The Military Slant: Speaking for themselves

I spent four years in the Air Force as a communications officer at the Pentagon.  I worked with the Joint Staff (an organization comprised of members of all four armed services) on nuclear command and control systems.  I separated from active duty in 1999, two years before the events of September 11 which struck both the building where I used to work and the city in which I lived at the time.

Since the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001, and the subsequent launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, US troops have been called upon to deploy – often multiple times – to the Middle East.  Most have returned home, but thousands have not.

While military members now have more avenues to share their experiences – for example, many maintain their own blogs – the vast majority of civilians get their information about the military from far less personal sources.  In an effort to give servicemen and women an opportunity to discuss the realities of their deployments, and to provide civilian readers with greater insight into the views of individual military members, I’ve created a new series of posts called The Military Slant: Speaking for themselves.

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This inaugural post is based on an interview with a former fellow Air Force ROTC cadet and friend who is now living in Australia and expecting her first child.  Please feel free to leave any comments or questions for her, and I will be sure to forward them along.

Cherish McNamara was an Air Force C-130E Instructor Pilot, Co-Pilot and Aircraft Commander for ten years.  She deployed three times in two years to the Middle East (December 2002-2004), transporting troops and supplies to various locations.

Because Cherish was not yet married when she deployed, she was responsible for all preparations concerning her home: contacting her car insurance company and utility companies, ensuring her mail was held at the post office, making arrangements with neighbors to check on her house and address any issues that might arise.  She was fortunate never to receive short notice orders; for each deployment, she had around 60 days lead time to prepare.

While deployed, she was able to email friends and family a few times a week, and she called home once or twice a month.  Computers were in short supply, and she often had to wait in line just to check email.  Phone conversations were difficult due to lag and echo.  After fifteen minutes, the operator would terminate the call.

Cherish missed spending the December holidays with her family in both 2002 and 2003.  But it was the friends she made while deployed that helped her survive the separation, especially her aircrew.  Her crew of five stayed together – eating, sleeping, flying, and relaxing on the same schedule – and they became each other’s support system: “We needed to look after each other, just as much as we needed someone to look after us, and ensure we would all get through the deployment.”

Cherish believed in the missions she and her crew carried out.  She delivered essential supplies and gear, and she brought troops from remote locations back to “the real world”.  She’s grateful that Americans have learned from Vietnam, that they don’t blame the troops themselves for decisions made by military and civilian leadership: “Especially as the years have gone by, and the popularity of the war has dwindled, at least people are not holding a grudge against the soldiers themselves.”  Yet she wonders herself whether we can accomplish our objectives, given the history of the region.

But as she points out, “I know how hard all the soldiers are working over there, whether they are on the ground, in the air, or behind a computer…Although people may not believe the war is justified, I also know that these guys have to believe they are doing something worthwhile, otherwise their spirit, morale, and care factor will just diminish.”

If you or someone you know is interested in participating in this series of posts, please email me at themomslant AT gmail DOT com with “The Military Slant” in the subject.

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