asadabad. "When they heard about that, they were really surprised and so proud of the tradition that they had carried."

Schoolchildren, many who thought only soldiers were fighting the war, were equally surprised, Guerrier said. "It felt really good to tell them that, no, the Navy is there, too," he said.

Guerrier said he got a kick out of some of the "crazy questions" children would ask him. "They're honest and don't sugarcoat any questions," he said. "They were just eager to learn."

White said she was amazed at the level of support she felt everywhere she traveled. "Most of the public are so supportive of us as military members," she said. "They may not agree with some of the policies and politics, but they are so supportive of us."
Participating in the program, particularly fresh off a deployment, proved to be a benefit to the speakers, too. Burden said it helped give him closure after his yearlong deployment as an infantry company commander with 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, in Hawijah and Rashad, Iraq.

It also helped him deal with the 10 soldiers he lost. By meeting their families, visiting some of their graves and officiating at the dedication of a post office in one's honor during his Why We Serve assignment, Burden said, he was able to pay tribute to his troops.

"It was therapy for me," agreed White, who entered the program just a month after returning in August from her deployment to Iraq with Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 2. "Before that, I had had no time to fully process everything I'd gone through. This helped me come to terms with my experience and what I personally got out of it."

White said she takes pride in her service and the contribution she made as an airspace cell coordinator. "I was doing my job, protecting my country, protecting my family and protecting the community," she said.

Why We Serve: Lieutenant Proudly Carries On Family's Legacy of Service

By Sgt. Sara Moore, USA
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 14, 2007 - Six members from three generations of Tabitha White's family have served in the military, so her service in the Marine Corps is a point of pride she takes seriously. "I consider it a privilege to be an American, and I realize we have many freedoms and liberties that other countries are not afforded," the Marine lieutenant said. "I wanted to take part in protecting these liberties and freedoms and my family and other American citizens who can't or won't serve."

White is one of 10 servicemembers selected to tell the military's story to the American public at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

White, who was raised in Meridian, Miss., joined the Marine Corps four and a half years ago and now serves as an air defense control officer in Cherry Point, N.C. She deployed to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, from January to August this year, where she served as an airspace cell coordinator and the squadron command historian.

White is currently deciding whether to stay in the military when her service contract expires next year, but she said her service has been rewarding and valuable. "All of my experiences have developed and matured me as an individual, and I am thankful for every one that I have had in the military," she said. "The highlight has been all of the people I have had the opportunity to meet."

Sharing her story with those people is what White said she likes about the Why We Serve program. She has participated in 28 speaking engagements and said she has seen that the public wants to hear personal stories of men and women serving in the military.

"I can bring my story to many children and young adults in a form that they can understand," White said, adding that her background in education helps her in this area. White holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education with an emphasis in reading and math.

The Why We Serve program began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. White and the other nine servicemembers in her group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.

Why We Serve: Chef Happiest at Sea Working with Sailors

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 30, 2007 - Ask Master Chief Petty Officer Bruce "Skip" Binda why he joined the Navy nearly three decades ago and he'll tell you it was a matter of pride. At 19, Binda had spent all of his tuition money on beer and eight-track music cassettes and was too proud to ask his father for the $200 he needed to return to college.

Along came a Navy commercial proffering $1,500 to join, and Binda took the bait "hook, line and sinker," he said. Since joining in 1980, he has served on one submarine and 10 ships and served a combat tour in Iraq. He has spent nearly 20 years at sea, with only three shore-duty tours.

The career sailor is now one of 10 servicemembers selected to travel the country telling the military's story as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

"I've been able to do everything I wanted to do. I've been stationed everywhere I've wanted to be stationed. I've just been very lucky," Binda said.

Truthfully, Binda's future sea journeys were secured long before he ran into his tuition troubles. As a boy growing up on the Atlantic coast, Binda said, he would walk along the seawall in Marshfield, Mass., and tell his sister that one day he would be a sailor.

His father served in the Navy for two years, and Binda's uncle was a sailor who would return home with stories of his travels.

"I used to listen to his stories during the holidays when we all got together. Sometimes he'd wear his khaki hat. He was just a crusty old boatswain's mate. That was just amazing," Binda said.

Along with his love for the sea, Binda also inherited a passion for cooking. Binda said his great-grandfather was a popular chef in Boston. During the Depression, on Sundays after church, he would take food left over from hotels and feed the Italian-American community in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, Binda said.

"He kind of had his own soup kitchen out back, only you wouldn't know it was a soup kitchen, because he was a pretty renowned chef in Boston," Binda said.

And, when tourism slowed in the winter, his grandfather would cook on the cruise lines sailing to Florida. "I guess the ocean has always been in my blood, and cooking just came naturally," Binda said.

After graduating from high school in Marshfield, a town about 35 miles southeast of Boston, Binda attended culinary arts school at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. He joined the Navy as a mess management specialist, now called a culinary specialist. Binda has cooked his way to the top of the Navy enlisted ranks as a master chief petty officer and now manages the Navy's largest housing program at Naval Base San Diego's Combined Bachelor Housing.

Binda spent nearly 20 years on duty at sea because he chose those duty assignments. He said he loves sitting on deck and watching the sunrises and sunsets. But mostly he enjoys it because it gives allows him to work with junior sailors. "I love being at sea. That's really what I enjoy. I think you have a bigger impact taking sailors to different countries and working with them every single day," he said.

Binda said he likes to mentor and coach his sailors. "I'm a father figure to several of my junior sailors. They call me at all sorts of times. I've bailed kids out of jail with my own money; I wouldn't recommend that, but I haven't been disappointed yet. I just really love working with young people," Binda said.

In his duties, the chef sailor has served some of the nation's top officers, including Army Gen. Tommy Franks, then Central Command commander. But for Binda, the measure of his success always will be the satisfaction of the sailors.

"I consider what's important is feeding sailors every single day. I get much more satisfaction seeing sailors eating and enjoying themselves on the mess decks than I do serving the captain a formal dinner with ... distinguished visitors," Binda said.

His dedication to the lower enlisted sailors is what eventually landed Binda in the sands of Iraq "like a fish out of water," he said. As requirements came up to fill slots in Iraq as advisors or on training teams, Binda said, he realized one day that he was sending his sailors to a place that he personally knew nothing about. "I kind of felt bad sending him to some place I didn't know anything about," he said.

So when the opportunity opened in February 2006, Binda volunteered. It turned out to be one of the biggest learning experiences of his life, Binda said. There he was a military advisor to an Iraqi army brigade helping them set up their logistics systems.
"The thing I learned most the year in Iraq is how critical a public education is. I can tell you after being a year in Iraq and working with people who are largely uneducated ... that having that public education is imperative to being successful," Binda said.

For his efforts there, Binda was awarded the Bronze Star, presented by then Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen, now serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Now, as the clock winds down toward Binda's 30-year mark and mandatory retirement, the self-described workaholic said he hopes to do one more sea tour. He still gets up at 5 a.m. and runs every morning, "passing kids half my age," and gives no real thought to what he will do when he retires, Binda said. For now, he said, he is happy serving sailors in the Navy until his last day.

"I'm going to be the guy in the cartoon where I've got a parachute on my back, and Uncle Sam's got his foot on my chest, and I'm hanging out of the plane with my fingers and my toes gripping onto the edge of the plane, and I'm saying, 'I'm not ready to go yet.' Because I'm still having fun," Binda said.

Why We Serve: Army Sergeant Brings Positive Message to Public

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 9, 2007 - Serving in the military was something Jose Munoz always wanted to do, but it wasn't until after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that he was spurred to enlist and fulfill that dream. Munoz, now a sergeant with five and a half years in the Army, said a lack of maturity stopped him from following through on his plan to join the Army after high school in 1999. However, when the Sept. 11 attacks happened, "I said to myself, 'Well, I can do this now,'" he said.

Munoz, who is originally from Mexico but moved to Texas when he was 10, is stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., and has deployed to Iraq twice. On his most recent deployment, he escorted and supplied security to logistics convoys. Although the convoys were hit several times by improvised explosive devices, his unit was able to cover nearly a million miles in the middle and southern portion of Iraq.

Munoz is one of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

Munoz participated in his first Why We Serve speaking engagement Oct. 25 in Pittsburgh. He said it was a positive experience and the audience had a lot of questions. "It's pretty much just going out there and sharing with them my experiences overseas and my experience here," Munoz said of the program. "I'm not trying to recruit (anyone); that's not part of this. I just go out there and share my experience."

The American people don't often see positive stories about the war on terror or the military in the media, Munoz said, so his goal is to let people see a different angle of the military and those who serve.

In May, Munoz received his United States citizenship. While he said it was a big event for him, it didn't constitute a big change. "Since I joined the military, I always felt like I was part of the U.S.," he said.

Why We Serve began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Munoz and the other nine servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.

Why We Serve: Army Captain Cites Communication for Iraq Success

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 2, 2007 - An Army officer who commanded an infantry company in Iraq says enhanced communication with local Iraqis increased civic cooperation and boosted stability within his area of operations. Capt. Cedric L. Burden, 32, deployed to Iraq in September 2005 for a one-year tour of duty. Burden's unit was responsible for conducting security operations in an area about 18 miles west of Kirkuk.

"It was more like Dodge City," Burden said of the situation when he arrived in Iraq, comparing his area of operations to the wild Kansas frontier town of America's Old West.

Burden said he quickly realized that mission success would be predicated on gaining the respect and trust of the Iraqi citizens he and his soldiers were pledged to protect. The captain directed his troops to get out of their vehicles during patrols and walk among and communicate with local residents.

"It showed that we're here for security, but we didn't want to 'bully' them off their own streets," he explained.

Getting to know the Iraqi people was a turning point, Burden recalled. "We went from people not even speaking to us, to having Iraqis knowing our names," he said.

As relations improved, more Iraqis came forward with information that was used to disrupt insurgent operations, and instances of violence decreased, the Gary, Ind.-born officer said.

Burden is among a group of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

Why We Serve began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Burden and the other nine servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.

Burden, who wanted to be a soldier since he was a young child, also wants to tell speaking-tour audiences about the importance of supporting U.S. servicemembers. "It's important to support soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen," Burden said. "Freedom isn't free, and someone has to do hard things during hard times."

There "is no greater honor" than to serve your country in its time of need, the captain said.

Military service is "a noble thing to do, because it is being selfless," Burden said.

Patriotism Prompts Nurse to Rejoin the Air Force

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 26, 2007 - A sense of duty and patriotism caused a specialist in women's health care to rejoin the Air Force at age 42. Maj. Marcia A. Potter, now 46, enlisted in the Air Force in 1980 after graduating from high school in Clayton, Ohio. After serving a four-year hitch, Potter left the military to pursue her education. She would earn a master's degree in nursing and become a family nurse practitioner.

Today, the married mother of three is back in the Air Force, wearing an officer's gold oak leaf insignia with an Iraq duty tour under her belt.

About a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Potter was living in Indiana when she heard the military was looking for doctors, nurses and other experienced health care providers.

"I thought: 'That's where I need to be,'" Potter recalled.

After discussing matters with her family, Potter rejoined the Air Force in 2003, receiving a commission for her professional medical expertise.

Potter is among a group of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

Why We Serve began last fall and was originally the idea of then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Potter and the other nine servicemembers in her group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.

In January 2007, Potter deployed to Iraq, where she worked out of Balad Air Base until her return to the states this May.

"I was the sole family nurse practitioner in Iraq providing women's health services," Potter said, noting she also treated male servicemembers and Iraqi citizens.

Servicemembers can become dehydrated in arid climates like Iraq if they don't increase their fluid intake, Potter pointed out. Electrolyte-rich beverages are good to drink in desert areas, she said, while the intake of dehydrating drinks such as sodas and coffee should be limited or avoided.

"I think the services are attuned to providing for the overall health needs of their troops," Potter said.

While at Balad, the major volunteered her off-duty time to treat local Iraqis injured in terrorist attacks.

"I got to know a lot of the patients," Potter said, noting the Iraqis soon became open and engaging with her despite differences in language and culture.

"There's not a whole lot of difference between people in terms of what they desire for themselves and their family," Potter pointed out.

The Why We Serve program "is a fantastic program" that enables servicemembers to tell their stories directly to the public, Potter said.

"I want the American people not to walk in my combat boots, but to follow in the footsteps of the people whose lives touched mine" in Iraq, she explained.

Why We Serve: Sailor Swaps 'Sea Legs' for Afghanistan Duty

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 19, 2007 - Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sivenson Guerrier exchanged his "sea legs" and became a "landlubber" during a yearlong duty tour in Afghanistan when he volunteered to participate in a pilot program that provided ground-operations training to sailors. Guerrier underwent three months of Army training at Fort Bragg, N.C., before deploying to Afghanistan in April 2006 to join a provincial reconstruction team operating in the northeastern part of the country.

"Sailors and airmen are out there, too, in Iraq and Afghanistan, on the ground," Guerrier pointed out.

The sailor is no stranger to the sea, as he hails from the island-nation of Haiti. The Port-au-Prince-born servicemember returned to the United States from Afghanistan in April.

Guerrier is among 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

Why We Serve began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Guerrier and the other servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.

The Why We Serve program is important, Guerrier said, because it enables servicemembers to tell the American public about their experiences in the war against global terrorism.

Guerrier said his PRT worked in Kunar province, where it built schools, roads and hospitals. His job was to keep the trucks, generators and other equipment in top condition.

Army training he received included weapons instruction, and it came in handy in Afghanistan, where he often travelled across dangerous territory to repair or recover vehicles that had broken down, Guerrier said.

Duty in Afghanistan also was personally satisfying, Guerrier pointed out, noting that Afghans living in remote villages were especially appreciative when PRT medics attended to their sick children.

"We are doing awesome work there and are helping out the people tremendously," Guerrier said of his tour in Afghanistan.

Being in the Navy is never boring, Guerrier said, noting he also has served as a security specialist and a military linguist specializing in Creole, the native language of most Haitian residents.

"Where else can you go to experience all those different types of jobs and travel around the world?" Guerrier asked.

Why We Serve: Combat Medic Saves Lives Using New Evacuation System

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 12, 2007 - A veteran Air Force combat medic helped to transform the way wounded troops are treated and evacuated during a recent deployment to Afghanistan. Tech Sgt. Mark A. DeCorte recalled the previous practice when unarmed battlefield medics were flown in to treat and evacuate injured servicemembers usually after an area had been cleared of the enemy.

However, DeCorte emphasized, "When you have a wounded soldier on the ground, they need help now."

DeCorte is among a group of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veteran's and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

Why We Serve began last fall and was originally the idea of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. DeCorte and the other nine servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.

"I think the program is awesome," DeCorte said, noting that Americans need to hear the success stories and sacrifices of U.S. servicemembers deployed overseas in the war against terrorism.

The concept of treating and evacuating injured servicemembers during the din of battle was tested during DeCorte's tour of duty in Afghanistan from February to June 2006, the 13-year military veteran said.

The Army had requested Air Force assistance to improve its air-ambulance capabilities in Afghanistan's austere, mountainous terrain, DeCorte explained.

Previous doctrine was to send in medical-evacuation helicopters after the fighting had stopped, he noted, but this practice meant that some troops wouldn't survive the trip to the hospital. That procedure would change.

In Afghanistan, DeCorte was one of several military medics embedded with aerial combat-support units. Instead of using traditional rotary- or fixed-wing aircraft marked with red crosses, the new wave combat medics carried arms as they flew directly into the maelstrom aboard armored helicopter gunships.

The idea, DeCorte explained, was to treat the wounded as quickly as possible. And, when the concept was tested on the battlefield, it contributed to achieving a previously unimagined wounded-survivability rate of 90 percent, he said.

"We can now go in embedded (with combat units) and part of the operation," DeCorte said.

And instead of the famous but fragile UH-1 "Huey" helicopters that were used to evacuate wounded U.S. troops during the Vietnam War, DeCorte and his fellow medics today fly into action aboard HH-60-G Pave Hawk helicopters, the same aircraft favored by U.S. Special Operations troops.

"What that led to is a brand-new capability," DeCorte pointed out, noting that the Pave Hawks' specialized equipment enables nighttime, as well as daytime, medical evacuations.

"We can come in with weapons," DeCorte said. "We can actually get the wounded as they're being wounded."

A servicemember's odds of surviving battlefield-inflicted wounds go way up if he or she can be evacuated to a treatment center within an hour of being injured, DeCorte pointed out. In medical parlance that period of time is known as "the golden hour," he said.

"If I can get you to surgery within an hour you most likely have a chance to survive," DeCorte said.

The Minot, N.D.-born noncommissioned officer saved 36 lives during his 63 combat sorties in southern Afghanistan. "It's very bad in that area," DeCorte observed, adding that two of his fellow combat medics on other air-evacuation flights saved another 102 lives between them.

When not saving lives, the air-ambulance crews also performed aerial resupply and other support missions not traditionally performed by combat medics, DeCorte said.

DeCorte's wife, Lorretta, also is an Air Force medic. Although family life can sometimes get hectic with four children and military deployments, DeCorte said he's in the military for the long haul.

"I don't want to sit in the rear. I need to put my uniform on and get there in the fight and bring those soldiers home," he concluded.

Outreach Program Puts Human Face on Military Service

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 4, 2007 - Sharing military experiences with the American public injects a human element into events often conveyed through the cold glare of television's nightly news, a group of well-spoken servicemembers said here Oct. 2. "The numbers that you hear on TV of soldiers dying, the numbers that you hear that we're going to bring 30,000 (troops) home, ... I just put a face to those numbers, and we all do," Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery Duncan told American Forces Press Service.

Duncan, a 40-year-old senior aircraft maintenance supervisor with 21 years of service, completed a five-month deployment to the Middle East in May. He's one of a group of eight military members who've completed a week-long nationwide speaking tour featuring 20-30 engagements as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.

Audiences at his speaking engagements love the military, Duncan observed, noting he told listeners how much he enjoys the camaraderie inherent across the armed forces. "We are one team, and that's what we do," Duncan emphasized, adding that his speaking tour was an awesome experience.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace started the Why We Serve program in the fall of 2006. Duncan's group constituted the fourth iteration of the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Why We Serve duty tours are about 90 days. Participants are selected by their individual services and talk to schools, veterans organizations and business groups.

Why We Serve program director Marine Maj. Chris Devine praised Duncan and his fellow speakers in the fourth group for their professionalism and energy.

"They have the high bar for others to knock off," Devine said. "I think they've done extremely well, not only in their venues, but representing their services, as well."

The previous eight-member groups were comprised of two selectees from each military service, Devine noted. However, the next, fifth group will feature 10 speakers, he said.

The Why We Serve program has matured, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Dorrance Smith has decided to "take it to the next level," Devine explained.

"What this program is doing is helping us win the 'war on narratives,' especially in the mainstream media," Devine noted. The program, he added, offers a different perspective about the war on terrorism, from the viewpoints of military members who've served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the Horn of Africa.

Another Why We Serve member in Duncan's group, Marine 1st Lt. David Bradt, served two tours in Iraq. The 26-year-old combat engineer said he enjoyed telling people about his Iraq experiences.

Bradt noted his experiences in Iraq were varied, from "full-scale infantry missions to cache sweeps to more of a support role."

The Marine said he was emotionally moved when people thanked him for his military service during his speaking tour. "Almost at every single venue a number of people would come up and thank you," Bradt recalled. "We don't need gifts; we don't need medals. Just come up and say, 'Thank you.'"

Bradt said he is impressed with the Why We Serve program. "They should fund as many of these (speaking tours) as they can possibly afford," he urged.

Meeting one-on-one with the American public helps to combat misperceptions about the U.S. effort in Iraq, he said. "It's a new fight. It's a very, very powerful information war," Bradt explained.

Another Why We Serve speaker, Air Force Master Sgt. Howard Watkins, accompanied supply convoys from Kuwait into Iraq during his overseas tour of duty from March to December 2006.

Many people he met during his speaking tour stops weren't aware of the fact that that the Air Force is doing convoys for the Army and has been for the last three or four years, Watkins observed.

He called the Why We Serve program a worthy endeavor . "The best thing that I have gotten from the program was seeing that there are still people out there that have the same ideals and beliefs that I have," Watkins said. "There's so much negative media."

Navy Lt. Judith Lemley served a seven-month tour in Afghanistan before she embarked on her speaking tour. Lemley said she relished urging veterans groups members to keep supporting servicemembers. "It's so much easier for us to focus on our jobs knowing that so many of these people back home" are working to take care of the nation's military veterans, she said.

Lemley said she also told audiences that the military is truly an equal-opportunity employer. "I've never been held back because I'm a female," she said. "I've been given the same opportunities as everyone else."

Lemley, who traveled across Afghanistan to train the country's soldiers, described the often dangerous, gritty conditions she'd experienced to her audiences.

Despite the arduous conditions in Afghanistan, Lemley told her speaking-tour audiences that she didn't complain. "Because I do what I love," she said.

Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado recalled telling audiences about his wartime experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. "I could tell I was having an impact on them," Alvarado, a combat engineer, observed.

Asked if he'd volunteer for another hitch in the Why We Serve program, Alvarado replied: "I'd do it in a heart beat."

Other members of the fourth group of Why We Serve speaking-tour participants are: Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremy de Vries, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb Duke, and; Army Sgt. 1st Class Steven Adams, who had to leave the program due to a family issue.

New Sailor Finds Focus, Direction in Joining Military

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 16, 2007 - Members of Scott Harpley's Ringgold High School graduation class in northern Georgia probably wouldn't recognize the driven young sailor squeezed into seat 51F on an airplane yesterday headed here to his first duty assignment. At age 22, U.S. Navy Fireman Apprentice Harpley is much more – and in some cases, much less – of a man than the one who took more than four years to finish high school because he so often simply didn't show up.

"I was bored," said Harpley of his high school days. He said he spent a lot more time in front of the TV than in the classroom, and packed on so much weight the military wouldn't consider taking him.

After high school, Harpley bounced from one job to another, dishing up fast food, working retail, stocking warehouse shelves and even driving cross-country selling magazines. Nothing kept his interest for long.

But yesterday, as he prepared to begin his first military assignment, as a weapons mechanic aboard the Navy submarine USS Pasadena, Harpley said he thinks he's finally something he'll be able to stick with for the next 20 years.

Harpley dropped 170 pounds over a year-and-a-half to join the Navy. He started by eating just a single granola bar each day but started to get sick. So he reverted to a regime of healthy eating and demanding workouts while pulling 10-to-14-hour workdays in construction.

"I'm a lot more active now," said Harpley, whose 6-foot-2-inch frame now carries 212 pounds, about half its former bulk.

Since enlisting into the Navy submarine force in January, Harpley's performance has demonstrated a dramatic turnaround, too. He's excelled at everything he's done. He was the top graduate in his boot camp class at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Ill., then earned the Number 2 spots in both his basic mechanic and "A" schools.

His class standings earned him the chance to choose a coveted first assignment aboard a sub homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Already, when his Honolulu-bound plane had barely left the U.S. mainland, Harpley was setting his sights on what he wants to accomplish when he arrives. The first order of business, he said, will be to earn the submarine warfare pin that means he's a fully qualified submariner.

Although the qualification process typically takes about nine months, Harpley's committed to finishing it in six months, max. "It's another step in my training. I know I can do it if I set my sights on it," he said. "I'm quick."

Not yet with his unit, Harpley said he has "no idea" when he and his crewmates will deploy together. He said he's ready to go and anxious to see as much of he world as the Navy can show him.

"I'm looking forward to going and doing my job and do the things I've been training for months to learn how to do," he said.

"I'm going to give them the hard work they want, and they're going to do a lot of things for me too," he said. He rattled off the long list of benefits that will come with his service: medical and dental care and educational benefits, among them.

"I'm going to go as far as I can until I retire or they kick me out," he said with a smile. "I'm ready to go."

Why We Serve: Air Force NCO Shares His View on Service

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 31, 2007 - A 17-year Air Force veteran who led vehicles more than 20,000 miles across Kuwait and Iraq during 18 missions -- rolling over streets often flanked with armed insurgents and littered with roadside bombs -- is sharing the message of his service with the American people. Tech. Sgt. Howard L. Watkins served as a convoy commander with the 70th Medium Truck Detachment based at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Through the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" speakers program, he carries the lessons of his military experience and shares them with the American public at speaking events across the country.

One night, a 155 mm homemade artillery round strapped to a propane tank detonated next to a civilian truck attached to Watkins' convoy. "That truck was completely engulfed in flames in 20 seconds," he recalled.

Watkins ran to the burning truck to rescue victims inside. He and a fellow airman found the truck driver, who suffered wounds to his head and torso in the blast, and moved him away from the truck. Mindful that his team was vulnerable to ambush while standing still, Watkins got the convoy moving again, calling for medical assistance for the injured driver on the radio while coordinating the vehicles to drive toward safety.

"One of the great things about my job when I deploy as a convoy commander is that I have a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment in what I do," he said. "When you go on deployment like this most recent one, you develop an immensely strong bond with the people that you're working with. You really are dependent on these people for your life."

The story of Watkins' first step into service begins like many others. His small hometown -- Seligman, Mo., which boasts a population under 1,000 -- presented few job opportunities. As a high school senior, Watkins' ambition stretched as far as graduation, but not much further. He lacked direction, he said.

"About a quarter of the way through my senior year, I knew I wanted to get out of the area. The military seemed like the best way to go," said Watkins, who decided to enlist in the Army and follow the footsteps of his father, who served in the 101st Airborne Division during the World War II.

"But when I went to the recruiting station in Joplin, Mo., of course they've got all the different branches of service next to each other," he said. "I got there right around lunch time, and both the Air Force and Army recruiter were going to eat at the same time.

"The Army recruiter just sort of looked at me and passed me by, whereas the Air Force recruiter was the one that actually stopped and talked to me," Watkins said. "I remember his name and everything. It was Tech. Sergeant Fitzner."

The decision to join the Air Force has worked out for Watkins. He was named Air Combat Command's transportation noncommissioned officer of the year for 2006. He has earned the Bronze Star Medal, three Air Force Commendation Medals and three Air Force Achievement Medals.

"I believe that everything happens for a reason," Watkins said about his decision to join the Air Force. "I was probably an easier sell to the Army recruiter," he joked, "if he hadn't been quite as hungry that day."

Watkins is one of eight servicemembers who have served overseas in the war on terrorism who are traveling throughout the United States to speak to community groups and businesses in the "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

The program was initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and began in the fall of 2006. Eight servicemembers, two from each branch of the military, are chosen to participate in the program each quarter.

Why We Serve: Afghans, Iraqis Appreciate Troops' Efforts, NCO Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 17, 2007 - Most Afghans and Iraqis appreciate the efforts of U.S. troops deployed in their countries because they know the servicemembers are helping them obtain a better future, a veteran Army noncommissioned officer said. "They're glad to see you. You know you've made a difference and an impact," Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado, 36, said of the attitudes of Afghans and Iraqis he met during back-to-back tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Alvarado is one of eight servicemembers who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to speak to American community groups and businesses across the nation as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.

"I love it. It's absolutely great," Alvarado said of the Why We Serve program. Some citizens seem misinformed about life in today's U.S. military, he said. For example, some people believe most soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are billeted outside and sleep on the ground.

"They were under the impression that a lot of soldiers were living in the dirt and that living conditions were terrible," Alvarado observed. Rather, he said, most soldiers live in tents that are air-conditioned or heated, as appropriate.

To back up his assertion that Afghan and Iraqi citizens appreciate U.S. troops' efforts, the Vineland, N.J., native cited his most-recent overseas service last year in Afghanistan, when his unit was warmly welcomed back by a group of Afghans whose village had been harassed by the Taliban after the Americans departed on another mission.

Alvarado said his unit got word of the villagers' plight and returned to take care of the Taliban.

The Afghans "were so happy and glad to see us, because they'd been afraid to go outside their own little village," Alvarado, an engineering equipment mechanic, said.

Alvarado said he believes U.S. troops must confront terrorists operating in Afghanistan and Iraq to thwart them from attacking the United States again.

"We're needed there. The moment we decide to pack up and go, we're going to be chasing this thing again, if not this year, then the following year," he asserted.

Alvarado joined the Army in 1995 after graduating from high school. Today, the veteran mechanic can repair a variety of military equipment, including bulldozers, earth scrapers, graders and even Abrams tanks, he said. However, he now wants to put his Spanish-language proficiency to use as an intelligence analyst.

"I want to do something fresh and challenging," said Alvarado, who is of Puerto Rican descent.

Being a soldier is personally rewarding and unlike any other occupation, Alvarado said.

"I stay, because I feel I'm making a difference," he said.

Marine Acts on Determination to Share His Story

By Meghan Vittrup
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 3, 2007 - A Marine combat engineer who has served in Iraq is determined to help Americans understand the situation there as servicemembers see it. Second Lt. David Bradt said he "became a Marine to serve something greater than myself." "I joined to fight for this country and to lead Marines in combat, which I have done," he said in a recent interview. "I want to know that those whom I love sleep safely at night because of what I and the rest of the Marines do. There is no greater honor than being a U.S. Marine and fighting for your country."

Since October 2005, Bradt has been deployed to Iraq twice. His company worked to discover and destroy weapons caches.

"We completed numerous different kinds of missions, most often being weapons-cache sweeps," the combat engineer said. "The unit I was with discovered and subsequently destroyed thousands and thousands of pounds of explosives, ensuring they could not be used against coalition forces."

Destroying the weapons caches helped prevent insurgents from creating more improvised explosive devices and helped further secure the Iraqi people, as well as fellow Marines and coalition forces.

Bradt is one of eight servicemembers who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to speak to American community groups and businesses across the nation as a part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.

The Why We Serve program was the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The program began in the fall of 2006. Eight servicemembers, two from each service, are chosen to participate in the program quarterly.

"It is my turn to sort of fight a new fight," Bradt said, "to tell my story and tell the story of my Marines who couldn't be here."

Bradt said he is excited to meet and talk to new people and about sharing his experiences to describe of the realities of war.

He feels that Americans cannot truly understand the situation in Iraq if they only pay attention to the news. He said he wants to use personal experiences to broaden people's views of the war in Iraq.

"This is what is known as (the) fourth dimension (of) warfare, and the enemy attacks popular support for the war at home," Bradt said. "We need to be the ones that are fighting that fight and fighting the negative broadcasting that we are inundated with so much during the day, all day by telling our own story and showing that there are so many positive things that are happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The only reason why people don't know about it is because they aren't told," he added. "It seems like nobody will tell them, but I will."

Why We Serve: Navy Lieutenant Promotes Volunteerism

By Meghan Vittrup
American Forces Press Service

July 26, 2007 - Growing up in Mobile, Ala., Judith L. Lemley never imagined being in the military. But after graduating with a bachelor's degree in secondary education, Lemley was inspired to follow in the footsteps of her father and enlisted in the Navy. "My father was proud of his time in the military, and he spoke highly of it," Lemley, now a Navy lieutenant, said.

Lemley enlisted 15 years ago and received her officer commission after completing the Limited Duty Officer Program.

Lemley has deployed four times on ships in the Persian Gulf and recently returned from a seven-month tour to Afghanistan, where she helped train Afghan National Army soldiers to use and maintain field radios.

The Afghan soldiers' training also incorporated cryptography to secure communications. It also established automatic link systems so soldiers could communicate without having to change wavelengths throughout the day.

After taking initiative and looking over program cost projections, Lemley was able to carve out $240 million, saving 41 percent over initial projections, when she realized things were being purchased haphazardly.

"I came in and said, 'Nope, I'm going to take this over," Lemley said. "And I carved it out, and I said, 'You know what? This is what we are going to do. We are not going to buy all this excess; we are going to trim the fat and make it happen.' And that's what we did; we stayed focused. What you save in one area someone can always use in another."

Lemley is one of eight servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa selected to share their individual stories to Americans across the country through the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

The "Why We Serve" program was initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The program began in fall of 2006. Groups that comprise two military servicemembers from each branch are selected to participate in the program for about 90 days.

"My experience will only help other people grow and stir interest to support the troops, and that's what it's about," Lemley said.

Holding a leadership position in the military, where women only make up a small percentage, can be a challenge. But training Afghan soldiers in a country where women and men are not treated equally can be intimidating, she said.

"The part I find fulfilling is that I did have to meet with (Afghan National Army) generals and colonels on an almost daily basis, and I was the one who kept the key to the kingdom because I fielded all communication equipment," Lemley said. "They found out early on that they couldn't yell at me and order me around. But as a woman, I learned all you have to do is stand your ground and be logical. Women do have value and can make sound decisions."

Lemley said she wants Americans to know that job satisfaction and challenging work are key components of success. "Job satisfaction is the most critical thing," she said. "Respect yourself, and others will respect you."

Lemley also said she wants people to understand the importance of volunteerism and of supporting the troops.

"I want Americans to know that the servicemembers are trying to do as we've been directed, and we really need their support," Lemley said. "Whether they agree with the war or not, we are Americans trying to protect their safety and security in the United States, and we would greatly appreciate their support."

Why We Serve: Soldier's Volunteer Spirit Carries into Army Life

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2007 – When Matt Olson was growing up in Grantsburg, Wis., he never thought that by the time he was in his mid-20s he would have traveled to France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Austria. He never fathomed that he would one day be affecting the growth of a fledgling democracy on the other side of the world. And he certainly never would have guessed that his new-found job skills would ensure that thousands of U.S. troops would safely cross hundreds of miles in dangerous deserts.

But that's what has happened since Olson enlisted in the Army eight years ago.

"I didn't know what I was going to do when I grew up," Olson said. "I wasn't a mechanic before I came into the Army, but I got my hands on things and got dirty. I loved it; I always feel like I'd accomplished something."

Now a staff sergeant, Olson has two deployments to Iraq under his belt. His most recent one was to Qayyarah, where he managed the maintenance of his unit's vehicles and was in charge of soldiers manning a combat logistics patrol readiness center.

He and his troops supported more than 2,200 vehicle convoys and found more than 300 faults that prevented vehicles from breaking down while traveling a 400-mile stretch of sandy road from Kuwait to Iraq. Each convoy could have as many as 30 trucks and could stretch for two miles.

"It felt really good to know that those trucks weren't going to break down while on the road; it was really dangerous to be stopped out there," Olson said, quickly giving credit for the unit's success to his soldiers. "They did a lot of hard work to make our mission a success."

As part of the Defense Department's quarterly "Why We Serve" public outreach program, Olson and eight other servicemembers are visiting communities throughout the United States to share about their experiences in the military.

"This assignment is going be fun," he said. "I just wish that my soldiers were going to beside me; there's more to the story than is heard on the news."

Olson said he has maintained the senses of teamwork and volunteerism he developed while growing up and has applied them into his Army experiences.

Growing up on a farm, Olson was active in organizations such as his 4-H Club. Through the club, he volunteered at nursing homes and with other local organizations.

"My parents did a great job of raising me and my sister and brother," he said. "They expected the best out of us, and that carried over to my professional career."

Calling it one of his most fulfilling experiences, Olson volunteered with 15 fellow soldiers to clean up a local Veterans of Foreign Wars post while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.

"Everyone really appreciated what we did," he said. "It was cool to see the heritage of military service and to interact with the veterans."

The staff sergeant continued his goodwill efforts by helping to coordinate and conduct convoys to deliver school supplies to Iraqi children while he was deployed to the country.

"I feel that's why we're there - to help," he said. "If I know I did something personally to help somebody out, then I feel like I've accomplished something significant."

"I'm just a mechanic turning wrenches," he said, "but I helped get the Iraqi people out to vote in their elections, ... and that means something to me."

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Why We Serve: Air Force Sergeant Dedicates Afghan Work to Fallen Comrades

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

May 4, 2007 – An Air Force construction specialist who served with a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan last year has dedicated his humanitarian work there to two fallen comrades. Tech. Sgt. Robert P. Jubie, a 35-year-old carpenter who also has served in Iraq, recalled helping Afghans improve their lives through the construction of government buildings, homes, schools and roads during his PRT duty in Laghman province from June to December 2006.

The PRT's work in Afghanistan was often dangerous, Jubie said, citing the death of two soldiers, both of whom were his friends. They were killed in Kabul on Sept. 8, 2006, by a suicide-bent driver who detonated his vehicle's 300-pound load of high explosives.

"That really drove home to me to a great desire to continue the mission," Jubie, an Arlington, Wash., native said. "Unfortunately, their lives were ended short, but their legacy lives on through the PRTs."

Jubie is among a group of eight servicemembers with duty experience in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa selected to tell their stories to the American people at community, business, veterans and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

The "Why We Serve" program, initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began last fall, noted Air Force Maj. Ann N. Biggers, the program's director. Eight military members, two from each service, are selected to participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments, she explained.

"We know that the American public is hungry to hear about what these young men and women have been doing," Biggers said. "It's important for our speakers, as well, because they are out there serving their country, and they want to be able to tell their stories."

Jubie, who said he is an intensely patriotic person, joined the Air Force through the delayed enlistment program after graduating from Arlington High School in 1991. He'd already studied carpentry during two years at a local vocational-tech school.

Today, Jubie wears a black metal bracelet bearing the name of one of his two fallen friends. He said he never takes off his remembrance bracelet.

Afghanistan is a battered country that desperately wants to emerge from a centuries-old cycle of poverty and violence, Jubie said. The tribal folk that inhabit Afghanistan's outlands in the Hindu Kush Mountains are good-hearted, kind and mostly ignorant of the modern world, he said.

Education is a precious and valued commodity in Afghanistan, Jubie said. The radical Taliban, he said, conspire with like-minded local religious leaders to take advantage of the average Afghan's non-worldliness.

"They're a great and beautiful people," Jubie said of the Afghans.

However, because of illiteracy plaguing the country, most Afghans "don't really know if what's being preached in the mosques is true or not."

That's one of the reasons why it's so important that the Afghan people obtain increased opportunities for education and access to a higher standard of living, he said. The Afghans are especially appreciative of the PRT projects that build new schools for their children.

"That's why the Taliban fights us to this day," Jubie pointed out, noting that the terrorists want the Afghans to live in perpetual ignorance and poverty.

Afghans who are educated, forward-looking and focused on improving their lives would automatically reject the Taliban's dark, medieval philosophy, he said.

Education represents "the voice of democracy and freedom," Jubie said, as well as a path to a better life. These are opportunities that the Afghans long for, he said.

"And, we're providing that," Jubie said.

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Why We Serve: Marine Sergeant Applies Childhood Experiences to Military Career

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

April 25, 2007 – A childhood dream became reality when a missionary couple's daughter joined the U.S. Marine Corps four years ago. “I fell in love with the thought of being a Marine when I was 14 years old," Sgt. Paula Payne said.

Payne is one of eight servicemembers selected by the Defense Department to participate in the "Why We Serve" outreach program to share their personal experiences with the American public. Program participants are traveling throughout the nation to speak to veterans organizations, schools and business groups.

The 23-year-old, who lived outside of the United States for the first 15 years of her life, said she realized at a young age that she needed to find a way to pay for her secondary education.

"Being missionaries, my parents didn't make a lot of money," Payne said. "Since going to college was important to me, I knew I had to find a way to pay for it."

After talking to her father about several options and doing a lot of research, Payne said, the natural choice for her was to join the Marine Corps to pay for schooling down the road; so she signed up for the Delayed Entry Program while still in high school.

Within seven months of being assigned to the 1st Marine Division, at Camp Pendleton, Calif., she deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraq Freedom.

While deployed, Payne was one of the first female Marines to man checkpoints in Operation Lioness. Up until that point, Iraqi women were passing through checkpoints without being searched due to cultural sensitivities. Payne said some were being used as "mules" to traffic drugs and weapons.

"The experience was great," the radio operator said. "That's when I realized being able to have contact with another culture was really awesome."

She said she was surprised that many of the Iraqis coming through the checkpoints seem to love Americans. "They let their kids out (of the cars) to come and see us," Payne said. "The kids always wanted to be held, and mothers wanted us to kiss their babies."

Payne said she was also surprised at how giving many of the Iraqis are. "They were always giving us fruit, baklava and candy," she said.

Mission work and military service may seem to be opposite ends of the spectrum, but Payne said they have much in common.

"My childhood up-bringing and the Marine Corps go hand-in-hand," she said. "Being a missionary kid and pastor's daughter, I was taught to care about others, be humble and self-sacrificing."

Payne said those are principles that play a large role in being a Marine.

Marines take care of their fellow troops, they care for the people they are trying to protect, and they are willing to lay down their lives for their country, she said.

"A lot of the values and morals I learned as a child really have carried over to the Marine Corps," Payne said. "I've been able to apply my childhood experience to my current job."

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Why We Serve: Marine Says Iraqis Appreciate U.S. Military

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

April 18, 2007 – A Marine who served two tours in Iraq, and is now speaking in American communities about his experiences, said that today's Iraqi Army soldiers prefer their current system to life in Saddam Hussein's military. "It wasn't the same structure that we have," Marine 1st Lt. Matthew H. Hilton, 28, said of the old Iraqi military. Hilton served as the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance company advisor to the 7th Iraqi Army Division, among other duties, during his tours in Iraq.

In the old Iraqi army, soldiers, NCOs and officers were treated as servants and were often forced to perform degrading tasks for superiors, Hilton noted. It's therefore understandable, he said, that today's Iraqi troops favor the American military's more democratic system.

Hilton is among a group of eight servicemembers possessing duty experience in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell their stories to the American people at community, business, veterans' and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

The "Why We Serve" program, initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began last fall, noted Air Force Maj. Ann N. Biggers, the program's director. Eight military members, two from each service, are selected to participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments, she explained.

"We know that the American public is hungry to hear about what these young men and women have been doing," Biggers said. "It's important for our speakers, as well, because they are out there serving their country and they want to be able to tell their stories."

Military service is a Hilton family tradition, the Fairfax, Va., native said. After graduating from George Mason University, also in Fairfax, in 2002, Hilton obtained his commission through the Marine Corps Officers' Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. Hilton is now assigned to Camp Pendleton, Calif.

In Iraq, Hilton taught basic combat patrol techniques and other military skills to Iraqi army officers, noncommissioned officers, and junior enlisted soldiers assigned to the Iraqi army's 7th Division. Many Iraqi servicemembers had prior experience in Saddam's military, he noted, and thereby learned rapidly.

The Iraqis quickly warmed to the U.S. military's egalitarian system, Hilton said, where mutual respect of all servicemembers regardless of rank is employed up and down the chain of command.

"They like the overall camaraderie, trust and confidence" evinced by U.S. servicemembers of all ranks, Hilton said.

The Marine lieutenant performed other duties during his 2004-2005 and 2006 tours in Iraq. He conducted cordon-and-knock and combat patrols alongside Iraqi troops to find weapons caches from Ramadi to al Qaim along the Euphrates River Valley and also trained up a platoon of Iraqi military police.

"They know what they're doing. They're smart people," Hilton said of his Iraqi military counterparts.

The Iraqi army is getting better every day, but it needs to work on its supply and command-and-control systems, Hilton noted.

"The logistical piece to the Iraqi army is the difficult part," he said. "That was one of our main (training) efforts."

Hilton said he was determined to personally "connect" with and learn more about his Iraqi hosts.

"I remembered a lot of their names and I'd stop and talk," Hilton recalled, noting he'd developed good relationships with several Iraqis. An Iraqi battalion commander was so fond of Hilton that he bestowed the young Marine with a friendly nickname.

"The Iraqi people are great people," Hilton said. "They're very hospitable people, and I think the American people don't get a chance to see the warm, inviting culture that they have, that I was able to experience."

For general questions about the "Why We Serve" program, call Maj. Ann Biggers at (703) 695-3845.

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Why We Serve: Army Captain Embraces Life, Military Service

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

April 11, 2007 – Much to her parent's chagrin, when Jessica Murphy was in fourth grade she joined the boy's flag football team. "I was a little 4-foot, 50-pound string bean," she said. "I loved playing, but once I got to the age where the team started tackling, my mom made me quit."

The Milwaukee native said her can-do attitude and tendency to buck stereotypes carried through to her college years when, unbeknownst to her parents, she applied for and was awarded an ROTC scholarship.

After earning a degree in political science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in 2001, Murphy was commissioned into the Army's military police corps.

She said her parents weren't exactly thrilled, but once they saw her successes and experiences within the military they were more than supportive of her decisions.

"I've done things that others don't normally get to do," Murphy said, as she listed her experiences in meeting the secretary of defense, working on military assignments associated with presidential visits, and touring the White House.

Murphy is one of eight servicemembers selected by the Defense Department to join the "Why We Serve" outreach program. Members representing each military branch travel to communities across the nation to relate their personal military experiences through speaking engagements ranging from veterans organizations to schools to business groups.

"I've been able to do so many things in six short years," Murphy said. "It's awesome, and I love it!"

Although meeting such dignitaries has been an honor for her, Murphy said that her most fulfilling assignment has been serving as a platoon leader in the 300th Military Police Company at Fort Riley, Kan.

"Honestly there is no better job on this earth," the captain said.

Within a few months of her arrival to the unit at the end of 2002, the 300th MP Company deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Murphy served as a platoon leader for seven months before moving up to become the company's executive officer for the remainder of the year-long combat tour.

Being in charge of every aspect of her soldiers' lives from training and morale, to job evaluations and personal finances, Murphy said that her soldiers became her family.

"It was almost like I was their parent," she said. "I actually call them my kids and stay in touch with them to this day."

The 27-year-old said that other aspects of military life have fit her very well.

Sports have always played an important part in her life from cross-country running and track when in high school to rock climbing and snow boarding while in college.

"The teamwork found among sports teams came naturally to me," Murphy said. "It's very similar to the military too."

Murphy's enthusiasm and zeal for life is apparent when she begins talking about all the things still on her list of things to try.

"My life is all about experiencing 'things,'" she said with a smile. "Life is too short; there are so many things out there to do, and I don't want to be limited by anything."

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