In an earlier post I mentioned I had taken a business trip to Hawaii.  For several years after I retired from the Navy, I worked as a civilian contractor at Navy base here.  Going out to sea as a civilian contractor (as opposed to a senior officer) is quite a different experience.  I’m the same person as when I was on active duty, with the same knowledge and experience.  However, since I no longer wore the uniform, my role was essentially that of a worker bee.  It was quite a humbling experience (if not a little frustrating as well).

As a civilian contractor I got to work alongside several Army and Air Force officers as well as my Navy team.  Out in Hawaii my team was working with an Army aviation regiment at Wheeler Army Airfield, specifically two crews of pilots and maintenance personnel commanded by an Army Captain.  Although she looked young, the Captain was the embodiment of leadership and professionalism.  And on this one particular day we all witnessed a powerful leadership lesson.  (4:34)

 

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Several years ago, I flew out to Hawaii on a business trip.  I asked my wife if she wanted to go with me, because I knew she’d never been there.  Much to my surprise, she said no: she knew I’d be working, and she didn’t want to spend her first trip in Hawaii doing things without me.

Now I wasn’t really excited about the trip anyway: I was going to be away for about three weeks (much of that time on a Navy ship), it was right after Thanksgiving (there were certain Christmas “family rituals” that I would missing), and it was only about 6 weeks after 9/11, so air travel was a real mess.

My attitude leading up to the trip was pretty sour - but looking back on it, I’m so very glad I went.  Because, through no design of my own, I found myself in the presence of heroes - heroes in the truest sense of the word.  And what I learned in my short time with them really changed my thinking about some things. (4:34)

 

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