Being in the Military in a Non-Military Town

From summer 2003 to October 2005, I lived in Pocatello, ID.  Pocatello is a moderate size town, about 60,000 people, maybe 80,000 if you count the contiguous town of Chubbock.  It is certainly not a military town.  The 1-148 Field Artillery Battalion was headquartered there, and that's where I worked.  Counting our little regular Army contingent and the active Guard guys, there were maybe a dozen people in Pocatello who wore "green suits" to work every day.  On drill weekends, the number went up to about 120.

In 2004, Jeni had a sudden onset of appendicitis and had an appendectomy.  She spent a couple of days in the hospital and I spent much of those days with her.  During the time I was at the hospital, I left the dogs, Bob and Belle, outside.  They didn't like that and they made some noise - and some neighbor complained.  One day, during that time, an animal enforcement officer came by and told me there had been a complaint.  I explained the situation and he gave me a warning ticket.

In 2004, the 1-148 mobilized and we (the active guys) went to Ft. Bliss to help them train for their deployment.  While I was gone, Jeni went to Washington for a week to visit her parents and arranged for the wife of one of the guys who was with me to come by and let the dogs go out to potty while she was gone.  Unfortunately, the dog sitter got called to jury duty and she had no choice but to come by and let the dogs out all day.  You can guess what happened.

I got to come home for a week in September 2004, and while I was home another animal control officer came by and said he needed someone to sign for a citation.  I said I'd sign for it.  He said that I would have to go to court.  I said that it better be quick, because I was leaving Saturday (I believe this was Tuesday).  He told me he could schedule me for Thursday, and as a bonus, there was a friendly judge on Thursday.

So Thursday came around.  I'd never been to court, so I wasn't sure what to do or what the procedures were.  I dressed "business casual"; khaki's and collared shirt.  We learned, on the fly, that you go down to the clerks office and tell them what you intent to plea.  If you want to plea innocent, they get you hooked up with a public defender.  If you want to plea guilty, you just sit on the bench until court starts.  I didn't know how else I could plea, so I told them I'd plea guilty.

We went into the courtroom with everyone else and, as it turned out, I was third up.  The guy in front of me (wearing a t-shirt and cut-off shorts), was a truck driver who had passed a weigh station without stopping.  He plead guilty and told the judge how he'd just had a brain fart because the weigh station is usually closed and he just didn't expect to stop.  He went on to say that he immediately pulled over for the pursuit cars and his load was 100% legal.  He also went on to say how he's just a poor truck driver and he couldn't afford to pay a big fine.  The judge told him to calm down, he hadn't ruled yet.  However, court cost is $65 and that is set by the state legislature so he couldn't do anything about that.  The judge was sympathetic and fined the truck driver $5 - total bill $70.  That gave me hope.

When I was called, I approached the bench, and the judge asked me my name and address.  He then said, "you're charged with 'having an unruly animal' (or something to that effect).  The maximum fine for this offense is $200."  Doing the math, I knew that's really $265.  That would definatly not be pleasant, but we could live with it.  He then asked, "How do you plea."  I said, "It's my dog, so guilty."

He asked me if I had any matters for consideration.  I said, "Well your honor, its my dog, but I wasn't even here.  I was at Ft. Bliss and my wife went to Seattle and our dog sitter got called to jury duty, etc.".  The judge replied, "you were at Ft. Bliss?" I said, "yes sir, and I'm going back Saturday."  He asked, "are you in the Guard?"  I said, "No, I'm active duty.  We do training support for the Guard unit here in town."

He then asked me if I knew Private Brower.  I said "PVT Cody Brower?"  He said, "Yes.  How's he doing?"  Now, I didn't personally know Cody Brower.  We had these spreadsheets that listed every soldier in the battery we were responsible for on one axis and every training event they had to complete on the other.  Every day, we had to turn in that spreadsheet with an updated status on every training event completed by every soldier.  Cody was in the unit I was responsible for, so I saw his name every day and I could easily recall his name, just like the other 120 or so soldiers I was responsible for training.

I said something like, "Sir, they're all doing great.  We're all real proud of how well they're doing".  He said, "I didn't ask you how they are all doing, I asked you about PVT Bower.  You see, he's my son and since you do training support, I figure you should know."  If I hadn't already figured out the right response, there was an old guy behind me, who was some officer of the court, wearing a VFW cap, whispering, "he's doing fine, he's doing great".  I said something like, "he's doing great.  He's meeting all training requirements and getting all the training he needs that will help him over there."

We then talked a little about the training they were getting.  He mentioned that Cody had talked about the combat lifesaver training.  I said, "yes sir.  We all pray they won't need it, but if they do, that training will save lives."  He then asked me if I had anything additional to say.  I said no.  He asked if we had arrangements made if Jeni had to leave again while I was away.  I assured him we did.  We'd researched kennels and had a plan to kennel the dogs if it became necessary.

He then pronounced his judgement.  He said, "Well, you're in the Army, so you don't make a lot of money, do you?"  I wasn't about to tell him that a Captain does pretty good, so I just said, "No sir."  He went on, "So I will rule that you are indigent and, therefore, I can waive the court cost.  I fine you $1.  Can you pay today?"  I said yes (of course and with a big smile).  He then told me to go back to Bliss and tell his son, and all the soldiers, that "we all support them and we're praying for them."

After shaking some hands in the courtroom, I went outside to pay my $1 fine.

Now I haven't stationed in an "Army town" since 2003, but I can say with absolute certainty that when I was in Hinesville, GA, circa 1997, a similar case would have cost me $265.  I love the heartland of America!

As an epilogue:  A couple of years ago, I was upgrading my security clearance.  I had to answer a questionnaire that asks everything you can imagine about your life.  One of the questions asks if you've ever been convicted of, or plead guilty to, a crime, even a misdemeanor.  Since I'm still not sure how this might be recorded in the public records, I said yes and provided all the details.  As part of the investigation, you have to sit with an investigator and review all your answers.  We got to that one and she started asking me all kinds of questions about my criminal behavior.  Stuff like "how would you characterize the frequency of your criminal behavior?"  She understood, but said that because I'd answered yes, she had to ask.  Her final question was, "Do you still associate with any of your criminal associates."  I said, "I still own the dog."  She laughed and said she was writing that one down and hoping the folks at HQ had a sense of humor!  I got the clearance.

A Day Out at the "Airplane Museum"

We went to Udvar-Hazy on Saturday with Granny, Granddaddy and the kids.  If you don't know what Udvar-Hazy is, it is the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum annex that is out by Dulles airport.  Its where they keep all the big stuff that won't fit in the building on the National Mall that most folks see and think they've seen the Air and Space Museum.  Its basically two huge hangars in a "T" shape, with an Imax theater and a 620' tall observation tower that over looks the airport thrown in.  Note:  I'm going to mix some pictures from Saturday's visit with some I made earlier, so if you see Flat Kimmy, don't worry, she's safe at home in Alabama. 

The kids had a blast, especially Joseph.  One of the first things they saw was the "Tiger Plane" (their words).  Then Joseph ran down the ramp, as slow as we could get him to go, to the SR-71 that is the centerpiece of the front hanger, or the top of the "T", where all of the terrestrial aviation is.

The "Tiger Plane"

SR-71 up close and personal.

 

Discovery over the shoulder.

The view no Soviet pilot ever saw.

 The museum has a little Cessna 150 inside that they let the kids climb in and handle the controls.  Its educational for older kids because they can work the controls and watch the ailerons, etc., but for Janelle and Joseph, it's just fun.

They got out of the Cessna and Joseph ran off toward "the yellow airplane".  You might notice that he looks pouty in the picture.  That's because we stopped him from climbing over the seat and getting to the plane.  He was a little disappointed that he couldn't touch everything.

If you've never been there, you should put it on your list of places to go the next time you're in DC.  They have a treasure trove of aircraft from the very beginning of modern aviation to today, and cat walks around the hangers that provide a multitude of views.

A Concorde.

In the entry vestibule.

Note the rear facing machinegun.  How would you like to fly that into combat?  Especially since they forbade parachutes back then, since a parachute would only encourage the pilot to abandon his aircraft.

 A Piper Cub, over the wing of a Boeing 707, with the Concorde on the rear left.

If the planes aren't enough, you can always go up in the observation tower and watch the traffic into and out of Dulles airport.

Wide angle view of Dulles.

Can you find our van?  The kids did.

There are two displays which I consider the crown jewels of the museum.  The first is THE Enola Gay, the B29 that dropped the atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II.

This is hard to see, but this is where the Army Airman sat and the bomb sight he used when he pickled the two atomic bombs that ended WW II.

The second crown jewel is the recently added Space Shuttle Discovery.  It is really something to see and I think it is pure genius to display it like it is.  It is not "restored" at all.  It looks just like it did the last time it returned from space.  The previous owner of this display space was the Space Shuttle Enterprise.  I really don't know if the Enterprise was  real or a model.  I'm still confused about that, but the difference is striking.  The Enterprise was a museum piece, the Discovery looks like a bird of war.  Here's a few contrasting pictures:

Enterprise

Discovery

 Here's a few more of the Discovery and her battle scars.

The heat tiles underneath.

It's really sad to know that this wonderful craft probably marks the end of manned spaceflight in our generation.  The other displays at Udvar-Hazy that show the beginning of the space race, when we put men on the moon with vacuum tube technology and no more computing power than a modern pocket calculator makes one wonder why it is too hard to send men to space in 2012.  I guess its a matter of will and leadership.

Our visit ended like any other good day at Udvay-Hazy, with a meal at the highest priced McDonalds in Virginia, but the only one where you can watch airplanes on the base leg to the runway at Dulles.

Finally, just because I couldn't resist this shot (all in good inter service fun), my tribute to the US Air Force.  For the record, the Enola Gay was a US Army Air Corps aircraft.  The Air Force didn't exist until 1954. 

The Great American I Met Today

My day started with me over sleeping.  That's not a huge deal, since my schedule is largely set by me.  However, it did throw off my routine and had me planning to get on the bus at a time I'm not accustomed to.  Just as I went out the door to go down to the street for the bus, it passed by.  Again, no big deal.  I just started walking.  It's only a mile to the Metro station.

Just as I had turned onto the road that runs by the Metro station, a blue Tundra stopped next to me with the window down.  The driver, with a thick accent, said "Metro?".  I wasn't sure if he was asking directions, or my destination, so I asked him to say again.  He said, "Going to Metro?", and I understood the intent of his question, so I said, "yes, thank you", and jumped in. 

That happens from time to time, not too often, but since I'm always walking in uniform it is not a remarkable occurrence.   Once it was a retired Army Officer, who I would guess was a General.  Once it was a young guy in a beat up Volvo who said he was recently back from Iraq with USAID and the Army had ridden him all over Iraq in MRAPs, so he thought he'd repay the favor a little.  Sometimes, I politely decline; usually because I'm almost home.

Back to my ride.  As I got in, I noticed the big Harley Davidson sticker in the back window and there was country music on the radio.  The driver (again, in the thick accent I couldn't exactly place, except European) asked where I was stationed.  I told him the Pentagon.  He told me that he "spends a lot of time at Arlington Cemetery".  He goes on to say that he is a Patriot Guard Rider and they had just ridden for a Marine yesterday and they're riding for an Air Force Captain tomorrow.  I told him that we really appreciate all the Patriot Guard does.  He also told me that his grand-daughter is in the Army at Ft. Sam Houston.  I said, "she must be a medic".  He said that yes, she is.

He was wearing short sleeves and had several visible tattoos.  I noticed one on his forearm that was a design with words around it.  I don't explicitly  remember the design, but I think it was an American flag.  I was focused on reading the words, which said, "French by birth, American by the Grace of God".

How's that for blowing up your preconceptions and stereotypes?  If I'd met the same guy under different circumstances (and recognized the French accent), I'd probably just thought he was another "frog" barely hiding his disdain for America.  However, this guy was a pick-up driving, Harley riding, country music loving, 100% American who is more patriotic (when it comes to walking the talk) than probably 75% of the people who will read this.

Lesson learned:  Great American's come in all shapes, sizes, and accents.  Don't judge a book by the cover.  I was proud to spend a few minutes this morning with my French born American friend.