Trent Ruble's Blog: The Other Way It Is

All Beatles Weekend

One weekend evening in the late 1970s, my friend, Jim Guy, and I were cruising around the city in his 1969 Camaro. Sixty-nine Camaros were just as cool then as they are now and that made the evening even better. And, making it even better was listening to the radio station and hearing our classmate, Bob Klein, announce the next song! This wasn't uncommon as several of the local stations employed our classmates due to our school's excellent and well-known radio program. We decided to arrange our own brush with fame by going to the radio station and visiting Bob.



We arrived at the station and found that Bob was the only person there. He let us in but said he was too busy for visiting. In fact, he was so busy he asked me to answer the phone for him. He said, "If the phone rings, answer it by saying, 'WXKE, All Beatles Weekend.'" He then said to tell people requesting songs that the station would only play Beatles songs this weekend. I'd always wanted to be a radio star so I thought pretending to be one on the telephone was a great idea!

It wasn't long before the phone rang. I eagerly answered it in my best radio voice, "WXKE, All Beatles Weekend." A female caller with a sweet voice asked me to play an Aerosmith song so I apologized saying, "I'm sorry, we can only play Beatles songs this weekend." She said, "Well, I'm working at the doughnut shop on Fairfield right now and, if you play an Aerosmith song, I'll give you a free doughnut!" I said, "I'll be right there."

I hung up the phone and turned to Bob. "I know it's All Beatles Weekend, but it's really important that you play an Aerosmith song!" I then said, "Come on, Jim, we're going to the doughnut shop on Fairfield!"

As we sped across the city, I listened as Bob played Come Together by Aerosmith. Although Come Together was originally a Beatles song, it had recently been covered by Aerosmith in the newly released 1978 movie Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was perfect.



We arrived at the doughnut shop and were met at the counter by the girl with the sweet voice. But, somehow, she just wasn't what I'd pictured. Even so, I once again used my deepest radio voice and said, "We're from WXKE!" She was excited to see us but said she didn't really expect us to show up. We ate our free doughnuts and talked briefly about Aerosmith and the Beatles. We then jumped back into the Camaro and headed into the night. I never saw the girl again.

Today I learned of the passing of Bob Klein, which caused me to remember this story. I'd lost track of Bob but it seems, based on his obituary, that he had a good life. I will always appreciate how he came through for me on that late 70s All Beatles Weekend.

Vehicle Unlock with Injury

The police department from which I retired several years ago, just as the one where I work now, performed numerous community services. One was the unlocking of vehicles for owners who'd locked their keys inside. In those days we used a device commonly known as a "slim jim" or "lock jock" in order to gain access to the vehicles. This was a task we performed frequently so, when I was a new officer, I needed to learn how to use it.



I won't reveal the exact details of how the slim jim is used, but it involves sliding the long thin piece of metal down between the glass and the door to the locking mechanism. Once correctly positioned, a tug or a push, depending on the vehicle, will unlock the door. It isn't difficult, although most modern cars have provisions to prevent someone from doing this.

I was newly hired and riding with Officer Mark Overholser on an afternoon in 1985 when we received a call to unlock someone's car. Upon our arrival, Mark began speaking with the young lady who'd called while I attempted the unlock. In the process, I somehow got the slim jim hooked onto something that I thought was the locking mechanism. I pulled up as hard as I could in order to unlock the car but, instead, the slim jim let loose and came straight up until I'd stabbed my chin with one of the sharp corners. There was blood everywhere! Mark assessed the situation and said, "That's going to need stitches." He then drove me to the hospital while I held one of his old t-shirts on the wound. Who knows where that had been.

Once at the hospital I was welcomed by Dr. Peare and the Emergency Room staff. The doctor quickly sewed me up saying, "I've never put stitches into someone wearing a gun!" I'm sure the doctor did a wonderful job but, even so, I still have a small scar on my chin all these years later.

I thought the ordeal was over but it had only just begun. Upon my arrival to work the next day I received a lot of encouragement and support from my co-workers, such as the foam rubber slim jim I found tacked to the bulletin board under a note saying, "Rookie Unlocking Tool." And, when I'd receive another call to unlock a car, I would hear comments on the radio such as, "Do you need an ambulance to stand by?" or, upon finishing, "Any injuries?" I knew it was all in fun because, even though these guys were quick to make fun of me, they were just as quick to come to my aid in the many battles we would fight in the years to come. In fact, it was sad to see them go as they retired one by one. I learned a lot from those guys.

Seven Things I Love (and a Few Things I Hate) about Indiana

I've been lucky enough to travel to nearly every corner of America as well as dozens of other countries but this is the place I know best; The great American state of Indiana. What? You've never heard of it?

I love listening to what others think of America. I've learned that those from elsewhere love, among other things, our friendliness, food and music, but hate that we're "obese" and refuse to use the metric system. The fact is that Indiana enjoys the same great American standard of living as is famous around the world, but also suffers from these notorious stereotypes. In other words, Indiana is a microcosm of America. But, if America consisted only of Indiana, it would still be well known as one of the best places on earth. Here are seven reasons why:


Indianapolis

1. Standard of Living

As noted above, Indiana enjoys the great American standard of living. This means that most (but not all) Hoosiers, as Indiana natives are known, lead very comfortable lives.

2. Virtue

Indiana is known as a bastion of conservatism. That's because the notion of doing what has been traditionally right still has value in the state. Unfortunately, outside influences such as Hollywood are eroding this once great way of living.


Spencerville - Photo by Tami Ruble

3. Beauty

Indiana is not Switzerland nor California, but neither are those places Indiana. Having no mountains nor jungles and few beaches, Indiana is not well-known for its natural beauty. But, it is beautiful nonetheless. The rural scenes of barns, cornfields and covered bridges, as well as incredible caverns, wooded hills (especially in autumn) and majestic rivers hold a beauty that most miss while looking for more famous places.


Indianapolis 500 - Photo by The359

4. Entertainment

In addition to the state's major and minor league sports franchises, Indiana is home to the largest single-day sporting event in the world. There are also numerous nationally recognized museums, parks and zoos throughout the state. And, internationally known artists, including the Indiana native who grew up to be the world's most famous pop star, have frequently performed in Indiana as several of the state's venues serve as tour stops.


University of Notre Dame - Photo by Eccekevin

5. Education

One can find in Indiana some of the world's finest educational institutions. Among them are the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University and its well-known medical school and children's hospital, as well as Purdue University, whose engineering and aviation schools have produced 24 astronauts, including the first man to walk on the moon.


Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

6. Food

Nearly every Indiana city and town has that one special locally owned restaurant that locals long for when they're away. It's a place specializing in breakfast all day, breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches and sugar cream pie!


Seymour - Photo by IndyNotes

7. High School Basketball

Indiana has great sports including the Indianapolis 500, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with their 11 national football championships, the Indiana Hoosiers with five national basketball championships, the Indiana Pacers and the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts. However, none of these compare with Hoosier Hysteria, the aptly named condition which overcomes every small town in the state during the high school basketball tournament (see Long Live the Lightning 5!). If you should come to Indiana during basketball season, go to a small town, especially one with only one high school, and see a game. You'll never forget it. If Indiana is not going to be in your travel plans at this cold and snowy time of year, just watch the Gene Hackman movie Hoosiers.

Not all is perfect in Indiana. Here are a few things about the state that I don't like:


Newburgh

The Weather

Indiana is schizophrenic when it comes to the weather! In May and October, Indiana weather is fabulous! However, the rest of the year is either extremely hot and humid, or unbearably cold. It's not somewhere in between... it's both! Add to that the propensity for tornadoes and this could be a deal breaker. This may be the reason one Indiana city has the lowest cost of living in America, which, by the way, would have been number 8 on my list of things I love about the state.

Travel

While traveling by car is quite easy throughout the "Crossroads of America" with its (mostly) well-maintained and well-marked roads, traveling by public transit is not so great. While in Switzerland recently, I noticed that even the smallest towns were served by intercity buses. I live in a fairly large Indiana city but there is no train service and the nearest bus stop is eight miles from my house.

Reputation

Indiana is known among the states as "fly-over country" because much of the rest of America thinks Indiana only exists in order to separate California from New York. Or, more likely, they don't think of Indiana at all. Undeserved as this is, it is a very real perception.

Brain Drain

As I noted above, the most famous pop star of all time was born in Indiana. But, he and many others left the state for a more exciting lifestyle. The consolation is that most of those who became famous didn't turn out to be very good people so... good riddance. However, there have been many regular folks who have left the state to make more money or to live in a better climate who Indiana would love to have back.


Gary

Gary

Gary was once Indiana's second largest city after having grown rapidly from its 1906 incorporation. However, because its economy was based almost entirely on the steel industry, the city faltered along with the steel mills and is now a dilapidated slum whose name is synonymous with urban decay. Gary looks like the aftermath of a third world apocalypse (think Detroit).

Overall, I think Indiana is worth your visit. As I said at the top, I've been many places and I still think Indiana is one of the best.

Tower of Europe

In June 2018, my family had the opportunity to visit the bustling city of Strasbourg, France. Just as with many of the old cities of Europe, there is an "old town" in Strasbourg with narrow streets and wonderfully preserved half-timbered buildings. And, like most European cities and towns, Strasbourg's old town is anchored by a beautifully ornate cathedral; the 1439 Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg. It is truly beautiful.

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg

Also while in Strasbourg, we visited the European Union's Parliament building as Strasbourg is the capital of the Union. And, just as with the cathedral, we were allowed inside free of charge. However, there is much more security at the Parliament building, which is to be expected, as we had to display our passports and then pass through metal detectors in order to be allowed access. Once inside, we were even allowed to observe parliament in session. On that particular day they were discussing the regulation of drones.

The European Parliament

The building, which was completed in 1999, somewhat resembles the 1563 depiction of the never-finished Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. I was actually aware of this prior to our visit after our wise and insightful pastor, Dennis Miller, pointed it out to our congregation last year. You may recall the Tower of Babel as described by Moses in the book of Genesis:

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. Then (the people) said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel — because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. Genesis 11-1, 4, 6-9a, (NIV)

The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563

One could be forgiven if they didn't immediately see the resemblance or thought it only a coincidence. However, no one can miss the connection in the 1992 European Union poster that was produced during the planning phases of the Parliament building. The poster includes an unmistakable image of Bruegel's Tower of Babel with the motto, "Europe: Many Tongues, One Voice." This motto on a poster with the Tower of Babel is a blatant challenge to God's authority over the Earth. This is especially true since He ended construction of the original tower precisely because the people were attempting to do exactly what the European Union is doing; bringing together many cultures (and languages) under one government in order to be more competitive (making a name for themselves). For a government to make such a challenge can only mean that they not only don't recognize God's authority, but they don't even believe He exists. Otherwise, they would not be brave enough to make such a bold rejection of Him. But, what makes this worse than all the previous blasphemies over the eons, is that the European Union did this in the name of all 510 million people in the 28 nations it governs. And, very few have objected or even noticed.

European Union poster, 1992

We've become accustomed to people and their governments routinely proclaiming themselves while disregarding God's sovereignty, just as they did over 4,000 years ago in Babel. In fact, in this day and age, when we show any kind of respect for God, we're labeled as "extremists" while those who actively encourage or, in the case of some governments, mandate adherence to a false religion, are seen as "tolerant." I don't know how that makes since to anyone.

As for my visit, I observed a glaring difference between the old cathedral, though still a functioning church, and the relatively new Parliament building. The cathedral, which is itself a man-made tower that was the tallest building in the world from 1647 to 1874, now seems to be but a beautiful old relic; seemingly only worthy of our admiration because of its age and grandeur and not because it is the House of God. In contrast, the Parliament building appeared to be much more relevant to the people of modern, secular Europe. In other words, there is much more function in the Parliament building and much more tourism in the cathedral and that's sad.

I realize millions of euros have been spent on this modern Tower making the abandonment of it extremely unlikely. So, short of that, it seems the prudent thing to do would be to acknowledge that it was a mistake to proclaim Europe's "one voice" to God's face while building the Tower and instead commit to a recognition of, and submission to, God's authority. I know that won't happen, either.

Photo of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg by David Iliff. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0"

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is NOT Your Captain Speaking...

Wouldn't it be scary to discover the person piloting your airplane had never done it before, had no training and had no idea what he was doing? That's exactly what happened one night in the early 1980s in a US Air Force C-141 Starlifter over the Mediterranean Sea.

Our crew was flying across the sea from Cairo to Athens with a load of cargo and just a few passengers. Like me, our plane was about 20 years old. I was the loadmaster. I was responsible for the on and off-loading, figuring the center of gravity and supervising passengers. So, unless we had passengers, my job was usually over once the plane took off. On this particular flight, it was late at night and the few passengers on board were sleeping. This meant some down time for me.

I climbed into the cockpit and sat in the jump seat. This was a small seat between and just behind the pilots' seats. I liked to do this because I felt more a part of the crew when I wasn't isolated in the back. Plus, I could see out the windows much better, although being over the sea at this time of night meant seeing only blackness.

After some time the flight engineer, who sat directly behind the co-pilot, got up to stretch his legs or use the bathroom. In his absence, the pilot, who also served as the aircraft commander, sat down at the engineer's panel. This was a panel full of gauges monitoring systems such hydraulics, pressurization, fuel, etc... It is my understanding that the aircraft commander must be qualified at this and every position on the plane, so we were not in any danger as he began adjusting things.



I said, "If the pilot can be the engineer, I think the loadmaster should be the pilot!" Of course I was kidding as I had no idea how to fly that airplane, nor did I want to. But the pilot, whose name I would not reveal even if I did remember it, said, "Sit down, Buddy," while pointing to the pilot's seat. I then started backpedaling saying, "I was just kidding. I wouldn't even know what to do." "Don't worry," he said, "I'll help you."

So, I sat down in the pilot's seat. In front of me was the yoke that looks somewhat like half a steering wheel and beside me to the right were the four throttle control levers, one for each of the jet engines. Behind the yoke was an array of gauges, one of which was a brown and white ball with an image of the airplane superimposed on it to indicate our position in relation to the horizon. All of these were intimidating to me.

After a few moments I realized I was doing pretty well as the plane was cruising along just as it had been. The pilot then disconnected the auto-pilot but, even then, the aircraft remained stable. I said, "This is easier than I thought." He said, "Why don't you turn your wheel just a little?" I did as he said and suddenly the airplane not only turned in that direction, but stated to fall from the sky! He said, "Now, increase the power." I pushed the throttles forward and the plane started to climb. He then instructed me to turn the airplane back to the direction we'd been going but, as I did this, it began to fall again. The brown and white ball was now in full wobble. I increased power again which caused me, and likely everyone else on board, to feel as if we were going to throw up. It was like an out-of-control roller coaster seven miles above the Earth! All the while, the pilot was calmly speaking to the Egyptian air-traffic controllers as if everything was normal. I wondered how a pilot could possibly keep all this under control while at the same time trying to decipher their poor English.

I told the pilot that I'd had enough of this adventure and asked if he would take over. After switching positions, I told him that I very much appreciated the experience but I didn't need to do that again. I returned to the cargo compartment where I felt much more comfortable. I found the previously sleeping passengers now awake and wondering if we'd had to avoid an especially bad storm. I explained that there had been a new pilot gaining some experience under the close supervision of the aircraft commander and they were never in danger. I wondered if that were true.

Fantastic Far-Fetched Future

In my opinion, the most rapid and dramatic change to our society occurred between 1880 and 1900. While there have been many great advancements before and since, there has not been a time that so radically changed our lifestyle and landscape as the late 19th century. There were many catalysts in this revolution but the primary instruments of change were in the fields of energy, especially electricity, and transportation. Unless we're in a very remote location, it's likely we can see the influence of these 100-year-old innovations everyday, all day long. Think lights, electronics, cars, roads, bridges, airplanes, etc...

Of course, peering into the other direction is much more cloudy. When I was young, the idea of "futuristic" involved a Dick Tracy wristwatch, video telephones and flying cars. None of these things seemed remotely possible in my mind but were common in science fiction and my futuristic day dreams. Now we're on the verge of having all three.

The first of these to become possible was the video telephone, which was actually introduced in the 1930s ( TV Tropes ). This means that, technically, they were in existence throughout my childhood. Even so, no one I knew had a video phone. The problem was that, even if someone was to obtain one of these modern marvels, no one else had one which meant there wasn't anyone to call. Another drawback was the perception that users must be presentable at all times in case an unexpected call would come at an inopportune time. Now, programs such as Facetime and Skype have made video telecommunications commonplace. Evidently, people have overcome the threat to their vanity.



In 1946 Chester Gould introduced the two-way radio watch to his famous comic strip hero, "Dick Tracy," and then upgraded it to a two-way TV watch in 1964 (Dick Tracy and American Culture: Morality and Mythology, Text and Context, by Garyn G. Roberts) thus sparking the fascination of millions of kids everywhere. Now, with Fitbit and Apple Watch, this once novel idea is also commonplace.

But, the flying car has eluded us. That is until now. I'd always imagined the flying car would operate on an electomagnetic cushion much like Luke Skywalker's does in the 1977 Star Wars film, A New Hope. Instead, the first flying cars are going to resemble over-sized drones like the hover bike pictured below. And, they will soon be everywhere! The FAA and/or the NHTSA will be hard-pressed to keep up with this technology as there will soon be vehicles flying in every direction, speed and altitude. I can see many mid-air collisions in our future. In any event, this will change our society more drastically than what occurred in 1900.

A "hover bike" being tested by the Dubai Police

So, what do we envision today when looking to the future? I think genetic engineering and artificial intelligence are prominent in the short term, as well as their scary repercussions. In the far future we may travel faster than light as we explore the galaxy. However it turns out, the future promises to be very different than today. It's too bad we'll never see the end of this ever evolving story. This is going to be like walking out half-way through a good movie. Nobody does that.

Liquid Fire

It was about 20 years ago when Officer Terry Stoffel and I, as well as another officer who wishes to remain unidentified, were called to Valley View Estates where a resident named Carl claimed he was going to kill himself. We were told he had a gun and that he was alone in his mobile home. At the time, the three of us were working as second shift patrol officers in the small Northeast Indiana city that is home to Valley View. My two partners and I had been police officers for about ten years and we'd been to these kinds of calls several times by then.



When we arrived at the park we made our way to the address provided by the dispatcher. I cautiously knocked on the door with no answer. We could hear Carl inside so we knew he was there. There was no indication that anyone other than Carl was in danger so we decided it was best not to risk our safety by forcing our way in. We backed away and just watched.

After about 20 minutes the door to the trailer popped open and out came Carl. Apparently, he thought we'd left. He had both hands full of boxes and was headed toward a car parked in the driveway. We didn't see a weapon on him so, with his hands occupied, we decided it was a good time to approach him. My partners and I rushed toward him, surprising him and causing him to drop his boxes. As I neared him, Carl struck me square in the cheek bone. Myself and the other officers tackled him and attempted to gain control. As we wrestled on the ground, my unidentified partner yelled, "I'm going to spray him!" At once, Carl moved his head to avoid the hot pepper spray which revealed Terry who was directly under him. When the first officer sprayed, the fiery liquid went right down the future sheriff's throat! Terry immediately got up, ran to the street and threw up (the average pepper spray is about 40 times hotter than Tabasco Sauce). Meanwhile, the other two of us were able to take Carl into custody and he was eventually transported to a nearby mental health facility. The next day Terry came to work and said, "That pepper spray is just as hot coming out as it is going in!" Years later he told me the irritation was so bad he had to seek medical attention.

I decided not to charge Carl for battering a police officer due to his many other issues. A few days after the incident, he called me to apologize and to thank me for not charging him. I was especially grateful for that phone call because, while we often receive calls from unhappy "customers," it's rare to hear from those who appreciate what we've done.

Though the three of us have since retired from that small police department, Terry and I have remained in law enforcement. In fact, Terry was later elected county sheriff and continues to serve well in that capacity today.

I've since lost track of Carl but wish him well.

Tag Along

As I've said previously, I traveled frequently in the early 1980s as an aircraft loadmaster in the United States Air Force. For a young guy like me, this provided a great opportunity to see the world that I wouldn't have otherwise had. Many of our trips would take us to one of the several large Military Airlift Command (MAC) bases in Europe and, upon arriving in one of these great places, I would always want to see the sights. Most of the other enlisted crew members were only interested in finding the nearest bar, which just wasn't for me. So, I would frequently tag along with the officers who were much more inclined to be tourists. The officers were generally more established in life than I was so, many times, they would even let me ride in their rental car for free.

One such opportunity came when our crew stopped at Rhein Main Air Base near Frankfurt, Germany. After arriving at our hotel, I overheard the officers talking about going on a volksmarch in nearby Ansbach. A volksmarch, they explained, was a sort of walking tour and was very common in Germany. As I frequently did, I asked if I could go along and they agreed. The next day the officers rented a car from near the adjacent civilian airport and we all piled in. The car was a very small Alfa Romeo Alfasud like this one:



There were five of us, which means there must have been at least one other enlisted guy with us as we never carried that many officers (I can't remember who any of them were). I remember sitting in the middle of the very tight back seat. It wasn't comfortable but it was a small price to pay for the opportunity to explore Germany! Once we arrived in Ansbach, we proceeded to a sort of check-in area where we were given a map of the volksmarch and then just started walking. We walked through the city, the beautiful countryside, a small town and even a forest. The march was 10 kilometers of pure enjoyment. I loved seeing all the varied sights in such a short walk and the weather was perfect. When we finished, we were given a participation medal which, unfortunately, I have since lost.

After the walk it was time for the five of us to pile into the car again and head back to reality. The little overloaded Alfa was nearly maxed out as we zoomed down the autobahn at about 90 mph which, even at that speed, made us one of the slowest cars on the road. Just before we reached the airport, there was a loud bang. I looked behind us in time to see a cloud of smoke coming from the car as our speed slowed dramatically. At this point I was really glad my name wasn't on that rental contract! The officer driving just kept going, although much more slowly as the car couldn't regain its previous speed. At the airport he parked the car, returned the keys and we left without him telling them what had happened. I never heard if there were any consequences for this but, the following day, we boarded our aircraft and disappeared.

The Benefits of the Benefit of the Doubt

It seems that giving others the benefit of the doubt is a lost art form. To allow for a reasonable explanation is now beyond the limits of our tolerance. I'm certainly guilty. But, instead of quick condemnation, if we could assume the best about others, at least until we found out otherwise, our world would instantly be a better place. I'm not talking about listening to the excuses of terrorists, protesters or others who beg us to hate them. But, in our daily lives, we should have for others the same expectations that we want for ourselves.

Think about the trials that you've encountered just today. Everyone deals with those or similar concerns. And, think about how emotionally involved we become with those issues. When we meet someone during our routine, we don't know what they've experienced in their recent past or even immediately prior to our encounter. I know I sometimes assume everyone's experiences are similar to mine, but they are not. Many times I jump to a conclusion that is completely inaccurate.

I'm not a psychologist and probably don't know anymore about human psychology than anyone else who's lived as long as I have. But, I just know a little empathy would go a long way in healing our broken world. While this may jeopardize the jobs of a great number of police officers, counselors and lawyers, let's try it anyway!

"There is no one righteous, not even one... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"- Romans 3:10, 23 NIV

Freshman Year

When the students were moving in this year at the university where I work, it caused me to think back to my own "freshman year." It wasn't a college where I spent my first year away from home. Instead, I moved into a barracks at Charleston Air Force Base.

Me in 1980, my "freshman year."

Generally, enlisted airmen shared rooms with at least one roommate, but aircrew at Charleston were to get single rooms due to their irregular schedules. However, in my barracks, there weren't enough rooms so the two newest residents had to share and, of course, that initially included me. My new roommate was an airman from Miami who'd been living alone and wasn't too excited to see me. But, it wasn't long before another room opened and he moved out. It was then that I lived alone for the very first time.

In looking back on those days, I find that there are some similarities between life in a military barracks and life at a college dormitory. I lived in a building with dozens of other young people, one of whom is still my friend today. Some of them would do stupid things like smoke marijuana and lose their aircrew status, or get drunk and run around outside in their underwear. But, we also had to learn to get along with each other, keep our rooms clean, study and go to class just like college students.

But there are some pretty significant differences. Our primary function was to go to work. As you can imagine, the military is very strict about arriving to work on time and in a sober condition. This curtailed the partying in many (but not all) barracks. And, most work performed by young military men and women is at a significantly higher level than that performed by civilians of a similar young age. I was an aircraft loadmaster. But, some of the high level jobs performed by young military members include Nuclear Electronics Technician, Scientific Applications Specialist, Cryptologic Technician, Satellite Communication Systems Operator and many, many more. In addition, we were required to maintain ourselves (hygiene, uniforms, fitness, etc...) But, the biggest differences between students and airmen, soldiers, sailors and marines were the mission and team doctrines under which we lived. Nothing is more important to members of the military than our mission and our teammates. Many military lives have been lost in trying to complete a mission or save our comrade.

I don't intend to diminish the importance of higher education. In fact, I must acknowledge here that, although college students aren't pressed into service as quickly as members of the military, I am aware that their education can take them much further than what most enlisted people can hope for and can result in a rewarding occupation that can benefit all of society.

For some it's tough being away from home at such a young age but, for me, it was rewarding as well. I quickly learned to take responsibility seriously and to take care of myself. In the military I grew up rapidly, but not completely. Never completely.