Military Uniforms at Rochester Schools

By now, if you're reading this, you probably have heard about the Lieutenant Colonel who was turned away at his daughter's school because he was wearing his Army Combat Uniform (ACUs).  I knew when I first saw the story that there was more to it.  That kind of thing just is not characteristic of the people and culture in south eastern Michigan.  The folks here are some of the most patriotic and pro-military people I have seen any where I have served.  

As a aside, the internet has caused a national (if not international) courtroom where too many people and institutions are presumed guilty before all the evidence is presented, by millions of jurors who have no "skin in the game" other than as an observer behind a keyboard.  Maybe we should all slow down just a bit before we share stories on facebook and express our personal scorn at the outrage of the day and wait for all the facts to come to light.  

Anyway, the Superintendent of Rochester City Schools is a former Marine officer.  He sent the following letter to every military organization in the area:

September 11, 2014

Dear Members of the Armed Services Community, 

I know that many of you may have heard through military networks or news outlets about an incident that took place at Adams High School Tuesday morning involving a parent in military uniform who came to school to visit his child.

First, I want to emphasize that the district does not have a policy excluding individuals in uniform and we will be working with the administration and the firm that handles our security to make sure district policies are understood and communicated accurately. Second, I want to assure you that we are investigating the incident and will take disciplinary action if appropriate.

Finally, I want you to know that we have spoken to the parent and have apologized for any perception that individuals in uniform are not welcome in the school. As a former officer of Marines and the Superintendent of an excellent school district, I deeply regret this unfortunate incident. I want to personally assure the entire armed services community, and particularly those who have students in our district, that we respect and honor your service to our country. I have personally spoken to many officers and enlisted men and women to convey this message, and will continue to make sure that respect for the United States of America and those who serve to preserve and protect is one of the core values instilled in our students.

Yours in Service,

Robert Shaner, Ph.D.SuperintendentRochester Community Schools

 I personally think that is pretty classy.  He could have made his case in the press and just waited it out until the storm died down.  However, he chose to explain and apologize to the people who were offended.  He didn't have to do that.  It's not like Rochester schools are a business that one can withhold their business from.  Even if a service member chose to home school or drive his kid out of district due to this incident, his tax dollars would still go to the schools - nothing lost for Rochester schools.  Dr. Shaner did this because he is a Marine and his honor and the honor of his schools matters to him.  That is much more characteristic of south eastern Michigan than the lone, misinformed, ignorant, or just stupid rent-a-cop that caused this uproar.

Ollivander's Wand Shop

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of Universal Studios/Island of Adventure features Ollivander's Wand Shop.  You stand in line to go in and "Ollivander" selects one "student" to select a wand (but we all know the wand selects the wizard, not the other way around).  The little show is similar to the scene in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and the selected student wizard is shuffled off to pay for the wand, if she chooses to take it home.

After that and after looking around the shop, Joseph really, really, wanted a wand.  I gave in.  They had replica wands from each of the characters in the movies, or you could choose your own "interactive" wand that could be used to "make magic" in the Harry Potter areas of Universal.  Joseph and I picked out a wand.  I let him hold it to see if it felt good in his hand.... kind of his own wand fitting.

Just across from Ollivander's is a bakery where the wand will make a snowman dance across a cake.  The kids were crazy excited about Daddy making the snowman move with magic.  They were so excited that a lady called her husband over to watch their reaction the third or fourth time we made it happen.

We made magic (or tried, sometimes we couldn't master the spell) all over the Harry Potter area to the delight of the kids.

That evening, when I was trying to get Joseph to bed, he asked me how the wand works.  I must add here that they have been watching youtube videos of the "Mystery Magician" because they are really interested in how "magic" really happens.  I forget what I told him but he said, "I noticed that there is a thing on the end of the wand that looks like it could be a magnet, and the snowman was metal.  Is that how it made the snowman move?"

I explained to his satisfaction how the wand is like a TV remote control and moving it certain ways made the magic happen, just like the remote makes the channels change and the TV turn on and off.

Maybe I ruined the "magic" for him, but if he's smart enough to think of magnets and metals at barely age 5, I'd rather encourage his critical thinking and scientific exploration instead of making up lies to preserve the "magic".

What's Important to Them

Just for some context, I need to break down how Army Acquisition organizations are laid out, so you understand the players.  I am a Product Manager.  In the operational world, that's equivalent to a Battalion Commander.  My boss (Mr. M) is a civilian (Colonel, retired) and the equivalent to an operational Brigade Commander.  His boss, or my senior rater for evaluation reports, is the Program Executive Officer (PEO). He is the civilian equivalent to a 2-Star General, or a Division Commander.  The Deputy PEO (DPEO) is a 1-Star General, or in our case COL C is a high potential Colonel who very well may be on the next BG list.

Now for the story:  You may or may not know that our organization recently lost a friend and co-worker, Brian, to melanoma.  He was only 49, a retired NCO, and had been with the organization since the very beginning.  When my deputy, Tom (a retired Command Sergeant Major), was just beginning in the organization he worked very closely with Brian and they were good friends.

Brian's funeral was on April 12.  Of course, most of our product office turned out.  Mr. M was out of state, or he would have been there.  COL C was the only person from the entire PEO, other than our folks, who was there.

Fast forward to today.  I was talking to Tom about another issue that COL C is involved in.  I told Tom that I think COL C is a good guy.  He said, "Sir, when COL C came to Brian's funeral, he showed me the kind of man he is. That's all I need to know about him."  After a little conversation, he added, "and I understand Mr. M would have been there if he wasn't out of state, because that's the kind of person he is."  Tom has probably exchanged some pleasantries with COL C at PEO functions, so he really doesn't know him, but when COL C walked into the church for Brian's funeral, that was all Tom needed to know.

Back to a point a day or two before Brian's funeral, I mentioned something Steve (the DPM, Mr. M's deputy) had said. As deputies at adjacent echelons, Tom and Steve talk and work issues almost every day. I don't remember the exact text of Tom's response, but the basic gist is this: "I've got nothing for Steve. Since Brian passed, I haven't gotten one phone call, one e-mail, nothing from Steve about Brian."

Long ago, a wise leader gave me some leadership advice.  He said, "be at the events that are important to them (your subordinates)."  Be at their promotions, retirements, birthdays, etc.  What you think is important is irrelevant.  The things they remember is what is important to them and they will remember that you were there.  The corollary to that is leave early.   You were there, now leave and let them have their moment with family and friends.

I know in my heart of hearts that COL C was not thinking about making a point or endearing himself to our organization. He was there because, as a leader and a good man, he thought that was the place he needed to be.  He didn't know Brian from Adam, but he knew that Brian was part of the PEO family and that our organization was hurting and he needed to be there.  However, he did make a point and he did endear himself to our organization and, as Tom said, he showed himself to be the kind of man he is.  He was there when it mattered to them.  I will never forget his example.

Football and Reality (big rant)

I caught a link to this on facebook tonight.  Go and read it.  You might enjoy it and pat yourself on the back.

Are you Strong Enough to be Our Fan

Frankly, I find this person a weak individual who needs to get a life.

Are you mentally strong enough to endure all of that?  If you knew going in, you could have everything on that first list, but have to deal with everything on that second list, would you do it?  Would it be worth it?  Could you pick yourself up and dust yourself off those 7 times all the while having to defend some of the greatest players to ever play college football for 7…SEVEN…transgressions in 5 seasons?

Really?  Are you mentally strong enough to deal with some trash talk about a college football team?  If that causes you mental anguish, you should not be breathing American air.  If you have to ask yourself that question, you have never buried someone who gave the last full measure for their country.

At the very heart of the matter is the audacity of anyone in this world HAVING to defend a group of 20-year-old kids who get up every morning, most days before any of us, go to the weight room, go to class, go to practice, study, go to bed and do it all, again every day, every single year.  The mere suggestion that any one of those kids has not worked themselves to death, put their bodies on the line, played through injuries, and endured mental anguish from people who neither know them nor have ever met them is ridiculous.   It is ludicrous to have to argue with someone who believes those kids did not deserve the success they have EARNED.  But as a fan, you will have to do just that.  You will have to stand up for them.  You cannot back down.

Yep, you big old fan you, you need to stand up for those kids who get a free college education and a chance at the NFL in exchange for playing a GAME.  A GAME we all play in the backyard on Thanksgiving. 

If our priorities were in the right place, men like this would get the respect and attention that our society gives Heisman trophy winners.  Men like this make that last quote a ridiculous parody: 

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Captain William D. Swenson distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as embedded advisor to the Afghan National Border Police, Task Force Phoenix, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan in support of 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on September 8, 2009. On that morning, more than 60 well-armed, well-positioned enemy fighters ambushed Captain Swenson's combat team as it moved on foot into the village of Ganjgal for a meeting with village elders. As the enemy unleashed a barrage of rocket-propelled grenade, mortar and machine gun fire, Captain Swenson immediately returned fire and coordinated and directed the response of his Afghan Border Police, while simultaneously calling in suppressive artillery fire and aviation support. After the enemy effectively flanked Coalition Forces, Captain Swenson repeatedly called for smoke to cover the withdrawal of the forward elements. Surrounded on three sides by enemy forces inflicting effective and accurate fire, Captain Swenson coordinated air assets, indirect fire support and medical evacuation helicopter support to allow for the evacuation of the wounded. Captain Swenson ignored enemy radio transmissions demanding surrender and maneuvered uncovered to render medical aid to a wounded fellow soldier. Captain Swenson stopped administering aid long enough to throw a grenade at approaching enemy forces, before assisting with moving the soldier for air evacuation. With complete disregard for his own safety, Captain Swenson unhesitatingly led a team in an unarmored vehicle into the kill zone, exposing himself to enemy fire on at least two occasions, to recover the wounded and search for four missing comrades. After using aviation support to mark locations of fallen and wounded comrades, it became clear that ground recovery of the fallen was required due to heavy enemy fire on helicopter landing zones. Captain Swenson's team returned to the kill zone another time in a Humvee. Captain Swenson voluntarily exited the vehicle, exposing himself to enemy fire, to locate and recover three fallen Marines and one fallen Navy corpsman. His exceptional leadership and stout resistance against the enemy during six hours of continuous fighting rallied his teammates and effectively disrupted the enemy's assault. Captain William D. Swenson's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Task Force Phoenix, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division and the United States Army.

 I say all that to say this:  Football is a game.  Win, lose, draw, it is a game.  Enjoy it for what it is.  In the end, it is not important.  If it causes you that much anguish and concern, you have misplaced your priorities.