Podcasts about Distinguished Flying Cross

Capt. James Spearman is a decorated Air Force pilot and aviation entrepreneur with a remarkable story of resilience and leadership. As an active KC-135 pilot in the Air Force, James earned the Distinguished Flying Cross in December 2024, one of the nation's highest honors. In addition to flying the KC-135, James is an active general aviation pilot and CFI with land and seaplane ratings and experience with range of aircraft, from the KC-135 Stratotanker to a Cessna 140, and he holds type ratings in the Boeing 707, Boeing 720, Beechjet 400, and Mitsubishi MU-300. If it's on a typical airport ramp, chances are that James can fly it! “SocialFlight Live!” is a live broadcast dedicated to supporting General Aviation pilots and enthusiasts during these challenging times. Register at SocialFlightLive.com to join the live broadcast every Tuesday evening at 8pm ET (be sure to join early because attendance is limited for the live broadcasts).Aspen Avionics www.aspenavionics.com Avemco Insurance www.avemco.com/socialflight Avidyne www.avidyne.com Continental Aerospace Technologies www.continental.aero EarthX Batteries www.earthxbatteries.com Hartzell Engine Technologies https://hartzell.aero Hartzell Propeller www.hartzellprop.com Lightspeed Aviation www.lightspeedaviation.com McFarlane Aviation www.mcfarlane-aviation.com Michelin Aircraft https://aircraft.michelin.com/ Phillips 66 Lubricants https://phillips66lubricants.com/industries/aviation/ Tempest Aero www.tempestaero.com Titan Aircraft www.titanaircraft.com Trio Avionics www.trioavionics.com uAvionix www.uavionix.com Wipaire www.wipaire.com

When Lisa Elzey discovered her grandfather flew on a B-17 bomber during D-Day, she knew there was more to uncover…In this continuation of last week's DNA revelation, Lisa shares how researching her grandfather's war buddies unveiled an extraordinary military legacy. From discovering rare crew photos to uncovering first-hand accounts of a harrowing mission that earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Lisa's persistence reveals how the stories of those around our ancestors can illuminate their lives. Together we explore how researching the network of people surrounding her grandfather transformed fragments of information into a rich narrative that brought her mother to tears—proving that sometimes the most powerful family connections emerge when we look beyond the family tree.〰️

Just after 2 a.m. on April 11, the U.S. Senate confirmed retired Air Force Lieutenant General Dan Caine as the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As it turns out, Ryan had the opportunity to interview Gen. Caine a few years ago as part of The Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge.In honor of his recent confirmation, today's episode is Ryan and Gen. Caine's powerful conversation. Gen. Caine reflects on being one of the first pilots in the air on 9/11, the core traits every great leader must embody, and how to effectively inspire and guide a team toward a shared mission.General Dan Caine is the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has flown more than 100 combat hours in F-16 aircraft. His total flight hours are 2,800. Throughout his career he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Former U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Jason “Quinny” Quinn shares the harrowing story behind the Distinguished Flying Cross he earned after saving five people from a burning ship in the Bering Sea. With only one helicopter and 26 people reported in the water, Quinn was deployed near the vessel Galaxy as it rolled violently in 25-foot seas. Swimming close to massive propellers and through smoke and flames, he rescued survivor after survivor—fighting exhaustion, freezing water, and chaos along the way. Quinn also takes us back to where it all started: growing up on a lake in Massachusetts, joining the Coast Guard, and training to become one of the elite. He describes the intense physical demands of rescue swimmer school and the mental toughness it takes to operate in the world's most dangerous conditions. This episode is packed with real-world rescue tactics, unforgettable training moments, and pulse-pounding close calls. It's a gripping, high-stakes look inside the life-and-death world of Coast Guard search and rescue—told by one of the best to ever wear the fins.

We speak with a KC-135 pilot and licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic who runs a business specializing in aircraft maintenance, avionics upgrades, and aircraft management. In the news, budget cuts at NOAA's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office, a ruling in the so-called “toxic uniform” lawsuit against American Airlines, wildlife hazards, the Swiss Global 7500 aircraft, ATC retirement age, and Air Force restrictions on pregnant pilots. A KC-135R Stratotanker taxis down the flight line in an alert response during a Nuclear Operational Readiness Exercise (NORE) at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee, April 6, 2025.(U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Jesse Hanson) Guest James Spearman is an aviation entrepreneur who owns James Spearman Aircraft LLC, an FAA Part 145 Repair Station specializing in aircraft maintenance, avionics upgrades, and aircraft management. He is also an active KC-135 Stratotanker pilot with the Tennessee Air National Guard who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in December 2024. James holds a CFI, A&P with Inspection Authorization (IA), and Seaplane ratings (ASES, AMEL, ASEL). He has over 1,000 flight hours in a range of aircraft, from the KC-135 Stratotanker to a Cessna 140, and holds type ratings in the Boeing 707, Boeing 720, Beechjet 400, and Mitsubishi MU-300. James graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Maintenance Management. In our conversation, James describes flying the KC-135 Stratotanker in a night-time combat mission and experiencing a loss of electrical power. He and his crew managed to compensate and return safely to base.  We also look at how he started his aircraft maintenance business, the type of work performed, and his commitment to a high-level white-glove service. James' aircraft maintenance company works primarily on Cirrus airplanes, and he is also a Diamond Aircraft authorized service center, an Epic service center, and a Garmin avionics dealer. Seaplane discovery rides and ICON A5 training are offered through Iconic Air & Sea Adventures. James also produces the The James Spearman Show podcast. Eleven Airmen from the 134th Air Refueling Wing receive the Distinguished Flying Cross on December 7, 2024 at a ceremony on McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Knoxville, Tennessee. The ceremony highlighted the critical role played by the recipients during a coordinated defense effort in response to one of the largest missile and drone attacks in history, when Iran launched a massive assault on Israel involving over 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial systems. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Ben Cash) Aviation News Stand Up for NOAA Research – The Time to Act is Now A Statement from the American Meteorological Society, in partnership with the National Weather Association, says “The administration's 2026 budget passback plan, currently under consideration, eliminates NOAA's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Office and its 10 research laboratories and 16 affiliated Cooperative Institutes, and moves the few remaining research efforts to different NOAA departments. If enacted, the passback would close all of NOAA's weather, climate, and ocean Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes.” The organizations are asking concerned citizens to reach out elected representatives and share concerns. Find Your Representative Find Your Senator Judge Throws Out ‘Toxic Uniform' Lawsuit Against American Airlines After Nearly Eight Years Of Litigation The class action lawsuit, first filed in 2017, alleged that uniforms given by American Airlines to pilots, flight attendants, and other employees caused rashes, hives, breathing difficulties, and headaches. After nearly eight years, the federal judge threw out the lawsuit against American Airlines and former uniform manufacturer Twin Hill in a summary judgment,

Sabu Dastagir, born in 1924 in Mysore, India, rose to fame after being discovered as a young mahout and starring in Elephant Boy (1937). His natural screen presence led to major roles in iconic adventure films like The Thief of Bagdad (1940) and Jungle Book (1942), making him Hollywood's first Indian star. During World War II, he served as a decorated tail gunner in the U.S. Army Air Forces, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, his career declined due to typecasting, though he continued acting in films like Song of India (1949). He married Marilyn Cooper, had two children, and settled in the U.S. In 1951, he visited India as a celebrated star but remained primarily in Hollywood. Tragically, he passed away in 1963 at just 39 due to a heart attack. Despite his short life, Sabu's legacy endures as a pioneer for Indian actors in international cinema, with his films remaining classics in adventure storytelling.

-Kim Campnell is a retired Colonel who served in the Air Force for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan.-In 2003, she was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism, the third highest military decoration for aviators, after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission.-Her Air Force assignments include leadership roles as a Group Commander, responsible for over 1,000 Air Force personnel in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Kim also served as the Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, advising the number three civilian official in the Department of Defense on national security and defense policy formulation.-She is a distinguished graduate from the United States Air Force Academy. As a Marshall Scholar, she earned an MBA from the University of London and a Master of Arts in International Security Studies from the University of Reading in England. She is a best selling author, detailing scenarios from her military career in her book ‘Flying in the Face of Fear'.FirstNet Built with AT&T:http://www.firstnet.com/healthandwellnessBuilding Homes for Heroes:https://www.buildinghomesforheroes.org/Download the O2X Tactical Performance App:app.o2x.comLet us know what you think:Website - http://o2x.comIG - https://instagram.com/o2xhumanperformance?igshid=1kicimx55xt4f 

In this episode of Resilient and Rowdy, host Jess Jaimes sits down with special guest James Spearman—a distinguished Air Force pilot and successful business owner. James takes us through his remarkable journey, from a childhood captivated by aviation to becoming an Air Force mechanic, earning his degree at Middle Tennessee State University, and ultimately completing Air Force Pilot Training.He opens up about the challenges he faced along the way, including a difficult upbringing, the high-stakes demands of military and commercial aviation, and the ongoing pursuit of mental well-being in such a pressure-driven field. James shares invaluable insights on resilience, the power of teamwork in aviation, managing stress, and the importance of self-assessment and personal growth.He also reflects on defining moments in his career, including a deeply meaningful flight with his late father and the honor of receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration, perseverance, and a firsthand look into the world of aviation. Connect with James Spearman:www.instagram.com/TheJamesSpearmanhttps://www.youtube.com/@TheJamesSpearman https://www.spearmanaircraft.com/Let us know what you think of the episode and send memes to Jess@resilientandrowdy.comwww.instagram.com/resilientandrowdy www.youtube.com/@resilientandrowdy www.tiktok.com/resilientandrowdy www.resilientandrowdy.com

Jean de Selys Longchamps, pilote belge de la Royal Air Force, est entré dans l'histoire pour son raid héroïque contre le siège de la Gestapo à Bruxelles, le 20 janvier 1943. À bord de son Hawker Typhoon, il survole la capitale en rase-motte et cible avec précision le 453 avenue Louise, infligeant des pertes aux nazis tout en préservant les bâtiments voisins. Cet acte, réalisé sans l'autorisation de ses supérieurs, visait à redonner espoir à la population belge sous occupation. Patriote déterminé, il symbolise la résistance face à la répression allemande. Décoré de la Distinguished Flying Cross et de la Croix de Guerre, il est célébré pour son courage. Tragiquement, Jean meurt le 15 août 1943 dans un accident aérien. Son sacrifice est commémoré par des monuments et plaques, rappelant son rôle dans la lutte pour la liberté. Merci pour votre écoute Vous aimez l'Heure H, mais connaissez-vous La Mini Heure H https://audmns.com/YagLLiK , une version pour toute la famille.Retrouvez l'ensemble des épisodes de l'Heure H sur notre plateforme Auvio.be :https://auvio.rtbf.be/emission/22750 Intéressés par l'histoire ? Vous pourriez également aimer nos autres podcasts : Un jour dans l'Histoire : https://audmns.com/gXJWXoQL'Histoire Continue: https://audmns.com/kSbpELwAinsi que nos séries historiques :Chili, le Pays de mes Histoires : https://audmns.com/XHbnevhD-Day : https://audmns.com/JWRdPYIJoséphine Baker : https://audmns.com/wCfhoEwLa folle histoire de l'aviation : https://audmns.com/xAWjyWCLes Jeux Olympiques, l'étonnant miroir de notre Histoire : https://audmns.com/ZEIihzZMarguerite, la Voix d'une Résistante : https://audmns.com/zFDehnENapoléon, le crépuscule de l'Aigle : https://audmns.com/DcdnIUnUn Jour dans le Sport : https://audmns.com/xXlkHMHSous le sable des Pyramides : https://audmns.com/rXfVppvVous aimez les histoires racontées par Jean-Louis Lahaye ? Connaissez-vous ces podcast?Sous le sable des Pyramides : https://audmns.com/rXfVppv36 Quai des orfèvres : https://audmns.com/eUxNxyFHistoire Criminelle, les enquêtes de Scotland Yard : https://audmns.com/ZuEwXVOUn Crime, une Histoire https://audmns.com/NIhhXpYN'oubliez pas de vous y abonner pour ne rien manquer.Et si vous avez apprécié ce podcast, n'hésitez pas à nous donner des étoiles ou des commentaires, cela nous aide à le faire connaître plus largement.

  The Distinguished Flying Cross medal is awarded to any officer or enlisted person of the armed forces of the United States for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. We are proud to announce that our Co-Host James Spearman has been Awarded The Distinguished Flying Cross and he is here to tell … Continue reading SMAC334 James Spearman Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross The post SMAC334 James Spearman Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross appeared first on Stuck Mic AvCast.

Raymond Paul Johnson is an attorney, author, aviator, aerospace engineer and combat veteran who holds the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, and five Air Medals, among other awards. Ray has been a trial attorney for over 35 years, concentrating in product liability and aviation law, selected as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine every year since 2006, and an adjunct instructor at the University of Southern California since 2021. He is also certified as a Mediator by Pepperdine University School of Law/Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution. While in the U.S. Air Force, Ray flew as a fighter pilot, jet instructor and functional test pilot. He also received a master-of-science degree in astronautics from the Air Force Institute of Technology and co-chaired the DOD/NASA working groups on Space Shuttle design and integration. Ray graduated from New York University (BS Aerospace Engineering) and the School of Law at the College of William and Mary. He is principal co-author of the legal treatise Defective Product: Evidence to Verdict, Juris Publishing/New York (Supp 2003) and has written more than 50 articles published in law journals and nationally circulated periodicals. Ray has also served as a legal consultant to the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and USA Today, and has been interviewed by CNN, NBC News and other televised programs. Listen to this informative Sharkpreneur episode with Raymond Paul Johnson about the inspiration behind his book Conspiracy Ignited. Here are some of the beneficial topics covered on this week's show: - How writing without a strict outline allows the characters to guide the story. - Why it's important to write what you know and draw on your real life experiences. - How writing a book of fiction is much different than writing non-fiction for law publications. - Why attracting literary agents and publishers is a difficult endeavor. - How Conspiracy Ignited is being considered for a movie adaptation. Connect with Raymond: Guest Contact Info X: @RPJohnsonBooks Instagram: @raymondpauljohnson_author Facebook: facebook.com/RaymondPaulJohnsonThrillerWriter Links Mentioned: https://raymondpauljohnson.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Hilliard, President of Badger Oil Corporation, has led a wonderful life of generosity and love of community that provides a humbling lesson in being a good steward of God's resources. At 99 years of age, he is sharp and insightful, a true testament to his wisdom and vitality. Paul was 17 when he enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps during his Senior year in high school in February 1943, quitting school when he received permission from his mother to join the war effort. He trained to be a gunner, handling machine guns in the back of Douglas SBD Dauntless (Scout Bomber by Douglas Aircraft) planes in air missions conducted in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. SBD was jokingly referred to as “Slow But Deadly.” He flew 45 combat missions and was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in addition to receiving the Air Medal with six bronze stars.  Following his service, Hilliard earned his law degree from the University of Texas before beginning a career in the oil and gas industry. He credits the GI Bill for the opportunities it afforded him and so many other servicemen who would not have otherwise been able to obtain an education. Hilliard exemplifies the selfless spirit and pride of our WWII generation of heroes, as well as the successful ingenuity of a veteran oil and gas entrepreneur.  Known for his self-effacing wit and ability to achieve in spite of a hardscrabble upbringing in Wisconsin, Hilliard has been a successful independent operator and owner of Badger Oil Corporation since 1955 and has seen fit to use his success in business to help others in need. Awarded the Civic Cup in 2003 and the esteemed national Horatio Alger Award in 2009, Paul has also been active in statewide associations working to improve the oil and gas industry, business, and civic endeavors. Paul has also been active in statewide associations working to improve the oil and gas industry, business, and civic endeavors.  In 2015, he received the Circle of Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. UL Press released Dauntless: Paul Hilliard in WWII and a Transformed America in 2023. Written by Rob Citino with Ken Stickney and Lori Ochsner, the book documents some of the most fascinating decades in American history: the impact of World War II, the importance of post-war social and economic changes, and the development of the oil industry from the 1950s to today. “Dauntless is a compelling narrative tracing Paul Hilliard's life experiences during the Great Depression, from farm life in Wisconsin's Dust Bowl to his distinguished service as a Marine in World War II, his education through law school, and a long and successful business in the oil fields. Paul's lifelong philanthropy and his passion for education and the lessons of WWII make him an inspiration. His life is the Horatio Alger story. He is, and always be, one of my heroes.”—Boysie Bollinger Paul has been a generous benefactor in causes to help at-risk children learn to read so that they can overcome poverty as he did.  He and his late wife, Lulu, provided $5 million dollars in seed money to start the Paul and Lulu Hilliard Art Museum at UL – Lafayette. Paul has served as a National WWII Museum trustee, and he and his wife, Madlyn, have been two of the Museum's most active advocates and supporters. They have provided transformative support for several Museum initiatives, including acquisition and restoration of artifacts, collection of oral histories, and education programs. In September 2018, Hilliard accepted the position of Board Chair of the museum, focusing on the completion of the its $400 million campus expansion. For more information, visit https://www.nationalww2museum.org, a treasure trove of thousands of oral histories and hundreds of thousands of photos depicting the WWII experience. Paul ended the interview by sharing his gratitude for being born in the United States of America.  He spoke of a favorite quote by Cicero: “Gratitude...

Sean and Shane discuss Shane’s unexpected path to flying in Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One. Shane Recounts the harrowing Hainan Island Incident in April 2001, where his EP-3E Aries reconnaissance aircraft was downed by a Chinese aircraft, before he and his 23 crew members were detained and interrogated by the Chinese for 12 days. Shane Osborn is a former Naval Aviator who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross following the Hainan Island Incident and later served as the State Treasurer of Nebraska. Buckle up Follow Sean on Instagram - @officialseanparnell Follow Sean on Twitter - @SeanParnellUSA Get your Battleground apparel at www.officialseanparnell.comSupport the show: https://officialseanparnell.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://linktr.ee/thunderinglegion Today we intervew prior enlisted New York Air National Guard C-17 Pilot, Captain Jonathan “Rooster” Guagenti. Rooster's crew flew missions in support of the Afghanistan withdrawl. Rooster's crew evacuated hundreds of refugees and returned 13 fallen servicemembers home after the Kabul Airport bombing. For their efforts, Rooster's crew received Air Medals with Valor and Combat Action Medals, and the aircraft commander received a Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Resources: Daily Stoic Bible in a Year Reading Plan Spiritual Disciplines by David Mathis Episode Notes: Background: Grew up in a Christian household. Enlisted before commissioning to become an officer and love for aviation drew him to attend pilot training. Testimony: Grew up with lukewarm faith then experienced a failed relationship. Started Bible in a Year plan and God drew him into ministry by closing doors and opening others. Successes and failures / struggles: Honor violation during pilot training. Rooster flew missions during the Afghanistan pullout participating in refugee evacuation, bombing and ramp ceremony, returned 13 fallen servicemembers home after the Kabul Airport bombing. Calling: Active Guard Reserve, Part time Pastor, then eventually full time Pastor Favorite Books of the Bible: Psalms Daily Spiritual Growth: Going deeper in Bible readings. Prayer guide: ACTS - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Advice: God is with you and is guiding you. Don't be afraid to live out your faith. Reflect: What does this episode reveal about God's character? How does this episode cause us to see our need for a Savior?  How can we apply lessons learned from this episode to our life? Follow Christ today: ✝️ “Choose this day whom you will serve...” ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24‬:‭15‬ ‭✝️ “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬  Next steps: Share with an armed forces member Follow Instagram, Facebook, Podcast https://linktr.ee/thunderinglegion

Coast Guard pilot John Whiddon has been awarded two Distinguished Flying Cross medals. But the enemy he faced was not the Viet Cong or Iraqi air defenses. It was 30 foot seas, 70 knot wind gusts and freezing waters off the coast of Alaska. John was born in England and his father served in the Royal Navy.  Having finished college, he had applied for the US Coast Guard but had not received an answer. So he applied to the Royal Navy's helicopter flying program and was accepted. The week before he was set to leave for London, he received word that he had been accepted into the US Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. At the time, John was flying the HH-3F amphibious helicopters. They had a boat hull that would allow the aircraft to land in the water, but only in 8-10 foot seas and 8 knot winds. Following the failed rescue of the “Marine Electric” in 1983, the Coast Guard established their rescue swimmer program. John shares details of the two rescues for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, including the “Bluebird” rescue on December 10, 1987 off the coast of Alaska. A fisherman and his six year old son were in trouble. It was a night mission and weather conditions were terrible; blinding snow and ice, 30 foot seas and wind gusts up to 70 knots. The winds were so strong, several times the helicopter was actually blown backyards and toward the water. At one point their rear rotor came within 3 feet of the water. Because of the size and construction of the boat, placing the rescue basket on the sinking boat was not an option. It would become the first time in Coast Guard history that a rescue swimmer was used in a high seas rescue. After 45 minutes of failing to get the rescue basket to the swimmer and half a dozen near crashes, John and his crew began to recognize the very real possibility that they might crash themselves and, in that case, there was no one coming to rescue them. However, they didn't give up and finally got everyone board. John's interview is part of our partnership with the Distinguished Flying Cross Society and our shared mission to tell the stories of heroism or extraordinary achievement in flight.

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn is joined by John Green, U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer #111.   Green, a former United States Coast Guard rescue swimmer, shares his experiences and stories from his time in the service. He discussed his background, how he became a rescue swimmer, and his most memorable experiences as a rescue swimmer. Green's first rescue involved spotting a survivor of an aircraft crash in shark-infested waters, deploying into the water, and rescuing the unconscious survivor. John's heroic and selfless actions saved the survivor's life.  For the rest of our conversation we go over multiple rescues that Green was involved with during his Coast Guard career.  Rescues that earned him multiple Letter of Commendation awards as well as a Distinguished Flying Cross. A rescue where he and his crew saved 51 people from a rig explosion, earning recognition in books and magazines.    Overall, Greens's stories highlight the bravery, teamwork, and dedication of Coast Guard rescue swimmers. Enjoy!   This episode is powered by Vertical HeliCASTS. Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ: Axnes, Onboarding, Switlik and The Real ResQ Store. Follow The Real ResQ on Facebook and Instagram and listen on Vertical Helicasts. Plus, get your podcast gear at therealresqstore.com.

MDJ Script/ Top Stories for December 10th Publish Date: December 10th Commercial: From the BG Ad Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. Today is Tuesday, December 10th and Happy Birthday to 7 Nation Army’s Med White. ***12.10.24 - BIRTHDAY – MED WHITE*** I’m Dan Radcliffe and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Credit Union of Georgia. 1. Teen Mother Indicted for Murder of Newborn 2. Marietta Eyes Improvements to West Dixie Park 3. Distinguished Flying Cross Awarded to Cobb Air Force Major All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe! BREAK: CU of GA (06.26.24 CU OF GA FREE CHECKING_REV_FINAL) STORY 1: Teen Mother Indicted for Murder of Newborn A 17-year-old mother, Leticia Rodriguez, has been indicted in Cobb County on seven charges, including malice murder, felony murder, and child cruelty, following the death of her newborn. Police discovered Rodriguez digging a grave in a Marietta backyard, where they later found her deceased son wrapped in a plastic bag. Authorities stated Rodriguez gave birth alone six hours prior, and her uncle alerted police after witnessing her actions. The newborn’s body was reportedly mutilated. Rodriguez now faces charges of aggravated assault, abuse of a dead body, and concealing the death, alongside the murder counts. STORY 2: Marietta Eyes Improvements to West Dixie Park The Marietta City Council committee has tentatively approved final funding for the $1.2 million West Dixie Park improvement project. The upgrades will include a new playground, restroom, looped walking trail, pavilion improvements, stormwater infrastructure, ADA-accessible sidewalks, landscaping, and ornamental fencing. Funding comes from sources like a $500,000 state grant, 2009 Parks Bond, ARPA funds, and SPLOST, with a final $225,275 expected from park improvement sales tax funds. The project design advances to the Dec. 11 City Council meeting, with construction anticipated between March and May 2025. STORY 3: Distinguished Flying Cross Awarded to Cobb Air Force Major Maj. Adam Haas, a flight nurse with the 94th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with a Combat Device for heroic actions during the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation. Tasked with providing medical aid after a suicide bombing at Kabul Airport, Haas led his team through unsafe conditions to assist U.S. service members and Afghan citizens. His actions contributed to the largest aeromedical evacuation airlift in Kabul Coalition Hospital's history. The prestigious medal, rarely awarded, reflects Haas’s bravery and dedication under combat conditions. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info. We’ll be right back Break: DRAKE (Drake Realty (Cobb County) STORY 4: Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Killing Marietta Motorist Former Woodstock Police officer Grant Shaw pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the 2023 shooting of 20-year-old Emmanuel Malik Millard. The incident occurred after Millard led police on a pursuit, ending with a PIT maneuver and Shaw firing a fatal shot during Millard's removal from the vehicle. Though prosecutors sought a 10-year sentence with two years in prison, the court suspended the term, sentencing Shaw to 500 hours of community service. Shaw resigned from the department shortly after the shooting. STORY 5: Cobb Police Release Footage of Pet Dog Shooting The Cobb County Police Department has released 911 calls and body camera footage from an Oct. 2 incident where officers fatally shot a family’s dog, Zeta, while responding to a 911 call. Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer described the situation as “tense and unpleasant,” expressing condolences to the family and emphasizing the difficulty of such decisions for officers. The officers responded to unclear coordinates from the 911 call, leading them to a residence where the dog ran toward them before being shot. The department is conducting an ongoing internal investigation and has not cleared the officers of wrongdoing. The chief stressed the importance of learning from the incident to prevent similar situations in the future. We’ll be back in a moment Break: Ingles Markets 1 STORY 6: Commissioners Question Cupid's Spending Requests Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid has requested to allocate $200,000 from her contingency funds for communications consultants and policy analysts, sparking debate among board members. Cupid’s plan divides the funds into $100,000 for professional services, $25,000 for office activities, and $75,000 for programs and events. While the board approved a similar request last year, contracts were not finalized before the fiscal year ended. Republican Commissioner JoAnn Birrell and Democrat Monique Sheffield voiced concerns, with Birrell suggesting the funds should support special projects instead of consultants. Cupid defended the proposal, emphasizing its importance for improving policy vetting and community communication. The board will vote on the request at today’s meeting. STORY 7: Bomb Threat At Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Home Leads to Fatal Wreck A Rome police officer was involved in a fatal car crash while responding to a bomb threat at U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s home. An email claimed a pipe bomb was in Greene’s mailbox, leading local police to dispatch the Floyd County Bomb Squad. On the way, an officer driving his personal vehicle collided with a Mazda Protege, killing 66-year-old Tammie Pickelsimer. The officer sustained minor injuries. The bomb threat, traced to a Russian IP address, follows multiple previous threats made against Greene. Local and federal authorities, including the FBI, are investigating. Break: 08.09.24 MDJ THEATRE MOTOWN CHRISTMAS_FINAL Signoff- Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.mdjonline.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: ● www.ingles-markets.com ● www.cuofga.org ● www.drakerealty.com ● www.mariettatheatresquare.com #NewsPodcast #CurrentEvents #TopHeadlines #BreakingNews #PodcastDiscussion #PodcastNews #InDepthAnalysis #NewsAnalysis #PodcastTrending #WorldNews #LocalNews #GlobalNews #PodcastInsights #NewsBrief #PodcastUpdate #NewsRoundup #WeeklyNews #DailyNews #PodcastInterviews #HotTopics #PodcastOpinions #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheHeadlines #PodcastMedia #NewsStories #PodcastReports #JournalismMatters #PodcastPerspectives #NewsCommentary #PodcastListeners #NewsPodcastCommunity #NewsSource #PodcastCuration #WorldAffairs #PodcastUpdates #AudioNews #PodcastJournalism #EmergingStories #NewsFlash #PodcastConversationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan C. Mack is a retired U.S. Army Master Aviator and veteran of over 35 years of service. He spent 17 years with the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the "Night Stalkers," flying MH-47 Chinook helicopters on missions such as the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the rescue of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell during Operation Red Wings. Mack's career included roles as a Flight Lead, Instructor, and Commander at West Point, amassing over 6,700 flight hours and earning accolades like the Distinguished Flying Cross and Legion of Merit. In his book, Razor 03: A Night Stalker's Wars, Mack shares gripping accounts of his combat experiences and personal challenges, including the toll of frequent deployments on his family. Now serving as a Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Services in New York, he continues to inspire audiences with stories of resilience and leadership. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://shopify.com/srs https://helixsleep.com/srs https://betterhelp.com/srs https://hillsdale.edu/srs https://ShawnLikesGold.com | 855-936-GOLD #goldcopartner Alan C. Mack Links: Website - https://alancmack.com Book - https://alancmack.com/razor-03-a-night-stalkers-wars X - https://x.com/alancmack2015 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alancmack2015 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AlanCMackAuthor LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-c-mack Please leave us a review on Apple & Spotify Podcasts. Vigilance Elite/Shawn Ryan Links: Website | Patreon | TikTok | Instagram | Download Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Ingles Studio this is your news minute on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast presented by Credit Union of Georgia. Today is Monday, December 9th and I'm Keith Ippolito. Distinguished Flying Cross Awarded to Cobb Air Force Major Maj. Adam Haas, a flight nurse with the 94th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with a Combat Device for his bravery during the Afghanistan evacuation in 2021. The award ceremony took place at Dobbins Air Reserve Base before over 200 airmen and airwomen, with Maj. Gen. Melissa Coburn presenting the medal. The Combat Device signifies actions under combat conditions, making Haas' dual recognition exceptionally rare. During the mission, Haas and his team provided medical aid to victims of a suicide bombing at Kabul International Airport. The attack killed 107 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members amid the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Entering unsecured, hostile areas, Haas directed the largest aeromedical evacuation in Kabul Coalition Hospital's history, ensuring the safety of his team and patients. Reflecting on the mission, Haas humbly credited his team and said his focus remained on helping those in need. For more news about our community, visit mdjonline.com. For the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, I'm Keith Ippolito. Produced by The BG Podcast Network NewsPodcast CurrentEvents TopHeadlines #BreakingNews #PodcastDiscussion #PodcastNews #InDepthAnalysis #NewsAnalysis #PodcastTrending #WorldNews #LocalNews #GlobalNews #PodcastInsights #NewsBrief #PodcastUpdate #NewsRoundup #WeeklyNews #DailyNews #PodcastInterviews #HotTopics #PodcastOpinions #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheHeadlines #PodcastMedia #NewsStories #PodcastReports #JournalismMatters #PodcastPerspectives #NewsCommentary #PodcastListeners #NewsPodcastCommunity #NewsSource #PodcastCuration #WorldAffairs #PodcastUpdates #AudioNews #PodcastJournalism #EmergingStories #NewsFlash #PodcastConversations #podcast #podcasts #podcaster #podcastlife #podcastshow #podcasting #podcasters #podcastersofinstagram #itunes #applepodcasts #spotifypodcast #soundcloud #youtube #radio #radioshow #comedy #music #hiphop #art #entrepreneur #covid #motivation #interview #repost #loveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

fWotD Episode 2773: Wilfred Arthur Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Saturday, 7 December 2024 is Wilfred Arthur.Wilfred Stanley Arthur, (7 December 1919 – 23 December 2000) was a fighter ace and senior officer of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. Commonly known as "Woof", he was officially credited with ten aerial victories. As a commander, he led combat formations at squadron and wing level, becoming at twenty-four the youngest group captain in the history of the RAAF.Born in Sydney and raised in rural Queensland, Arthur enlisted in the RAAF the day after Australia joined the war in September 1939. He first saw action the following year with No. 3 (Army Cooperation) Squadron in the Middle East, flying Gloster Gladiators initially, and later Hawker Hurricanes and P-40 Tomahawks. He achieved victories in all three types against German and Italian opponents, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down four aircraft in a single sortie in November 1941. The next month Arthur married a young woman he met in Alexandria, and organised for her to travel with him on his troopship when he was posted back to Australia in January 1942.After a brief stint flying P-40 Kittyhawks with No. 76 Squadron in Queensland in April 1942, Arthur served as an instructor with No. 2 Operational Training Unit (OTU) in Victoria. In January 1943 he was posted to New Guinea to command another Kittyhawk unit, No. 75 Squadron. He received the Distinguished Service Order in April for continuing to lead an attack on a formation of Japanese bombers after discovering that his guns were inoperable. Appointed wing leader of No. 71 Wing, Arthur was involved in a runway collision with an RAAF Spitfire in November and suffered severe burns necessitating repatriation to Australia. After recovering, he attended a staff course before taking charge of No. 2 OTU. In December 1944 he was posted to the Dutch East Indies to command No. 81 Wing and, later, No. 78 Wing. Twice mentioned in despatches during the war, Arthur also played a leading part in—and gave name to—the "Morotai Mutiny" of April 1945, when eight RAAF officers attempted to resign their commissions in protest against apparently worthless ground-attack operations. Pursuing business interests in Australia and Vietnam following his discharge from the RAAF after the war, he settled in Darwin, Northern Territory, in 1967 and died there in 2000.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:50 UTC on Saturday, 7 December 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Wilfred Arthur on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Emma.

Send us a textMary Jennings Hegar is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, the Purple Heart, and five Air Medals for her service as an Air National Guard HH-60 Pave Hawk Combat Search and Rescue Pilot on three deployments in Afghanistan and many domestic civil humanitarian missions. When her aircraft was shot down in Afghanistan, she sustained back injuries that prevented her continued service as a pilot. The existing Ground Combat Exclusion Policy that prohibited women from serving in ground combat roles meant she could not apply for re-designation as a special tactics officer where her skills and experience could best support the mission. In 2012, she was the lead plaintiff against the Secretary of Defense in a case to abolish the Ground Combat Exclusion Policy and enhance military effectiveness. The policy was repealed in 2013.  MJ's journey began in Air Force ROTC with a follow-on Air Force commission. After she was sexually assaulted by her Flight Surgeon during a qualifying flight physical, and witnessed his subsequent impunity, she made the difficult decision to leave active duty and pursue her dream of ‘becoming Han Solo' through the Air National Guard.  In this interview we talk about why she felt it was important to share her story to educate the public, politicians, and policy makers on both the achievements and contributions of women in combat operations, and the challenges they face in navigating military careers from negative individual and institutional biases.  Shoot Like a Girl is the November 2024 Aviatrix Book Club discussion book. There is also a young adult version, Fly Like a Girl, for readers ages 12-16. If you haven't read this book, add it to your TBR list.  https://literaryaviatrix.com/book/shoot-like-a-girl-one-womans-dramatic-fight-in-afghanistan-and-on-the-home-front/ https://literaryaviatrix.com/book/fly-like-a-girl-one-womans-dramatic-fight-in-afghanistan-and-on-the-home-front/Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the book page. By shopping through the Literary Aviatrix website a small portion of the sale goes to support the content you love, at no additional cost to you. https://literaryaviatrix.com/shop-all-books/Thanks so much for listening! Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter. Visit the Literary Aviatrix website to find over 600 books featuring women in aviation in all genres for all ages. Become a Literary Aviatrix Patron and help amplify the voices of women in aviation. Follow me on social media, join the book club, and find all of the things on the Literary Aviatrix linkt.ree. Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!-Liz Booker

In this conversation, Gabe Muller and James Spearman discuss the profound impact of the aviation community, particularly during times of crisis. They reflect on James's military deployment, the challenges faced during combat sorties, and the teamwork that is essential in aviation. The discussion also delves into a specific night of tension when they were involved in a critical mission, highlighting the importance of crisis management and the recognition received for their efforts. Ultimately, the conversation emphasizes personal growth and the lessons learned from these experiences. In this conversation, James Spearman shares insights on crisis management, drawing parallels between aviation and business. He discusses the importance of focusing on controllable factors during emergencies and the lessons learned from his experiences in the cockpit. The conversation also touches on the dynamics of teamwork, the role of technology in aviation, and the growth of James's business, including innovations in aircraft maintenance and performance improvements. Takeaways The aviation community is known for its willingness to help others in need. Teamwork is crucial in aviation, especially during high-stress situations. Experiences in the military can profoundly impact personal growth. Crisis management skills are essential for pilots. Recognition in aviation can come from unexpected circumstances. Every flight can leave a lasting impression on a pilot's life. The importance of staying calm and focused during emergencies. Learning from past experiences can enhance future performance. The bond formed among crew members during deployment is significant. Reflecting on experiences can lead to deeper insights about oneself. Crisis management is essential in both aviation and business. Focus on what you can control during emergencies. Teamwork is crucial in high-pressure situations. Lessons from aviation can be applied to leadership. Writing a book can help share valuable lessons learned. Technology plays a significant role in modern aviation. Small tools can have a big impact in critical situations. Understanding the worst-case scenario can alleviate stress. Continuous learning and adaptation are vital in business. Innovations in aviation technology can enhance performance. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Community Impact 03:08 Aviation Experiences and Reflections 05:55 Military Deployment and Combat Sorties 09:07 The Night of Tension and Teamwork 11:57 In-Flight Emergency and Crisis Management 15:04 Recognition and Awards in Aviation 18:02 Lessons Learned and Personal Growth 24:59 Crisis Management in Aviation and Business 27:27 Lessons from the Cockpit: Writing a Book 30:05 Team Dynamics and Shared Experiences 33:11 The Role of Technology in Aviation 38:35 Business Growth and Innovations in Aviation Links: https://www.spearmanaircraft.com/ https://www.smokehousepilots.com/

On this week's episode I spoke with Colonel Kim “KC” Campbell DFC “Retd” served in the Air Force for 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. Kim is a keynote speaker sharing her story about a life changing combat experience while weaving in ideas and lessons about leadership, teamwork, perseverance, and decision making in stressful environments. Kim has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. She is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Academy and has a Master of Arts in International Security Studies and a Master of Business Administration from the University of London. She has served as a Squadron Commander, Operations Group Commander, Air Force Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defence for Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defence. Most recently, Kim served as the Director for the Centre for Character and Leadership Development at the United States Air Force Academy. In 2003, Colonel Campbell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission in Baghdad. In 2023 Kim published her bestselling book FLYING IN THE FACE OF FEAR A fighter Pilot's Lessons on Leading with Courage. Kim is a mum a wife and now travels around America speaking and helping veterans transiting out of the military.     Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Kim “KC” Campbell Editor: Kyle Watkins Investigative Consultant: Adam Holloway

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links Boost theSignal with a $5 monthly donation! Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content! #emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices -------------An iconic line from the award-winning drama, “The West Wing” perfectly describes this week's guest on the Disaster Tough Podcast.“This is a time for American heroes.  We will do what is hard.  We will achieve what is great.  This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars.”As a retired Colonel in the US Air Force,  Kim “KC” Campbell flew 1,800+ hours and 100+ combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan during 24 years of service as a fighter pilot and senior military leader.Her efforts earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism in 2003 after recovering her battle-damaged A-10 Warthog aircraft during an intense support mission.Since retiring from the Air Force, Colonel Campbell has focused on family life and helping build future leaders as an author and keynote speaker. Her best-selling book, "Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot's Lessons on Leading with Courage" shares vital lessons for organizations about leadership and decision-making.In this episode, she shares some of the insights from the book along with other leadership and service lessons learned during her time in the military and beyond.Colonel Campbell's book can be found online at https://kim-kc-campbell.com/book/ and other websites and stores where books are sold.------------------*Major Endorsements:L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.Learn more about this amazing product here: https://www.l3harris.com/ Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals: https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulseEmergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop):Hot Mess Express: An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks. Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. Register for DyPop here:https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamicDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

Bill “Tiger” Lyons enlisted in the Army Air Force within months of graduating high school in 1942. Although he had never learned to drive a car, he was trained to fly a P-51 Mustang, flying 63 combat missions over Europe with the 355th Fighter Group in 1944-1945, protecting U.S. bombers from German fighter planes. During his tour, he shot down two German fighters and damaged one of the most elusive and fast German Fighters of the war, the Messerschmidt ME-262 jet. As a Jewish soldier fighting in the skies over Nazi Europe, the consequences of being shot down were even greater than most. By the end of the war, Bill Lyons had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters, five European Theater of Operations Battle Stars and two Presidential Unit Citations. “SocialFlight Live!” is a live broadcast dedicated to supporting General Aviation pilots and enthusiasts during these challenging times. Register at SocialFlightLive.com to join the live broadcast every Tuesday evening at 8pm ET (be sure to join early because attendance is limited for the live broadcasts). Aspen Avionics www.aspenavionics.comAvidyne www.avidyne.com Continental Aerospace Technologies www.continental.aero EarthX Batteries www.earthxbatteries.com Lightspeed Aviation www.lightspeedaviation.com McFarlane Aviation www.mcfarlane-aviation.com Phillips 66 Lubricants https://phillips66lubricants.com/industries/aviation/ Tempest Aero www.tempestaero.com Titan Aircraft www.titanaircraft.com Trio Avionics www.trioavionics.com uAvionix www.uavionix.com Wipaire www.wipaire.com

In this episode of The Real ResQ Podcast, host Jason Quinn is joined by an entire U.S. Coast Guard Crew: Pilots Ryan O'Neill and Adam Ownbey; flight mechanic Peter Gaudet; and Spencer Manson, Rescue Swimmer No. 999.  The crew recounts their experience of saving six lives during a rescue mission. Facing challenging conditions, including hurricane-force winds and 20-foot seas, as they located a disabled sailboat with six people on board.  The crew had to devise a plan to hoist the rescue swimmer, Spencer, down to the water and then onto the moving sailboat. The team worked together to overcome the obstacles and successfully rescued all the survivors.  The crew members were recognized for their heroic actions and awarded Air Medals and a Distinguished Flying Cross.  Spencer recounts his experience of being hoisted in the water and his struggle to climb onto a passing sailboat. The helicopter crew had their own concerns about fuel and the decision to send the rescue basket to retrieve Spencer. Once the crew successfully hoisted Spencer and a survivor from the water, they made their way back to shore; however, the rescue did not end there. As soon as they landed, the crew needed to prepare to go back out to help rescue the remaining people on the boat.  The crew discusses details of the rescue operation and reflects on what they would do differently if they ever found themselves once again in a similar situation. They talk about the challenges of communication and coordination with multiple assets involved in the rescue.  The crew emphasizes the importance of training outside of their comfort zones and practicing new techniques. They also highlight the need to carefully consider the risks and benefits of disconnecting the swimmer from the hoist cable. Overall, the team shares their experiences and lessons learned from the rescue. Enjoy!   This episode is powered by Vertical HeliCASTS. Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ:  Switlik, Breeze-Eastern, and Axnes. Follow The Real ResQ on Facebook and Instagram and listen on Vertical Helicasts. Plus, get your podcast gear at therealresqstore.com.

The Distinguished Flying Cross is our nation's the fourth highest award for heroism and the highest award for extraordinary aerial achievement. The fact that Robert Lifsey was awarded four DFC medals is impressive.  Even more amazing is that the awards were presented over the course of only twelve months in Vietnam, along with a Bronze Star, a Republic of Vietnam Silver Star and four Airmen's Medals with Valor. After receiving a draft notice, Bob enlisted in the Army. He chose to go to an airborne unit and completed training with the 7th Special Forces (Green Berets). However, orders for flight school came right as he completed Special Forces training so he “Never tucked my trousers in my boots again.” Bob was assigned to the 191st Helicopter Assault Company in January of 1969. His unit flew UH-1 “Huey” C model gunships. He describes the UH-1's weapons systems and shares his great respect for the bravery of crew chiefs and door gunners who hung out the side doors attached to the helicopter with only a waist strap. The 191st Assault Helicopters nickname was “The Boomerangs”, a reference to the fact that they would always come back for their own.  A common theme in Bob's award citations was his unwillingness to leave any troops behind even though he was taking significant enemy fire. Bob walks us through one particular dangerous mission that still gives him nightmares. His helicopters were called to neutralize enemy bunkers that could not be attacked with artillery because they were too close to a village. Fire from the bunkers was causing significant casualties to Navy units on the river. Bob climbed to altitude and dove directly at the bunker to fire his rockets. Secondary explosions from the bunker knocked out the copter's nose bubble turning the aircraft into a wind tunnel.  Flying concrete and other bunker fragments killed both his crew chief and door gunner.  “I've asked the lord many times. I don't know if I had target fixation or not but if it hadn't been for those secondary explosions, I may have flown right into that target.” Bob's brother was a Naval Academy graduate who flew A-4's in Vietnam at the same time Bob did. The mission of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society is to honor, preserve and teach the legacy of heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight for which the DFC is awarded.

Segment 4, July 20, 2024. There are many differences between our founder, Jesse Brown, and the Korean War hero, Jesse Brown. Our Jesse was born in 1933 and lived a long life. He started Jesse Brown's Backpacking Mountaineering Canoeing Kayaking in 1970. The store's concept came from time spent in Manhattan visiting outdoor stores while he was employed as a corporate pilot for J.P. Stevens Textile Firm. Two of Jesse's passions were the outdoors and flying. One led to the other and we continue to promote the outdoor lifestyle through the brick-and-mortar outdoor store based in Charlotte, NC, and the website www.jessebrowns.com. The company also uses this format to focus on outdoors in the Carolinas with the Carolina Outdoors radio show and podcast. The Jesse Brown featured in the film was born just seven years earlier (1926) than our Jesse, and enlisted in the Navy at age 20 as a young African-American man with an interest in aviation. He earned his pilot wings in 1948 and was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. He flew twenty combat missions before being shot down while supporting ground troops at the Chosin Reservoir. Jesse Brown became the first African American naval officer killed during the Korean War at the age of 24. As for our Jesse Brown. He lived into the 21st century and his name continues to adorn Jesse Brown's Outdoors and our website www.jessebrowns.com. We stay devoted to our clients by providing selection, service, and commitment to our community.         Come get your summer gear at Jesse Browns we have all the chairs, sunglasses and sun protection to keep you from getting burnt! Carolina Outdoor host, Bill Bartee, to help with what are the facts versus fiction. Show Highlights: Learn about Korean War Hero Jesse Brown and our Jesse The Carolina Outdoors is powered by the Charlotte fly shop, Jesse Brown's.

Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. was appointed as the 17th president of The Ohio State University by its Board of Trustees last August. He began his tenure at Ohio State on January 1 of this year. As president, Carter leads the state's premier public research university with six campuses in Ohio and a student body of more than 65,000. Carter also served as president of the University of Nebraska System and was the U.S. Naval Academy's longest continuously serving superintendent since the Civil War. He is a retired U.S. Navy vice admiral with 38 years of service and has logged more than 6,300 flying hours. Carter flew 125 combat missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bosnia and Kosovo. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross with combat distinction for valor and is a recipient of the Bronze Star. CMC is honored to welcome President Carter for this special 1:1 forum as we explore the future of the state's flagship university and the vision of its new leader. Featuring: Walter “Ted” Carter Jr., President, The Ohio State University The host is Matt Barnes, NBC4 Anchor This forum was sponsored by The Joseph & Carol Newcomb-Alutto Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund Focusing on Higher Education, The Ohio State University, Huntington, United Way of Central Ohio, Columbus Business First, Moody Nolan, and NBC4 WCMH TV.  The presenting sponsor of CMC's livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. It was supported by Vue Columbus.  This forum was recorded before a live audience at Vue Columbus in Columbus, Ohio's historic Brewery District on July 17, 2024.

Secure Your Digital Identity - Try today with two weeks free - Aura: https://aura.com/afterburnThis episode originally aired as episode 21. "2Watt is an A-10 pilot who, on July 20th, 2017, conducted a low-angle strafe during an operational check flight. The gun malfunctioned, causing the canopy to be jettisoned and damaging the aircraft's hydraulic system.  "2Watt" successfully recovered the stricken aircraft to a nearby field. For his superior airmanship, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.  Follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AfterburnPodcastSupport The Afterburn Podcast for on Patreon and gain early access and AD Free episodes. Plus access to “There I was…” stories. https://www.patreon.com/theafterburnpodcastPlease leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts:Apple - https://apple.co/3dLradTSpotify - https://spoti.fi/3SAeSUrAfterburn Podcast Links:Website – https://www.theafterburnpodcast.com Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/theafterburnpodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/rainwaters27/?hl=enSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-afterburn-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The edible beads that could combat cirrhosis and other gut conditions. And on This Day in History; The First Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded for one famous flight. Edible Carbon Beads Can Reduce Cirrhosis Liver Disease By Restoring Gut Microbiome TDIH: On June 11, 1927, Charles Lindbergh received the first Distinguished Flying Cross THE LEGEND OF LUCKY LINDBERGH | | azdailysun.com Contact the Show: coolstufcommute@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we're taking a look back at one of our favorite episodes. Join us as we delve into some leadership lessons with former fighter pilot turned keynote speaker and best-selling author, Kim "KC" Campbell. Discover how you can build trust within your team and lead with courage in times of uncertainty and adversity.   Kim served in the United States Air Force for 24 years as a fighter pilot and a senior military leader. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. As a senior military leader, Kim has led hundreds of airmen both at home and abroad in deployed locations, enabling them to succeed in their missions.  She takes this experience and inspires so many more in corporate spaces to lead with that passion for leadership. She feels strongly that leaders earn trust by leading with courage and connecting with their teams.   Key Discussion Points: 02:59 Do It Scared: Fear is not a negative thing. It is a normal reaction to a stressful circumstance. It's what you do in the face of fear that matters. 10:21 Preparing for Change: Trust doesn't happen overnight. As we are facing so many uncertainties right now, it is important to build trust within your team early. 17:48 Building Trust: As a new leader, you can build trust through active listening, seeking input, and showing vulnerability. 22:59 Wingman Culture: We do not succeed on our own, we succeed by working together as a team. Does everyone on your team understand the role that they play and how that role is critical for shared success? 26:36 Setting Yourself Up for Success as a Leader: The leadership role can be lonely. It's important to have some sort of support, whether that is a mentor, coach, or a trusted member of your team. 30:51 Navigating Failing Forward as an ‘Only': Everyone makes mistakes, what matters is how you respond to the mistakes you have made. What is your mistake mindset? 40:10 Leading With Courage: If you want to thrive in whatever environment you are in, it comes down to leading with courage and persevering through hard times.   In Summary: Kim "KC" Campbell challenges us to lead with courage, to deliver imperfect action, and to go on and thrive in every single space we occupy. She urges us, as leaders, to create teams built on trust.   Resources from this episode: Follow Kim on Linkedin or check out her website. Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot's Lessons on Leading with Courage by Kim Campbell   Connect with your hosts: Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website. Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website. _________ Produced by Ideablossoms  

Episode 100 of  @AfterburnPodcast  with Colonel (Ret) Scott 'Soup' Campbell shares his experiences and insights from his time flying the A-10 during the early days of Afghanistan. Col. Campbell led the first and second A-10 missions into Afghanistan during OPERATION ANACONDA. He was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses (citations link below) as a result of those early combat missions. He is a former A-10 Weapons School graduate and instructor. Distinguished Flying Cross Citations: https://www.theafterburnpodcast.com/post/col-scott-soup-campbell-distinguished-flying-cross-citationsHelp a Veteran - Guns Garin Memorial Foundation gunsgarin.com/rain 

Today's episode pulls together a few different important topics, from performing cognitively in crisis situations to how we develop character and leadership in the military. We also discuss the impact of human performance programs among pilots. But mostly this episode is a story of how a pilot handled being hit by an anti-aircraft missile and the lessons learned she walked away with after surviving. Kim “KC” Campbell is a retired Colonel who served in the Air Force for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission. You'll hear plenty about that story in the episode, but let's just say she has a proven ability to perform in a crisis. Kim knew she wanted to fly from a young age, making her first solo flight in a civilian aircraft over San Jose at age 17. She went to the United States Air Force Academy where she was the cadet wing commander (the highest position a USAFA cadet can achieve), as was her father during his time as a cadet; the first time that a father and daughter both served as cadet wing commander. She holds a degree in International Security Studies from the University of Reading, and a Master of Business Administration from Imperial College London, which she undertook while on a Marshall Scholarship. Her final assignment on active duty was back at the United States Air Force Academy as the Director of the Center for Character and Leadership Development. Learn more about Kim or schedule her as a speaker on her website. She also wrote a book diving deeper on much of what we discussed here. If you've never heard the SR-71 Blackbird "ground speed check" story, then check it out here.

A conversation between brothers in arms who have known each other since the early 1980s - one an athlete, the other his coach at the time.----more---- SUMMARY Neither has ventured far from the Air Force or the Academy. Lt. Gen. Richard Clark '86, the Academy's 21st superintendent, opens up about his leadership journey to Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Gould '76, the man who first coached him all those years ago. Gen. Clark's leadership story is exceptional and Gen. Gould does a masterful job of helping him tell it.   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "The one thing that doesn't change is our mission. And our mission is to develop lieutenants, better leaders of character that are ready to go out and win our wars and that are ready to go out support defend the Constitution. That is it." "Whenever there's Americans on the ground, we're going to do whatever it takes to help them you will do whatever it takes." "Seeing those young guys go out there and do that, and do what they needed to do to help other Americans to help their fellow servicemen that made me prouder than anything." "I am very happy and comfortable to leave this torch with them to hand the torch off to them. And I'm just proud to have served with them." "I am leaving with a lot of gratitude in my heart, just from our cadets from our permanent party, from the alumni that helped us do this and the other supporters."   SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  EMAIL   CHAPTERS 00:00:  Introduction and Mission of the Air Force Academy 01:09:  Lieutenant General Rich Clark's Background and Career 08:27:  Making the Best of Unexpected Assignments 10:18:  Leadership in Challenging Situations 00:09:  Introduction 07:28:  Enhancing the Academy's Facilities and Programs 14:57:  Developing Leaders of Character 31:11:  The Importance of Alumni and Supporters 37:51:  Transitioning to the Role of Executive Director of the College Football Playoff 45:08:  Conclusion   TAKEAWAYS  - Leadership is developed through challenging experiences like overcoming adversity, mentoring others, and leading in high-pressure situations like combat.  - Support from family, mentors, and sponsor families can help one persevere through difficult times and find purpose.  - Having an open mind and making the most of unexpected opportunities can lead to unexpected benefits and career success.  - Giving back to one's alma mater through things like financial support, mentorship, and service helps continue its mission and benefits future generations.  - Expressing gratitude to those who support your mission helps foster positive relationships and a sense of shared purpose.     LT. GEN. CLARK'S BIO Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark '86 is the Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He directs a four-year regimen of military training, academics, athletic and character development programs leading to a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force or United States Space Force. Lt. Gen. Clark graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1986. His commands include the 34th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; 12th Flying Training Wing, Randolph AFB, Texas; Eighth Air Force, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike, Offutt AFB, Nebraska. He has also served as a White House Fellow in Washington, D.C.; the Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado; Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché, Cairo, Egypt, and as the Commander, Third Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Prior to his current assignment, Lt. Gen. Clark served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. - Copy and image credit:  af.mil       ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!            FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Our guest is Lt. Gen. Richard Clark '86  |  Our host is Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Gould '76   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  00:12 The one thing that doesn't change is our mission. And our mission is to develop lieutenants, better leaders of character, that are ready to go out and win our wars and that are ready to go out and support and defend the Constitution. That's it.   Announcer  00:27 Welcome to the Long Blue Leadership podcast. These are powerful conversations with United States Air Force Academy graduates who have lived their lives with distinction. All leaders of character who candidly share their stories, including their best and worst moments, the challenges they've overcome the people and events that have shaped who they are, and who willingly lend their wisdom to advance your leadership journey. Your host for this special presentation of Long Blue Leadership is Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Gould, USAFA class of '76 and currently serving as a member of the Association and Foundation board of directors. And now, Gen. Mike Gould.   Lt. Gen Mike Gould  01:09 My guest today is Lt. Gen. Rich Clark, the 21st superintendent of the Air Force Academy, Class of '86 at USAFA, and if I'm not mistaken, you're about 46 days away from retiring. After a 38-year career, that when you think about it, has spanned so much in our country, starting with the Cold War through conflicts in Southwest Asia, in the Middle East, and the culture wars that we all experience today. I think his experience in active duty is highlighted most by seven commands that he's held; a bomb squadron, a training wing, to numbered Air Force's, the joint functional component command for Global Strike, served as the commandant of cadets here at the Academy. And now like I said, as the 21st superintendent. In addition to that, Gen. Clark served as the senior defense official, and the defense attaché in Cairo during some interesting times, and also served as a White House fellow. And if that's not enough, he's flown over 4,200 hours in the B1, both the EC and KC-135, the T1, the T38, the T6 and the T21. And most notably, 400 of those hours are in combat. So Rich, as you look back on the past nearly four decades of service, I'm sure you have a lot to think about as it's all coming to an end. And really, how it all started. I'd like you to please share with us a little bit about your life as a young child. And you know, some of the influential people who you met in your formative years, and then kind of how that led you here to the Air Force Academy.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  02:58 Wow, well, first, can I call you Coach, General Gould?   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  03:02 You (can) call me Coach…   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  03:03 I'll call you Coach because you were my coach when I was here, and you saw me walk in the doors here. So, I'll talk a little bit about that. But I just want to thank you for letting me be here today. This is a real honor. So, thank you.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  But I grew up in the Bay Area, Oakland, Berkeley, California, and my parents were divorced. So, it was my mother, my brother and I. And then when my mom got remarried, we moved to the East Coast to Richmond, Virginia, and that's where I went to high school, and not a military family. My dad was drafted back in the Vietnam era. He served a short tour, so I don't really remember those days. So, I don't consider myself really from a military family and really hadn't considered joining the military. I played football, I played a lot of sports. Growing up, football was my primary — and track actually, but football the primarily, and I had signed to go to William & Mary in Virginia, and I was going with my best friend from high school and actually in junior high. And Coach Ken Hatfield came to my house. And the Air Force had been recruiting me. So did Army and Navy. And he actually came to my house though and visited my parents. And he had dinner at our house, and my mom thought, “He is such a nice man. And he was like, “Look, just come out and see the Air Force Academy.” Now what he didn't know was that I wanted to, I was very interested in flying more commercial. I always thought I wanted to be a commercial pilot. And he convinced me to come out. My mom was like, “Just go; it's free.” You know, I was like, OK, and so I still had a couple of college visits left. So, I came to the Air Force Academy. I'll be honest, I got here and after seeing the place and seeing the opportunities to fly — just to have a great education and to play Division I college football, I was hooked. And I, my dad — my stepdad who I consider my dad — made me call the coach at William & Mary tell him I was changing my mind. And I signed and came to Air Force. And when I got off the bus and got on those footprints , and they started yelling at me, I was like, “Hey, wait, I'm a football player. You're not supposed to yell at me.” That's what I thought. And that was not true. And the rest is history. And, you know, it was an important decision in my life, certainly. But, you know, I appreciate Coach Hatfield being persistent and coming to get me and, you know, talk to my parents, formative people, obviously. But it was a great decision. Great decision.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  05:48 Did you also visit West Point and or Annapolis?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  05:52 I did not because I didn't want to go to a — I wasn't interested, really in a service academy. What I will say, though, I did fill out an application to Air Force before Coach Hatfield came. And I did go and do an interview with my congressional member. Because my guidance counselor convinced me to do that in case I didn't get another good offer from somewhere else. And I actually got a congressional appointment. But then the Academy contacted me, and I told them I was going to turn it down. And that's when Coach Hatfield came to my house. But I, I went through the motions, I think, but I didn't really have an intention to come. I wanted to go to William & Mary, and I wasn't even going to visit Army and Navy because, you know, there wasn't something I was interested in.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  06:46 I'll bet you've looked back and asked yourself the question, what would you be doing now had you gone to William and Mary, or one of these other schools?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  06:54 Hard for me to picture my life without being in the Air Force and the Air Force Academy, right?   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  07:01 Now, you let on a little bit about falling in on the footprints. But as you look back at arriving at the Academy, and you're in now, you signed up and you're going to be a Falcon, what kind of memories do you have about basic training and leading into your first fall semester?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  07:21 Yeah. So, here's the here's one memory I definitely have — and I talk to the cadets about this sometimes — I mentioned the phone-booth to them. And they're like, “What? “What's a phone booth?” Well, you know, I explained to them, there were these big boxes that had a telephone and you had a card that you could call home. And in basic training, about halfway through, you got to call home. And I call my mom. And I said, “Mom, this place is not for me. I'm ready to come home.” She's like, “Oh, that's great. Because the William & Mary coach called last week to see how you're doing. You could probably still get your scholarship.” And I was like, “Oh.” I was expecting her to say, “Well, you better not come home.” But she said, “You know, that's OK.” And truth is, I looked out the door, you know, they had the glass doors, and all my classmates are lined up out the door waiting for their turn to come in. And honestly, I thought, “Man, I'm not ready to leave these guys yet.” And so, she said, “You come on home, it's OK.” And I said, “Well, you know what, mom, I think I'm just gonna' finish basic training. And then I'll see. I want to stick that out with these guys.” You know, I made some great friends. It's not what I expected, but I liked the people. So, I stayed. And then after basic training, she asked me, “Are you still going to come home?” And I said, “Well, you know, I think I'll stick it out one semester, I'd really like to play football because I've gotten in with the team now. And I got some friends on the team. So maybe I could play one season. I think I've got a good chance to make the varsity.” And I did that. And then it was, “You know, Mom, maybe I'll stay for my rest of my freshman year.” It was like one step at a time until eventually I was like, “You know, I'm in.” But it was not a done deal for a while for me, you know, where I just said, “You know what, this is it. I'm in the right place.” I think after that first year, though, I realized that I was, you know — it took some time though. And football had a lot to do with it. The friends you make, the success we had as a team. That was just great. And I love my squadron. I was in 7th Squadron. Great, great friends there. So, after a year though, I feel like I was in but there was that moment in that phone booth and basic training where I was like, “Man, I don't know.” But I did it and I'm glad I did.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  09:52 Well, everything you just went through right there was referencing the people. That's what kept you there. But then you get into academics and you get your military training. How did you navigate some of those things? And you know, I know you had fun with your buddies and football is always a hoot. But about the other challenges that the Academy threw at you?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  10:15 Yeah. So, I actually, I liked academics, I did pretty well, I was on Dean's List most semesters, like seven of my eight semesters, I made the Dean's List. So not that I didn't have some challenges. I mean, there's those certain courses that you're just like, “Oh, my goodness.” But overall, academics wasn't the big challenge. I think the challenge for me was not having some of the freedoms that you wanted early on because you're sort of getting acclimatized to it, you know, you're getting used to not being able to do certain things, the military lifestyle, you have to get used to that a little bit. But once I got that — and going back to the people, everybody's kind of struggling with that. And when you're all struggling together, it just makes it a lot more bearable and doable. And I think after that first year, I was in, I was like, “You know, I'm in the right place. And I'm gonna' stay here.” I did have a moment though. When I was a sophomore, I tore my knee up playing football, the last game, San Diego State. Just ripped my ACL. My MCL — meniscus cartilage — had [to be] reconstructed. And I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to play football again. And that made me kind of think a little bit about was I going to stay. And I had to come to terms with some things, you know, “Why am I here? What's my real purpose?” And as much as football meant to me, I was here for something bigger than that. And I realized that unfortunately, at that point when I was injured, I think that was also the point where I really came to terms with why I was here, that it was something bigger than myself. And I wanted to be a part of it. And so I stayed. I was still determined to play and I did get to play, you know, the next season. But my purpose was a bit different, you know, and that injury really helped me kind of figure things out and sort through my greater purpose.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  12:18 Gave you that confidence of overcoming adversity.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  12:21 Absolutely. Like sports does. Right. That's it.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  12:24 Now, back in my day, we didn't really have a sponsorship program — sponsor families in town. But I think by the time you were a cadet, that program existed to have a sponsor family.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  12:41 They were awesome. The Frables, Neil and Elizabeth. I just had lunch with Neil about four months ago. We still we stay in touch and they're just awesome. And they were so good. They sponsored four of us. And they actually gave each of us a key to their house. And a key to their third car. Oh, my goodness, that was a lifesaver. And they cooked a lot. And we ate a lot. And they just they really opened their homes up to us. So, I credit them. I mean, they were my second family, and still just love them for what they did for us. They were a great, great sponsor family.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  13:24 When you were a cadet, did you participate in any formal leadership programs? Did you hold some positions within the cadet wing?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  13:35 O don't think they thought that highly of me. I wasn't that kind of cadet. I was the D.O. for my squadron. And that was because one of my buddies was a squadron commander. He's like, “Hey, man, will you help me?” And I was like, “Yeah, I'll do this.” But that was the most leadership experience I got and, you know, informal way. But I was glad to do that. It was my squadron. Although, when I told my friends to clean their rooms up and stuff, they'd always give me grief. You know, all these seniors. We were all seniors together. And they're like, “Who are you to tell me this?” Peer leadership is the hardest thing in the world. But yeah, I didn't rise to the level of like group or wing leadership or anything like that. So, the cadets were already surprised to hear that I'm like not, I wasn't that good of a cadet. I mean, I was like your average kind of cadet that did pretty well.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  14:28 Well, you're being modest here. I watched you lead on that football team. You guys had some success and a really tight group.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  14:35 We did. I loved our team. We had a lot of leaders on our football team, though. And people — I always characterize the leadership on our football team — people knew when they needed to lead. You know, there was just times where someone needed to step up and be a leader. And it might not be that you were the leader all the time. But when it was needed, somebody always stepped up. And that was I think the hallmark of our team. And it was just a great group of people, humble leaders, all about team success. And I learned as much leadership from football as I did anywhere else here at the Academy. And credit to Coach DeBerry, Coach Hatfield, you know, all of our coaches, and my teammates, for just helping me develop as a man and, and what kind of a leader and person I wanted to be. So that was as much of a leadership laboratory as anything for me.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  15:33 So, it sounds like when it came time to toss your hat and put on the gold bars, you were prepared to go out and be a lieutenant in the Air Force.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  15:43 I think I was. And my first job was right back and coaching football here. So that was a nice transition from the Academy. I taught unarmed combat, PE, and I coached the JV football team and you, you were at the prep school then I think, Coach, and so… But that was a phenomenal job. And there were like eight of us that stayed back and did that. That was just great. And you know, you had to employ some leadership there because you're trying to lead the cadets. And whether they're on football or in the PE class. So, I learned a lot doing that, but I really enjoyed it. I love being back here. And honestly, it gave me a whole different appreciation for the Academy. Because when you're a cadet, you are looking about five feet in front of you and you don't stop to look at the mountains and you don't stop to look at all that everybody's doing to make this place happen and the passion that people really have for our cadets. That was when I first kind of said, “You know what, this place really is special.” But you don't get that as a cadet necessarily. Some cadets, so they're special anyway, but cadets like me, I didn't know, and I was just ready to graduate. But that one year gave me a whole different appreciation. And I'm grateful for it.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  17:00 Right. And then you headed off to pilot training and like most lieutenants, you know, you're gonna' mix in with a new group of people, a new group of friends. Talk to us about your experience as a student pilot, and then on to start your career flying big airplanes.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  17:18 Yes. So, me and one of my good friends, Mike Chandler, we decided we were going to go to pilot training together. He was a teammate in football. And we were actually roommates when we traveled. And we decided we're going together. So, we both went to Laughlin. And we thought we'll go to Laughlin so there's no distractions, there's good weather, we're going to kill pilot training. And when we got there, we realized there's no distractions at all. And there was nothing else to do there. But we had a great time because of the people in our class. And we're the only two Academy grads in the class. But we just we bonded well as a class and pilot training was pretty good. I do remember though, I almost washed out, like in the first month, because I had a couple bad rides in a row. And you know how you get a couple, three bad rides, and you're out? And especially in those days, we lost half of our class, they washed out 50% of our class. And I had these bad rides. And I had to go to what they call an 89. You know, and what that was if you if you fail three rides in a row, right? If you couldn't do your no-flap landings, and you couldn't get them right in the T-37, then you went to an 88. You fail the 88, then you go to the 89. 89 was the elimination, right? And so, I had to go to an 89. And I had to fly with the squadron commander. And the night before, I call my mom again. I always called my mom. And I was like, Mom, tomorrow might be my last flight because I flew today, I failed the ride, and I don't think a whole lot is gonna' change between tonight and tomorrow. And she was like, “Well enjoy it. Because it might be the last time you get to fly an airplane, so you need to at least have fun. It's been your dream and my heart goes out to you. But enjoy the flight. Don't make your last flight something that was a bad memory for you.” And I was like, “Well, if I fail, it's gonna' be a bad memory.” She said, “But at least have fun. You can have fun.” But it was great advice because I went up there, Coach, and I was just relaxed. I even stopped studying when I called her. I didn't study that night. I went to bed, got up in the morning, didn't get up early and study. I went in there, I did my ground evals. I was usually pretty good in the ground evals and I just went up and I flew the sortie. I remember, he told me to do a cloverleaf, you know, the maneuver the cloverleaf, which was my favorite. I did the cloverleaf and he goes, “OK, we can head on back to the pattern now get your pattern work done.” And I said, “Can I do one more clover?” And he's like, “I don't recommend it, the one you did was fine.” And I said, “I know I just like the cloverleaf. Sir, can I just do one more?” He was like, “OK.” And I did another cloverleaf thinking, “You know, this might be my last time I did the cloverleaf.” I flew back to the pattern, I'm talking to the IP and stuff. I did my landings, you know, really uneventful. Got out of the plane, we're walking back, and he goes, “I don't even know why you're in this ride. That was a great ride.” And I was like, “You mean, I passed?” And he was like, “Yeah, great job today, Lt. Clark, you passed.” And what I realized, it was about just relaxing and flying the plane. And it was the best lesson I ever got in an airplane, when you can relax and just let your training kick in. And just don't worry and let your instincts take over. You just fly better. And my mom sort of taught me that. She's like, “Just relax and have a good time.” So, I sort of credited her with keeping me at the Academy. She got me through pilot training. I mean, she was my mom, too. So, I give her that credit. But yeah, that was a good pilot training memory. And, you know, everything's been great since then.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  21:12 So, you head off, and you're going to the EC135 first, right? So, talk to me a little bit about your career progression there as a captain and major and things you look back on from that period.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  21:27 Well, so, here's one big lesson that I got out. When I got the EC135, I wanted to fly C-130. Really I wanted to fly a gunship. And I thought, “I don't even know what that is I didn't put it on my dream sheet. How did I end up getting this?” I was bummed out. And then one of the IP(s) said, “You know, they handpick people to go into the EC135.” Oh, really? Well, because the EC135 was the airborne command post — the nuclear mission at Offutt and you always had a general officer on board. And you could only fly with instructor pilots and a co-pilot. You couldn't have a straight aircraft commander in that plane. And the co-pilot had an immense amount of responsibility in that mission, and you got a whole lot of flying time. And when you got done with that assignment in two years, you got your choice of your next assignment. And a lot of guys went to fighters. They had to compete for that. But then for me, it was the B-1 and I saw that that was available. And I learned that when I first walked in the door because several people got to FP111s and B-1s. And I was like, “Man, I could do this.” I got 2,000 hours in the T-38 because they had the ACE program, the companion trainer program in the EC. And between those two aircraft, I got 2,000 hours, which was plenty for me to go into the B-1. And then I flew the B-1 basically the rest of my career. And so, it was really one of the lessons I learned. Sometimes you get put somewhere that maybe it didn't want or maybe didn't expect, but you make the best of it. And sometimes there's these, sort of, hidden benefits and successes that you didn't even know about. But if you go there and just bloom where you're planted, good things happen. And I learned that early. Fortunately, in the EC135. I flew the B-1 for 17 years. I flew at McConnell which ended up moving B-1s out of there. Dyess Air Force Base, I flew at Ellsworth as a squadron commander. I did do a stint in the Pentagon and legislative liaison in there and I was also a White House fellow, which was an amazing opportunity for me. But those years and the B-1 and doing the Pentagon and the White House fellow were really amazing years. I met Amy in there and we got married. When I was stationed at Dyess as a captain, well, actually I met her as a captain — we dated, and I pinned on just a few months before we got married. But my flying career was just awesome. And my first command was just absolutely a pinnacle point. It was squadron commander and the 34th Bomb Squadron. And I got into that squadron. Sept. 5, 2001, is when I showed up for that and I had just left the White House fellowship, which was just a fantastic opportunity. But I was riding high Sept. 5, and then Sept. 11, happens and everything changed. The squadron deployed and I wasn't checked out yet in the B-1. I had to go through a re-qual program. And so, I can remember when they left. The squadron was heading out and they were, “…or maybe we could just take you as an unqualified pilot,” blah, blah, blah. There was no way that that was going to happen. And so, I can remember that day, when they were leaving, they left about a month after Sept. 11, in October. And I just went and helped pack up bags. I just did whatever I could to help that squadron out. I wasn't the squadron commander at the time. But I remember thinking, “Man, I can't believe the squadron that I was going to go in is going to go without me.” But they did. And I helped. And I tried to be as much of a contributor as I could. And when they came back, I was all qualified. And then a couple of months after that, I took over the squadron. And then they tapped us to go again. And so, I got to deploy the squadron in combat over Iraq. We deployed to Oman and we flew missions at the beginning of OIF. And that was just an unbelievable experience, growth experience, leadership experience, but really, just something I'll never forget, you know, it was hard. It was tough. We're there for about six months. But leading in combat I think is something we all prepare for and want to be ready for. But it's also an honor, you know, to be able to have that kind of responsibility. And I think back on it, and my timing couldn't have been better for me to be able to do that. It was just a highlight of my career.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  26:31 Can we entice you to tell a quick war story about a Distinguished Flying Cross that you are awarded?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  26:37 Oh, well, I could talk about that. Can I talk about a different story there? I have a better one, I do. This was one of my proudest moments I think I had as the squadron commander. I had to line up all the crews, you know, to put experience within experience and make sure that they were balanced out with the people that I knew, and who was going to perform the best. And I had 24 crews. They actually sent me extra crews from a different squadron to make sure that we had a full complement. And the last crew that I had were two of the most inexperienced people in our squadron. Two captains and two lieutenants. And one of them was a brand-new FAPE. Has just come from T-37s into the B-1. And I had to have 24 crews and they were the last four people. And I didn't really have another way to balance the experience and inexperience. So, I did it. And the flight commanders were like, “Don't do it. We can't send these guys out like that.” And I said, “We have to; they need to go. And so, on the second night, they went out they had 24 JDAM, 2,000 pound GPS bombs. And they started out. They orbited in the area, they did well. First they delivered their 12 bombs on-target, the direct targets from the ATO, and they hit those targets. And then they were orbiting, waiting for what we call it, x-cast, somebody to call in and say, “I need some bombs.” And our mantra in the squadron was whenever there's Americans on the ground, we're going to do whatever it takes to help them. You will do whatever it takes. And so, they're orbiting, and they're about at bingo fuel in there, meaning the fuel that they needed to go back, and they get a radio call from an AWAC. There's troops in contact and they need some air power. So, they give this crew, the aircraft commander, this young FAPE goes, “Well, we're close to bingo, but we're not there yet. So, give us the coordinates and give us the radio frequency,” and they fly. And they get this JTAC — joint tactical air control — on the ground. And he's like, “We're getting shelled from a ridgeline. There's Iraqi armored vehicles, they're hitting us hard. We need some bombs. We got 150 soldiers down here, can you give us some bombs.” He's like, “Got it, give us the coordinates.” So, they start getting a nine-line there. They're loading the coordinates, and the “Wizzo” is just putting the bombs, you know, he starts putting them on target. Boom, boom, one at a time. And they get the coordinates, bomb on target. But then they hit bingo. And so the aircraft commander tells the JTAC, “Hey, we're at bingo fuel, we need to get going or we're not going to be able to get back home. But we'll get somebody else out here.” And the JTAC says, “If you leave us now, we're going to get pummeled. Can you stay a little longer?” He says, “We'll stay as long as you want.” And so, they keep putting bombs on target. And they keep putting them down until they went Winchester and the JTAC says, “Hey, the shelling stopped. You guys are cleared out.” And when they turn their nose to go home, they didn't have enough fuel to get back. And so, they get on with AWACS and they're talking to AWACS trying to figure something out. They're looking at divert. Field diverting into a field in Iraq is not a good idea. But finally, a KC-135 flies into the country, into Iraq, unarmed, unafraid, gives them gas and then those guys can come home. And when they got back, they were three hours past their estimated arrival time. And I met him at the airplane because I'm going, “What happened?” And when the aircraft commander comes down the ladder, he's got salt stains on his back. They were working hard. I said, “What happened? He goes, “Sir, we overflew our bingo.” I said, “Well, certainly there's more to it than that.” And so, we go into the intel debrief and they told that story. And all of those, that whole crew, was awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses for what they did. And so that of all the things that happened, to see those young guys go out there and do that, and do what they needed to do to help other Americans, to help their fellow servicemen, that made me prouder than anything,   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  30:44 I guess it would. And you took a chance, in a way, by putting this crew together.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  30:49 I did. Yeah. As far as I was concerned, I didn't have a choice, you know, but I had to trust them to do their job. And they were trained. I mean, they had received the training that was required for them to go to combat, so we have to trust them to do it. And they did it.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  31:05 Well, that's a really cool story. And if my math is right, you are about 15-16 years into your career at that time. Let me shift gears a little bit. How much thought did you give to staying in touch with or staying engaged with the Air Force Academy while you were out? You know, developing your career path.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  31:33 I gave a lot of thought to it. I used to come back for football games. I came back for my reunions for sure. And I don't think financially at that point, I hadn't gotten involved. But a couple years later, when our class, our 20th reunion was starting, that's when I really started realizing financially I could and should start to give back to the Academy. So that was when I think from a financial point, I really connected and realized that. But just from a present standpoint and coming back, I came back at every opportunity. I came back for games; I came back for some mentorship opportunities that people asked me to come talk to cadets and things like that. But I never thought I would get to come back here to work. You know, it never crossed my mind until someone asked me to be the commandant years later. And that was like beyond imagination for me, especially knowing what kind of cadet I was. I was like, “OK, you really want me to be the commandant? I don't think so.” But I got that opportunity down the road. I mean, that was after a lot. I went on to be a wing commander, you mentioned I was the wing commander. At 12th Flying Training Wing, I got to fly all the trainers and that was just awesome. And then I deployed to Iraq for a year, which was an intense year, hard year, I would say probably the hardest year I've had, you know, in my career. And then I got promoted to one star. And they sent me to Barksdale Air Force Base as the vice commander of 8th Air Force. And when I came back from Iraq, I knew I'd gotten promoted. And that job was kind of roundabout. They said, “Hey, we're gonna' send you to Barksdale to be the vice at 8th. But that job is actually going to be downgraded to a colonel and you're about to pin on one star. So we're not sure what's going to happen with you next.” I was like, “Oh, man,” trying to remember the lessons of the past though. I said, “OK. This is where I'm going so let's bloom where I'm planted,” right? So, we all move there. Things were great. And then I remember the MATCOM commander called me in one day and he goes, “You know…, they get the phone call from the secretary. I'm gonna', one, I'm a newly pinned on one star. And he goes, “Hey, you know that job you're in is a colonel job?” And I was like, “Yes, sir, I know. But I love it.” You know, I was being positive. He says, “But we're gonna' have to move you out of there.” “Yes sir. Understood.” And he goes, “What would you think about going to the Air Force Academy and be the commandant?” You could have knocked me over with a feather. And that's when you and I first connected, when I got to come be your commandant when you were the supt. And that was just a dream to be able to come back here and that's when I really connected back, you know, when I got a chance to see it, even from a different level. I talked about it as a coach you know, and seeing how special it is and seeing how passionate people are about our school. But being the commandant gave me a whole different view and being able to engage with the cadets and understand what they were doing and trying to push that development for them. Just amazing and I loved it, and Amy loved it, to live in the Otis House, having the cadets over, trying to help them with their, you know, their development. And that's a big job, right? We all know that because you take it very personally, because you want them to be everything that they can be in there. So amazingly talented. You just want to take that talent and give them every opportunity you can to thrive. So, we did that. And after that, even Amy, she might as well be a grad. I mean, she just fell in love with this place after those two years. Our kids, Milo and Zoey, they were 10 and 8 coming in. Our family just was immersed in USAFA.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  35:40 So, I was going to ask you about the role that Amy and the kids played in your development as a leader, but I got to see it firsthand. And you just went through that. When you had to leave the Academy, if you can remember, I'm sure you do remember this, I wanted to keep you here for a third year. Because you were that perfect role model in so many ways for the cadets. Not only your leadership, you know, in the job, but your family and the way these kids could then look up and say, “I want to do that someday. I think I can be like that guy.” And we wanted to keep you another year and then you came out on the two-star list and you moved on to what was undoubtedly a really, really tough assignment as the DAT and senior guy in Cairo. Tell us about that little bit.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  36:30 Yeah, well, if you remember at first they told me I was going to the Pentagon to be the 8th, which was like the big job. If you're a two-star, you go there, the 8th as the programmer. And Amy loves D.C. And so, they told us we were going there. And then I get a phone call from then-Chief of Staff Gen. Schwartz, actually, he called and said, “Hey, I need you to talk to the GAO management office, the GoMo, who do all the assignments for the general.” And I was like, “Oh, yes, sir. Is there a problem?” And I think you might have known about that — you probably knew about this already. Because it was bad news, I think he wanted to tell me personally or something. And so, I called GoMo. And they go, “Yeah, your assignment's changed. You're not going to the Pentagon, you're going to Egypt.” And I go, “Is there a base in Egypt?” They're like, “No, you're gonna' be working at the embassy as the DET.” And I was like, “Ah, OK. All right. That's good.” And so, then the first thing that came to my mind was telling me, I was like, “Oh man, she's gonna' flip out.” Well, I called her. And I said, “Honey, we're not going to D.C.” And here's the thing. Our movers were already in route, like, they were coming to pack us out. And I said, “We're not going to D.C., we're going to Egypt.” I was bracing for impact. And she goes, “Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? That's amazing.” I was like, she couldn't care less about what job I had, she couldn't care less that I was giving up like the best job to target. She was just looking for that adventure of Egypt. And that actually took a lot of heat off me. Because if she's happy, I'm happy. And so, we went to Egypt. And it actually turned out to be great. But we got truncated on the training. Like, you're supposed to get language school, you're supposed to go through this whole defense attaché course. And I didn't have time because it was a late breaking change. And they said, “Don't worry, you don't need all that training because Egypt's on skids.” That was the exact words of the guy that that told me I was getting a job. And he meant Egypt is in a good place. You know, they just elected a new president, democratically elected, and everything's good. Well, when we got there, I got to the airport and we're all sitting in the lounge at the airport, and I picked up a newspaper, and it was in English. And it said that day, the president fired all the military, all the top military leaders. I was like, I guess we're not on skids anymore. And it just went downhill from there. I was there for a month, and they attacked the embassy. And then a year later, the coup happened. Amy and the kids and all the families within the embassy had to go home. It was an order departure. They all had to leave. I remember telling Amy because I was in the meeting with the ambassador when all this happened. And I said “Hey, you might want to pack a bag because I think you're about to go.” She's like, “Pack a bag?” I said, “You can only pack a carry on.” “How long are we going to be gone?” “I don't know.” And they left and they went to D.C. And we had no idea. They ended up being gone for nine months. The kids started school and everything. Well, there was two thirds of the embassy stayed, but it was actually, from a professional standpoint, awesome. To be involved, often to be our representative on the military side, to work with the Egyptian military to try to help navigate through this coup d'état. And they're a country that we were very interested in keeping as a partner. I got a lot of good experience and just cool, like, opportunities to do things. It was a little scary at times, but I actually loved it. And then Amy and the kids came back. We look at that as one of our best assignments as a family. It was just — the Egyptian people are amazing. The travel that we got to do was incredible. And I just loved the assignment, and it goes back, you know, I mentioned to you, sometimes you get an assignment and you're like, “Gosh, what?” And it turns out to be the best thing ever. And that was one of them.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  40:50 And I thought for sure, somewhere in there, you were gonna' say you called your mom.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  40:57 Then I was married, so then I just had to stop calling my mom after that. Well, I still call her but not for advice. I gotta' call Amy, so, you know?   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  41:06 Well, you had a couple more really challenging assignments. But let's talk about your time as superintendent. Not too many people think that you'll grow up someday and have that type of responsibility. And then when you get here, you realize that it's probably one of the most heavily scrutinized positions you can have in the Air Force.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  41:26 That's an understatement.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  41:29 We can both agree on this.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  41:34 But other than the general leadership and the experiences you have throughout your career, this place is different. USAFA is different than any other command, and in many ways more challenging, because you just hadn't had that experience. How do you reflect back on your time as superintendent and the fact that you you've worked through, I think you had two presidents, two commander in chiefs, you had a couple different secretaries, and they all have guidance that comes to you. But your job then is to make that guidance into your own policy. How have you dealt with all that?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  42:14 You know, honestly, all of us military members are — our job is to make the commander in chief's policy our policy, and to execute that policy. That's our oath. And that's what we do. And so, you know, for me, I feel like we've all done that. I mean, we've all at some point in our careers had to say, you know, “This is the law of the land.” I mean, I'm gonna' follow my oath to the Constitution, support and defend. And that's a part of it. So, in that aspect, you saw it was no different. But like you said, it's such a, I don't know, everybody has an idea. Everybody thinks they can run the Air Force. Everybody thinks that it should flow along their ideological lines, or whatever. And, frankly, it's about our country's policies that we have to abide by. But the one thing that doesn't change is our mission. And our mission is to develop lieutenants that are leaders of character that are ready to go out and win our wars, and that are ready to go out, support, defend the Constitution. That's it. And the policy things that people get so hung up on, sometimes they're really on the periphery, and they're not as entrenched. And what we do as people might think are — our core mission has never changed. There are some nuances, there's some things that might change a little bit, society changes. Young people change, you know, people that are 18 to 24. It's a pretty volatile group, in a way, and they change with society, too. So, we have to tweak and adjust based on our superiors, you know, people in the Pentagon and OSD and our president. We have to change based on society, and who we have coming into the Air Force Academy. And frankly, parents get a vote in this and the things that happen. And alumni always have a voice in this as well. They make their voice well known. But in the end, what it's my job to do is to make sure that our team is inoculated enough from all that, that we can continue to do our job and make sure that these warfighters are ready to go out and do what those lieutenants and those captains did for me as a squadron commander. That we're putting people out that are ready to go do that. And I always have in mind, like that story that I told you, Coach, it's always in the back of my mind. I hope that I'm developing people that are ready to go out and do what Those guys did that day. If our lieutenants are ready to fight like that, then we've succeeded. And that's my goal. I've never been a political person. But I get dragged into it all the time. And my job is to make sure that when I do get dragged into it, that we're still able to execute our mission, and that I don't drag the entirety of the Academy into it. And you know how it is. That's our job as leaders: to provide that top cover, and that shield, so that our people can do their job and produce those lieutenants that are going to go win wars.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  45:34 Well, that's a great attitude, and you've done it well. Tell me about your relationship with the Association of Graduates and Foundation? How have they contributed to your successes here at the Academy? And is there anything that the two organizations could do better?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  45:52 Well, I will say, let me start off with, enormous support from the Foundation and the AOG. And it's hard for everyone to really know what kinds of things you guys do for us. But all you need to do is drive around the campus, right? And look at the North Commons area, look at our new hotel, look at our visitor center, that's coming up, look at the Cyber Innovation Center that's coming up, look at our football stadium that's getting built. All those things are either fully private or public-private, that the Foundation has to not only raise the money, but facilitate those things happening. And I would say that, nowadays, we're not going to have very much construction that's going to happen here or any growth that the Foundation isn't involved in. You're going to have to be involved in pretty much everything that we do, if we want to keep evolving as an Academy. And since I've been here, the Foundation has done that. And the Foundation and the AOG are only as strong as our alumni. And I guess I've always known that intuitively. But since I've been here, it is entrenched in me and I will always be a supporter of our Academy from a financial standpoint, from my time standpoint, but it's critical, not just for our Academy, but really for the product, those 1,000 lieutenants that we put out, they benefit enormously from the help that we get. And those are just the big things. Forget about all of the research opportunities, the travel opportunities, the opportunities to bring in guest speakers, NCLS, you know, the National Character and Leadership Symposium is NCLS. There's so many other things that people don't even know that only happened because someone was willing to put their resources behind our Academy. And so, you know, the Foundation makes that happen for us to AOG brings them in, but together, that support is just enormous. And, you know, I get a lot of compliments about people who they see — the visitors that we have coming through the Carlton House, you know, the supt. house — thousands of people that come through there: cadets, donors, dignitaries, all kinds of people. All that happens because of gift funds from the Foundation. We're able to represent our Academy in a way that people can't even understand. And that also, you know — there's a synergy from that and an exponential effect from us being able to do those kinds of things that most universities do. But the government doesn't always support those things because it's not in a funding line. But the Foundation helps us to make those things happen.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  48:45 Well, you've summed it up pretty well. Our goal is for the Association to be relevant in the lives of cadets through their time here at the Academy and onto their careers. So that eventually they follow into that continuum where they go to the Foundation and say, “How can I help?” And we're seeing that happen now. And it's nice to hear you recognize that it's been a factor in your time. We're close to running out of time here. Richard, let me ask you about your next big challenge, executive director of the College Football Playoff. This is exciting. What are your thoughts there?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  49:19 So, I am enormously grateful and blessed to even have this job. I still kind of don't believe it. You know, because it's such a dream job. I'm going from one dream job to another, you know, but it's funny. What I'll say is, it came out of the blue. A search firm contacted me and I had some, I had known them because I was involved in another search for the Mountain West Conference to find our commissioner. And the people that ran the search knew me just because I was on that panel and everything. And the guy calls me one day. He goes “Hey, Rich, I heard you might be retiring soon. I think you mentioned to us would you be willing to put your name in the hat for the executive director of the CFP.” I was like, “Is that a trick question?” And so, he said, “Now you're the longshot candidate.” They wanted a nontraditional candidate on the, you know — they have 15 or 20 people that they're looking at, but they wanted a nontraditional. I was like, “Yeah, I'll do it.” I said, “Can I ask though, do I really have a shot at this?” He goes, “Yeah, everybody has a shot.” I'm like, “OK, so I got a shot. Let's do this.” And I did a phone interview, then I did a Zoom interview, then it was narrowed down to three and an in-person interview. And I got the job, and I couldn't believe it. But what's really interesting, the things that they liked about me, like, they asked me some questions like, “Do you have any media…?” They go, “Do you have any media experience?” I was like, “No.” “Do you have any experience in managing college athletic teams?” “No.” You know, “Do you have any experience and revenue generation?” “No.” I, you know, and I thought, “I'm just done.” But then they started asking me leadership questions and things that any of us in the military, we would all knock them out of the park. They are things that we've all lived and done things that I learned here, you know, at the Air Force Academy. They weren't hard questions; they were things that are second nature to us. The other thing that they liked was that I played football for four years. And being a student-athlete myself, they thought that that was a big benefit. So really, it goes right back to being here at the Academy and getting that job. And now I look at the challenges that it faces, then you just talked about all the scrutiny we get here as a superintendent. Yeah, I think I'm walking right into another job where I'm going to get scrutinized. It's going to the 12-team playoff, you know, this year. Last year, you know, number five team, everybody was all mad and lost their minds. And I think the committee did it right, though. Next year, it'll just be team 13 that's going to be mad. So, I'm ready, though. I'm excited about it. Amy's excited about it. We're going to move to Dallas, which is where the headquarters is. But I still am, you know, I'm sprinting to the finish in this job. So, I don't have a lot of time to think about it. But it's nice to know that I have another great job that I'm going to be able to flow into. I feel incredibly blessed by it. And just for the opportunity to continue to contribute to student success. And to be a part of that.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  52:32 That's a really good thought. And let me just ask you to close this out, Rich. Any parting thoughts to your team here at the Academy, to the cadets and to your teammates as you move on to your second career?   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  52:50 Well, first of all, and you know this, as much as I do, you know, as the supt, you know, you're at the head of the table, right? And you're trying to provide the top cover. But it's really so that all of the amazing teammates — we have the dean of faculty, the commandant, the athletic director, the prep school, airbase wing, just across the board. You know, all of those people in the flying training group too, even though they're not AETC, there's much of this character development effort that we have. But they're the ones that get the job done. And what makes the Air Force Academy so special is that everyone is so passionate about our cadets, and trying to help them to be ready to go out and do the things that we need them to do. That's what makes us special. It's also what makes it kind of hard, though. But I will take hard when people are passionate any day, you know? They just will do this mission and they will do it, whatever it takes to make it right. And to make sure that we're giving those cadets everything they deserve. I couldn't thank them enough from all of our senior leaders right on down to the, you know, the people in the trenches working in Mitchell Hall. You know, I just love this place because of the people that make it work and that make it go to our cadets. I'll be very honest, there's people that go, “What's wrong with this generation? They don't, you know, they're not patriotic; they're not athletic.” These people don't know what on Earth they're talking about. Come spend an hour, 30 minutes, with our cadets and you'll change your mind. These are the most incredible people. They are patriotic. They want to go serve. They might be different than we were. They might be different than you know, even the classes before us. But there is no lack of patriotism and them wanting to serve and them wanting to do great things and to reach their destiny. And they are every bit as much leaders of character as anybody, this generation. They're better. They're smarter, they're more athletic, they're more in touch with their world around them. I am very happy and comfortable to leave this torch with them, to hand the torch off to them. And I'm just proud to have served with them. And then just to everyone out there, all the supporters of the Academy, and we do have a lot, I just thank them, you know, for letting us do our job at helping us do our job and supporting this Academy. So, I am leaving with a lot of gratitude in my heart, just from our cadets from our permanent party, from the alumni that helped us do this and the other supporters. It just makes me feel good about our country, you know, people still care, people still want to serve and to go do great things. And this place exemplifies that, like no other.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  55:48 Rich, that gratitude goes both ways. We're awfully proud of you, Amy, Milo, Zoë, and we just thank you for your years of service and the leadership you've exhibited here at the Academy. You left a mark, trust me, and we wish you all the well in the future as you go on about, and please stay in touch. Thank you.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  56:11 Thank you to the AOG and Foundation. And I'll say this, you know, I thank Amy because she's the one that was willing to go an extra four years because I could have retired as a three star when we started and she said, I'm in that passion from our time as commandant, she was like, “I'm in, let's do this.” And another four years wasn't easy for her. I'll be honest with you. She wants to live in her own house. She wants to… she started a new job. But she, she owned it. And she loves this Academy too. And I have to thank her and Milo and Zoë. They've just been my, that's my team. You know, I mean, in the end, you know, I thank God for them. I thank God for every opportunity. But I am just full of gratitude. So, thanks, Coach.   Lt. Gen. Mike Gould  56:59 Well done. Thank you. Lt. Gen.Rich Clark, 21st superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy.   Lt. Gen. Richard Clark  57:03 Thanks very much. Yeah, thank you.   Announcer:  57:08 Thank you for listening to long blue leadership. If you enjoyed this episode, we encourage you to subscribe, share it with your family and friends and post it to your social channels. Long Blue Leadership is a production of the long blue line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation. The views and opinions of the guests and hosts do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Air Force, Air Force Academy, Academy Association and Foundation, its staff or management. The podcast drops every two weeks on Tuesday mornings. Subscribe to Long Blue Leadership on Apple podcasts, Spotify, tune in plus Alexa, and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and more for show announcements and updates and visit long blue leadership.org for past episodes and more long blue line podcast network programming     KEYWORDS Air Force Academy, leadership, character, military career, pilot training, squadron command, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lt. Gen. Richard Clark '86, superintendent, United States Air Force Academy, executive director, college football playoff, Association of Graduates, Foundation, leadership, character development, support, gratitude     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation      

Episode 2770 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Army Capt. Larry Liss and why is Distinguished Flying Cross was upgraded to a Silver Star. The featured story comes from The U.S. Army website and was … Continue reading →

Ron Lukow served 26 years in the Army as an aviator. In this podcast, he chronicles his journey from growing up in Mattoon Illinois (the youngest of five children in a military family) to West Point, the Army, and now at BAE Systems. He and his wife Kathy reside in Northern Virginia and have 2 children. Ron talks about highlights of his Army career including as commander of Task Force Comanche where he received the highest aviation honor the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroic actions under fire. 

Tune in to a captivating episode of 'Echoes of Valor' featuring LTC Harry T. Stewart Jr., one of our nation's most distinguished veterans, and one of last two surviving Tuskegee Airman--brought to you in collaboration with The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force and The World War II Foundation. Your host, Colonel Tom Rendall, unpacks the gallantry, trials, and historical impact of the Tuskegee Airmen through the personal experiences of Colonel Stewart, a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Colonel Harry T. Stewart Jr. stands as one of the most honored members of the Tuskegee Airmen. Born on July 24, 1924, in Newport News, Virginia, his family relocated to Queens, New York, when he was two, near North Beach Airport. This proximity sparked his lifelong passion for aviation as he gazed at the planes flying above. At 17, sensing his forthcoming draft into World War II, he excelled in a military examination that singled out prospective pilots, which led to his enlistment in the US Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. Stewart earned his pilot wings at Tuskegee Air Field, Alabama, and, still in his teens, received his commission as a second lieutenant. He underwent combat fighter training in the P-40 Warhawk and P-47 Thunderbolt, and in 1944 he was deployed to Italy with the all-black 332nd Fighter Group. Stewart completed 43 combat missions in the P-51 Mustang. His most notable combat success occurred on April 1, 1945, as then First Lieutenant Stewart and other P-51 pilots protected B-24 Liberators during a bombing mission. The engagement that followed saw Stewart down three FW-190s, securing him the Distinguished Flying Cross. The episode recorded on March 3rd explores Stewart's rigorous training, pivotal combat encounters, and his triumph in the inaugural Air Force "Top Gun" competition of 1949. Stewart, as one of the last Tuskegee Airmen, provides invaluable insight into their contribution to military aviation history. Midway, the episode features spotlights on the Mighty Eighth Air Force and The World War II Foundation, then resumes with a discussion on the timeless relevance of the Tuskegee Airmen's heritage in today's military and aviation realms. In the final segment, Colonel Stewart offers advice to young military and aviation hopefuls, contemplating the strides made and the distance yet to be covered. Seize the opportunity to engage with Colonel Stewart's profound legacy and the collective story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Immerse yourself in a significant slice of World War II history and gain a deeper perspective by reading “Soaring to Glory.” 'Echoes of Valor' continues to narrate tales of airborne bravery. Stay tuned for more stories that are bound to captivate and motivate. Photo Credit: Lydia Thompson (21st Century Fox)/(Robert Clark/National Geographic)  

Major General Brady is the most highly decorated living veteran, holding both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. He has earned over 85 medals, 65 combat related, and 12 for valor. During his 34 years of Army service, he served two tours in Vietnam as a “Dust Off” helicopter medical rescue pilot, developing foul weather and tactical techniques for air ambulance rescues never before executed in combat. During his service, he flew over 2,500 combat missions and rescued over 5,000 wounded men, women, and children; both military and civilian from BOTH sides of the conflict. Sponsored by Aspen Avionics - www.aspenavionics.com “SocialFlight Live!” is a live broadcast dedicated to supporting General Aviation pilots and enthusiasts during these challenging times. Register at SocialFlightLive.com to join the live broadcast every Tuesday evening at 8pm ET (be sure to join early because attendance is limited for the live broadcasts).

Kim "KC" Campbell is a retired Air Force Colonel who served in the Air Force for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. Her final assignment was as the Director of the Center for Character and Development at the United States Air Force Academy. As a senior military leader, Kim led thousands of airmen both at home and abroad in deployed locations and enabled them to succeed in their missions. She has experience leading complex organizations and driving cultural change. Kim has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission. Since retiring from the Air Force, Kim has shared her inspirational story and lessons on leading with courage with business and corporate audiences as an executive coach and keynote speaker. Kim's new book, Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot's Lessons on Leading with Courage, is now available. Connect and learn more at www.Kim-KC-Campbell.com #leducentertainment #spaghettionthewall #podcast

The week of February 13th, 1944 began with the Allies raiding Hong Kong and giving supplies to French resistance fighters. The next day a British submarine sank a German u-boat in a rare Pacific theater battle involving Germans. On Tuesday the 15th, the Soviets began their first offensive in the Battle of Narva while a Japanese cruiser was torpedoed by a U.S. submarine. By the middle of the week the Battle of the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket ended in a Soviet victory with German forces fleeing for their lives, while American forces launched Operation Hailstone, a massive attack against a Japanese naval and air base in the Caroline Islands. As that was happening the U.S. scored an important victory against Japan in The Battle of Karavia Bay. Simultaneously, eight-hundred allied planes raided Berlin. The Germans would counter two days later by shelling London in the heaviest bombing of the British capital since 1941. This helped lead to NBC's War Telescope news program on Saturday February 19th, entitled “Britain is a Fortress.” It took to the air at 1:45PM from WEAF in New York. The lieutenant Elmer Peterson interviewed was James Forrest Luma, born on August 27th, 1922 in Helena, Montana. At eighteen he was too young to enter flight training for the U.S., so he signed up for the Royal Canadian Air Force and was sent to England. A month after this broadcast, Lieutenant Luma was involved with only one other pilot in an air raid that saw three German planes shot down and seventeen others retreat in flames. Overall, he shot down five enemy planes in combat and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts. Later this year, he was transferred to a U.S. Army Air Forces Squadron, serving until July of 1945. James Luma lived to be ninety-six, passing away February 4th, 2019, just shy of seventy-five years to the date of giving this interview to Elmer Peterson. The day after this broadcast, The Allies launched "Big Week", a six-day strategic bombing campaign against the Third Reich, while Erwin Rommel completed a four-day inspection tour of Germany's Atlantic Wall which stretched from Southern France all the way to Northern Norway. He reported to Hitler that the German coastal defenses were up to all requirements, but the Germans knew that the day of a full scale western European invasion by the allied powers was coming.

A-10 Warthog pilot and combat veteran, Col. (Ret.) Kim “KC” Campbell '97, recounts an incident over Baghdad leading her to make a decision that changed her life then and informs how she leads to this day. ----more---- SUMMARY Kim shares her leadership journey, from overcoming resistance to pursuing her dreams to describing the life changing effect one very long hour had in the cockpit of her A-10. She emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and professional development throughout one's career. She discusses the challenges of balancing life and leading, and the lessons she learned from failures and pushing outside her comfort zone. She shares the importance of having a wingman who supports you in both personal and professional aspects of life.   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "Any leader that isn't working to be better and trying to develop themselves along the way, is probably going to hit an endpoint at some point. We have to constantly learn to improve and adapt and it requires work. Leadership requires work." "When I started out, I had this idea that leadership was like, put on this tough exterior, have the answers, be strong and credible and capable.” "I absolutely think leadership requires work. It's not easy. There are challenges, there are things to learn, things to adapt. It's just constantly one of those things that professional development, for me is something that should continue throughout your career throughout your life, always looking for new ways." "I think one of the things that really sticks out to me that we learned as cadets is the idea of having a wingman by your side personally, professionally. Someone that will have your back someone that will support you." "If you want something, you're going to have to work for it. And it's not going to be easy."  - Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell '97   SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  EMAIL   CHAPTERS 00:00:  Continuous Improvement and Professional Development 03:52:  Overcoming Resistance and Pursuing Dreams 06:36:  Lessons from Running Cross-Country 08:58:  Persistence and Overcoming Rejection 13:02:  Leadership Journey at the Air Force Academy 15:17:  Finding Passion and Purpose in the A-10 16:14:  Life-Changing Moment in Baghdad 19:51:  Lessons and Vulnerability in Writing a Book 22:09:  Balancing Life and Leadership 26:14:  Leadership Development and Growth 28:37:  Authenticity and Human Connection in Leadership 32:16:  Family's Influence on Leadership 36:58:  Learning from Failure and Pushing Outside Comfort Zone 41:11:  Building Human Connections and Getting to Know People 42:34:  The Importance of Having a Wingman 43:31:  The Importance of Having a Wingman 43:59:  How to Get in Touch 44:30:  Connect with Kim 44:55:  Feedback and Connection 45:26:  The Story Behind the Call Sign 45:54:  Book Title and Conclusion   OUR FAVORITE TAKEAWAYS  - Leadership requires continuous improvement and professional development.  - Overcoming resistance and pursuing dreams are essential in leadership.  - Balancing life and leadership is a challenge that requires flexibility and grace.  - Building human connections and having a wingman for support are crucial in leadership.   KIM'S BIO Kim “KC” Campbell is a retired Colonel who served in the Air Force for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission. As a senior military leader, Kim has led hundreds of Airmen both at home and abroad in deployed locations and enabled them to succeed in their missions. She has experience leading complex organizations and driving cultural change. Kim knows what it takes to be a successful leader, to inspire and empower high performance teams to achieve success. Kim is passionate about leadership and feels strongly that leaders earn trust by leading with courage and connecting with their team. - Bio copy and image credit:  www.kim-kc-campbell-com CONNECT WITH KIM  |  LEARN MORE  |   BUY FLYING IN THE FACE OF FEAR   ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!   FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Our guest, Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell, '97  |  Our host, Naviere Walkewicz '99 Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  00:11 Any leader that isn't working to be better and trying to develop themselves along the way, is probably going to hit an endpoint at some point. We have to constantly learn to improve and adapt and it requires work. Leadership requires work. It's, you know — it's not easy. There are challenges; there are things to learn. Professional development should continue throughout your career, throughout your life, always looking for new ways. Naviere Walkewicz  01:07 My guest today is retired Col. Kim Casey Campbell, a 1997 graduate of the Air Force Academy, a warrior whose career included supporting warfighters on the ground from the cockpit of an A-10 Warthog, where she earned the callsign “Killer Chick.” She's a mom, wife of a retired Air Force colonel and published author. She's a motivational speaker on the topic of leadership. That includes the story of a moment where, if she hadn't also learned to be a good follower, she might not be with us today — as in, not alive. Col. Campbell's path to the Air Force Academy was one of overcoming resistance; she won the first fight of her life to join the wing, then she went on to lead it. We'll talk with her about her book, “Flying in the Face of Fear,” her time at the Academy, and much more. Kim, thank you for being here today. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  01:54 Thanks so much for having me. I appreciate it. Naviere Walkewicz  01:56 It's always a pleasure speaking to someone that — we were at the Academy the same time. I was, '99. You're my upper classmen? You probably had me do pushups or something? And you recently came back for your reunion? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  02:11 Well, now that I live in Colorado, it's always, you know — I get to spend a lot of time at the Air Force Academy. But it is always so good to see my classmates. And I think it's so much fun, because you kind of forget anything that was bad. And the memories are things that you might want to forget. And it's just, I don't know, fun to bring everybody back together again and see everyone and see what people have accomplished. And you know, their personal life and professional life. It's just a lot of fun. Naviere Walkewicz  02:36 I love that. I find that, you know, things stayed the same, but they're different. What was something that really stood out to you that you thought was a kind of a span that that space of time, it really didn't get touched? What was something that stood out? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  02:48 I don't know. I mean, having taught at the Air Force Academy as well, I find that, like, the drive to serve. And I just — it's fun to see, like, where the cadets are now and their excitement to serve and to graduate and go out and be lieutenants in the Air Force and Space Force. So that's definitely something new. But that drive that we all had — it's kind of a reminder of where we were back then and that excitement that we felt for what's to come. And it's fun to see that [in] my cadets today, too. Naviere Walkewicz  03:15 I agree, I have the pleasure of being able to come back through work and see some of those cadets, and I'm always blown away at what they're able to accomplish now, much more I think, than what we did when we were here. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  03:25 I love the opportunity to mentor cadets when I get the chance and, you know, just the amazing things that they have in front of them — challenges and opportunities — but really excited for them about what's ahead. Naviere Walkewicz  03:39 Yes. So, speaking about cadets, let's kind of dial back the time a little bit. Our listeners want to get to know you better. Let's go back in time for you. What were you like as a young girl? What was your childhood like? Where'd you grow up? Things like that. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  03:54 Well, I grew up in San Jose, California. My dad was an Air Force Academy grad class of 1970. I had zero desire to go to the Air Force Academy or to join the military until 1986. And it was not “Top Gun.” But it was actually the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. And I think, for me, there was just something in that moment of, you know — obviously the thrill and excitement of flight, but then watching the tragedy that played out. I think there was something in that moment that I just connected with in terms of, like, this idea that the astronauts died doing something that they believed in, something that was bigger and more important than themselves. And that was a turning point for me. I mean, I think before that, I probably wasn't all that driven, didn't really have anything that I was going after, kind of along for the ride in school. But once I decided that that's what I wanted to do — I wanted to be an astronaut — it flipped a switch. I mean, I just became very driven, very committed. I talked to my parents about it. And my dad said, “Well, a lot of those astronauts were pilots and many of them had gone to the Air Force Academy. It might be something you would consider.”  I don't think he actually thought I would go through with it. And I think it, for me — that was a huge turning point. I think my life changed dramatically from kind of the young social butterfly, not a lot of interest, along for the ride… and then really committed and driven... Naviere Walkewicz  05:20 So what did that look like when you said it changed dramatically? What did you do differently from that point? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  05:25 Well, I talked to my dad about the things that I needed to do to get into the Air Force Academy. And I became very committed. In school, … I was already involved with sports, but now it was like, how to be the best at what I was doing and being more involved in just various extracurricular activities. And then I joined the Civil Air Patrol. And that was my first opportunity to wear an Air Force uniform and start learning about this thing called leadership. And I really figured out that I enjoyed it. I love the attention to detail, the sense of camaraderie. And so that, for me — it was like this turning point. I kind of just took a different path. And even my friends were, you know — they watched me completely change and shift the things that I was interested in doing. Naviere Walkewicz  06:08 That's really interesting, because it was one moment in time that really changed your trajectory quite a bit. Absolutely. Not to jump to your book yet, but there was a story in there that really stood out to me, and it kind of is probably along the timeframe when you made some changes in your decisions. But it was when you're running cross country. And you talked a little bit about how you handled a particular situation. Do you mind sharing that? I just think that's a great story to talk about how driven you were? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  06:37 Yeah, I ran cross country. I knew it would be good for me to go to the Air Force Academy. Again, everything I did, there was, like, some motivation to, you know, how I can prepare myself to be at the Air Force Academy. I also love to run so I was running cross country — it was, I think, the district finals and a cross country race. You know, we're all jammed in at the front before the gun sounds. And then, you know, it's the sprint to try to get out in front. And during this race, all packed in, a runner accidentally stepped on the back of my shoe and it came off and there was, like, this second of hesitation of, like, “Well, should I stop? Should I put on the shoe? What do I do?” And I just thought, “Well, then I'm going to be at the back. How am I going to get up to the front?” So I decided to keep running, you know, which, at the time, I didn't really consider all the consequences. But I kept running. I ran, I think it was about 2 miles — I raced through the hills, initially pavement and then hills in San Jose, California. And it was so funny, because my coach had seen the shoe laying in the parking lot. All the coaches are kind of standing around looking at each other. … And she's like, “Oh, I know, that's Kim's shoe.” Like, she just knew. And I ended up finishing the race. ... It wasn't my best performance — without the shoe — and it was pretty painful by the end. But I think more than anything, that moment for my dad sealed in this idea of like, “Maybe she does have what it takes.” Like, "Maybe she does have the mental toughness,” because I think there was a part of him that wasn't really sure that I was gonna go through with it, that I would be able to handle the stress and the challenges. And I think that one moment for him was like, “All right, she's got something…, she's got it.” So, it was a turning point, although it did earn me a pair of crutches and a trip to the emergency room. Yeah. So, you know, consequences. I learned those as well. Naviere Walkewicz  08:35 I think that is a great story. It was one of the moments in the book where I just felt really connected to you. I thought, “Wow, that is truly showing grit and perseverance. And I have something I'm going to do.” And so, it leads into a lot of, I think, where you've had in your career, I've had some moments like that. Yeah. So maybe we can dive a little bit into your journey to the Air Force Academy. Because, as I mentioned in the introduction, you didn't get accepted the first time; there was some resistance. Let's talk about that. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  09:04 Yeah, you know, you do everything possible to go to the Academy. I mean, I worked hard in school, I did these extracurricular activities. Let's just say my [Law School Admission Test] scores weren't spectacular. And I knew that, but I was hoping that everything else would kind of make up for it. And I just kept trying on my LSAT. I took it five times [and got] the same score five times even after taking a course, and so that was an area of struggle. And in April of my senior year, I got that letter in the mail and I was really excited because it was the blue letterhead and it said AF on it. I should have known because it was a small letter and it said, you know, “Thanks for applying, but it's very competitive and essentially, try again next year.” And I was devastated. Devastated because that's all I wanted; it was all I had worked for. It was, for me — I really didn't want to go anywhere else. My parents made me apply to other schools but I didn't ­— it wasn't what I wanted. And, you know, thankfully, I had this team of people around me that were supportive, between my parents and my teachers, my liaison officer — my liaison officer who was my dad's classmate from the Academy class of '70. He said, “You know, Kim, if this is what you want, don't quit. Go after it, you know, keep working hard, we'll get you there.” You know, it was like, it didn't mean this year. But I think he was just trying to, you know, give me the pep talk of like, “You can still do this, don't quit on it.” And he said, “You might consider writing the Academy a letter.” And I was like, oh, you know, this is the day of handwritten letters. And instead of one letter, I decided I would write the Academy, the admissions office, every week, to tell them anything I had done to improve. You know, an A on a test, 10 more push-ups, a few more pull ups. And then, eventually, I took the ACT and got a better score, got a competitive score, and finally got my acceptance letter in June, so like, you know, the first part of June before reporting and it said, you know, “We, we will accept you as part of the class of 1997.” And, you know, there was no doubt in my mind, I mean, I had other plans, I was going on an ROTC scholarship to [the University of California at  ] San Diego. And immediately, when I got that letter, I knew that my path was going to change because I obviously — that was what I wanted. But yeah, the rejection hurt, certainly. But I think it also gave me motivation. Naviere Walkewicz  11:21 I was going to say, it seemed like you learned something about yourself. You know, a lot of our listeners are looking for, you know, when they're listening, it's not always the highs that get people to the next level. Sometimes, working through some of those trials and tribulation — what's something you learned about yourself in that in that moment? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  11:36 Well, it's funny, I mean, like you say, sometimes the things that aren't on our bio or résumé, are the things that make us really stronger and who we are. And that rejection was a little bit of a turning point for me, because I think about, you know, I could have quit, I could have quit on my dream. But again, that support network that was around me, that encouraged me to just go after it. And I kind of used that rejection as almost motivation to make sure I didn't just survive at the Academy, but to excel. Like, I was almost like, I needed to prove that I belonged here. Even after, the admissions office called me to the office — after I had gone through basic training — and they wanted to meet me because they had seen all these letters. But it is it is a little bit of like, if you want something, you gotta go after it. It's not always going to be easy; there's going to be challenges. And if you know, if it's truly what you want, then you've got to stick with it. And despite, you know, a little bit of painful rejection along the way. Naviere Walkewicz  12:35 You've shown what, you know, going for something that's really important to you looks like, and I think there's something to be taken from that for our listeners, for sure. So, from almost not getting into the Academy to being the wing commander, the cadet wing commander — share a little bit about that journey, because not many of us experience that either. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  12:52 Yeah, well, it goes back to a little bit of proving that I belonged here. You know, I think for me … maybe because of my parents, you know, they instilled in me this idea that if you want to fix something or if you want to make a mark on something, then you have to kind of step up. And I just realized that I really enjoyed the leadership roles that I had, whether it was team captain of sports, or once I joined the Civil Air Patrol, I kind of felt this natural pull to be a leader in those organizations. And so, when I got to the Academy, I just kind of felt like, well, this is a path that I have enjoyed in the past, why not give it a shot and go for it? My dad had been the wing commander when he was here as a cadet. And so yeah, there is a legacy. And I just, you know, I learned so much from my parents and this idea of really like stepping up. And if you want to do something, if you want to make a difference, especially if you're going to complain about it, then do something about it. And so, I just I really enjoy the leadership roles. I like the idea of being able to make a difference. I certainly learned a lot along the way. I had role models and mentors here at the Academy that, you know, helped me to kind of evolve and adapt my leadership style while I was here, but I really enjoyed it. I really think it set me on a path of, you know, learning something early in what is a leadership laboratory, you know, learning, not always getting it right. But it kind of set me up for leadership lessons and leadership later in my career as well. Naviere Walkewicz  14:24 Those are all really fantastic examples of, you know — I think how that evolved and what you learned about yourself in leadership. Would you say that your dream changed to be an astronaut to become an A-10 pilot? Because it was, you know, that was your path? What did that look like when you knew that you weren't going to try to become an astronaut or you were, you know, really inspired by the A-10? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  14:46 You know, it's interesting because I think we set goals for ourselves. We had these dreams and then sometimes our priorities change over time and letting go of that dream was a little bit hard. If I'm honest, I would still love to do it. I would still love to be an astronaut someday and, you know, there's still a chance. But I found that once I went on to fly the A-10, I just I loved it. I loved the mission, I really found my passion and my purpose supporting our ground troops. And I think part of that was because my entire career flying A-10 was after 9/11. We deployed multiple times to combat, so I really saw where I was making a difference. And I was making a difference and helping our ground troops get home safely. And I didn't want to leave that. I just really felt committed to that role in that job and the responsibility of it. And so … I kind of just took a different path at that point. And sometimes it's hard, you know, to take that path and go off this course that it really had been a dream of mine for so long. But I absolutely love flying. Naviere Walkewicz  15:46 You had some very unique challenges. And so, I think one that many may be familiar with, but if you're not a listener that knows about this, you know, you had experienced a very challenging time after flying for about 20 years, while you were over Baghdad. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  16:07 Yeah, you know, those life-changing moments that you think really are never going to happen to you. Right? … I think back to being a cadet, right, and just the moments of like, you know, the, you have this goal, you have these dreams, you have this idea of what your life is going to be like. And then for us, you know, 9/11 changed that dramatically. But it gave me the opportunity as an A-10 pilot to go do exactly what I was trained to do, which is close air support and supporting our troops on the ground. And this mission back on April 7, 2003, was no different than any of the other missions in terms of that was what we were going to do, was close air support. At this point, our ground troops had moved all the way to Baghdad, and so we were going to be right there with them. And I think the big difference for us that day was the weather wasn't very good; there were clouds covering Baghdad. And, you know, we actually didn't think we were going to be able to do anything; we kind of thought we would air refuel and then kind of just wait for a task. And we thought, well, maybe today is not a day where we're going to be able to help. And then we got a call that there are troops in contact, they were taking fire, they needed immediate assistance. And it's just that moment of like, we're going to do everything we can to get in there. And thankfully, we found some holes in the weather and we're able to get down below the clouds to support the ground troops. But again, it's everything that we train for, everything that we plan for. It's till a little bit surreal when you actually see the firefight happening, I remember dropping down below the weather and just seeing like tracers and smoke, and it's very surreal. And then kind of the reality of OK, we gotta get in there quickly. So, we did a couple of passes of guns and rockets on the enemy location and then pulling off target. My last pass is when I just felt and heard the loud explosion at the back of my airplane and I knew immediately I was hit. I mean, there was no doubt in my mind; I think the jet just nosed over. I remember looking down at Baghdad below and instinctively just pulled back on the control stick and nothing happened. And that's kind of when I felt like time slowed down a little bit, like I knew that it could go really poorly. And I just fell back on my training, you know, I fell back on everything that I was trained to do — trying to figure out what's going on in the cockpit, despite lots of things going wrong, lots of flashing lights. And I realized very quickly that my hydraulics were depleted, which meant that I had no control over the airplane at this point. But thankfully, the A-10 is built with backup emergency systems. And I was able to get in our backup emergency system. And then slowly the jet started to climb up and away from Baghdad. And that was kind of that like, that was the moment I'm like, alright, I might actually survive this because there was that period of time where I was like, I could crash like I could have to eject and the thought of ejecting over Baghdad was not a good one. And so just, you know, you think about all these things, and when time slows down, and I was just very thankful that it turned out the way it did. And then I had to get the airplane back to our home base, which is a whole different story of, of spending the longest hour of my life, trying to decide what I was going to do and how it was going to play out. Naviere Walkewicz  19:20 I think most could never imagine being in that situation. And you talk about moments that matter. So, getting into your book a little bit — “Flying in the Face of Fear,” I had the chance to listen to the audio version of your book, and it was wonderful. I think what's so powerful about it, as you take these moments in your career throughout your life, where these moments have helped you and thinking about how you navigate leadership, how you just navigate better. What are some of your most favorite parts about the book you wrote that like — what really is one — you chose those different chapters. What are the ones that really — just like, “I must tell this one because this one really spoke to me.” Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  20:06 I think a couple things. I mean, as I was flying back from Baghdad, I remember the stories of the pilots that came before me. I had read about their stories in a book called “Warthog” about A-10 pilots during Desert Storm. And in that hour back, you know, just struggling to kind of get the airplane under control and keep it in control, I remembered the stories of the pilots that came before me. And, sadly, not all of them survived. You know, there were three pilots that attempted to land in manual reversion, which is my backup emergency system that I was in. And I remember their stories, you know, I remembered, you know, the lessons that we learned, even from the fatality that we learned from those pilots. And so, I think that's what was so important to me is to capture those lessons so that the next generation, you know, will certainly have aviators, but also leaders — it's this idea of sharing stories, to help others. It's this idea of sharing your experiences and your lessons learned, even if they're, like, some painful lessons along the way, right? Painful lessons from failure, or mistakes or just tough experiences. To me, that's what was most important was to share like that true, authentic lesson, to try to just help others and maybe give people a little bit of a different perspective. That was what really drove me to write the book and what was so important for me to share. Naviere Walkewicz  21:31 That's powerful. I think one of the things that, you know, when listeners or readers were going through that, they might say, “How does this apply to me?” You know, “I'm, I'm not a pilot, I'm not over a warzone.” You know, “How, how do I relate this to me?” And I think what you did really artfully was just the lessons you told a story through your lens, but you really made it relatable in so many different levels. Sometimes we'll have listeners or readers ask about, “How do you balance life?” You have this profession and you have a family, you're a mom? How did you do that? And do you call it balance? Or do you call it just regular, you know, balls in the air? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  22:13 Sometimes I look back, I'm like, “Oh, my gosh, I don't know how we did this.” I mean, my husband was also active duty, we he spent 25 years and I spent 24 years and we were both A-10 pilots, we had kids, we did wait later in life to have kids pretty much because we were deployed nonstop in the first part of our careers. But sometimes I look back and I'm like, I have no idea how we did it. But I do know, I mean, we were really true partners and the journey, we — I guess the blessing of having a life-changing experience very early in your career and very early in your marriage is it gives you an opportunity to talk about the things that are really important and that really matter. And I think that's one thing that my husband and I did after that mission was really put life in perspective — when you think there are times when you may not survive. And so, we really sat down and just talked through what was important to us. And we didn't have kids at the time when that happened. And we just realized that family was important to us; having kids at some point was important to us. And I do I think the word balance I'm OK with it. I do, you know — I know there's lots of other words that people like you know, work-life harmony, work-life integration, work-life balance. For me, what I realized is that I initially put so much pressure on myself to be, like, this mom, a fighter pilot, a leader — like trying to do all of these things. And what I recognize is that balance comes for me anyway, it was over time. Like if I tried to have this perfect balance every day, like, first off, it was not achievable in my world. But I realized, for me, it was, like, overtime, like, if … I had one day where I was going to stay late at work, there was a lot going on, my airmen needed me — then I would try the next day or you know, few days later to just really make sure that I spent more time with my kids or maybe left early to spend time with my kids. Whatever it was, I just tried to find long-term balance and, you know, that's hard when you deploy for six months and then you know, … sometimes that balance comes over months or over a year. But I think that helped me also give myself some grace that it's not always gonna go exactly as we plan and some days are better than others. But I'm doing the best I can, you know? … I keep working on it. And I think it's just one thing that we were pretty hard on ourselves because we want to be able to do it all and sometimes we just need to give ourselves a little bit of grace. Naviere Walkewicz  24:35 Do you think that being hard on ourselves is normal to a leader or do you think that's just different personalities? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  24:45 I don't know. When I look back at my life, even as a young girl, like, I've always been pretty hard on myself and I always think when people say, “What's the one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?” it would be, “Don't be so hard on yourself.” I think it's probably just an very natural reaction. But I think, you know, sometimes we have this view of how we want things to turn out. And the truth is like, “You're gonna make mistakes, you're gonna fail.” I had this idea of perfection, and I realized: First off, it's just not possible you can work to achieve it and, and want to, you know, consistently try to improve and get better. But I think also, again, just not to be so hard on yourself, because it is going to, you know, there, there's going to be this path of ups and downs and challenges. And the reality is that it is painful at the time, but we come out stronger, like I look at some of the worst experiences, like just in terms of struggles, and the worst, you know, the hardest things I guess I've done is probably a better word. And truly, those made me stronger and a better person. You just don't see it in the moment. And that's the hard thing, you know, and so it's not being so hard on ourselves, because it's going to happen. But the truth is, how you respond is what really matters the most. Naviere Walkewicz  25:58 We talk about leadership, and I think, you know, response to leadership is one piece of it for sure. What about do you think leaders are born? Or are they made? Do you think that part of your leadership was an evolution? Or do you think people already just come with those natural talents? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  26:14 I mean, I think you may have some natural talents. But I think any leader that isn't working to be better and trying to develop themselves along the way is probably going to hit an endpoint. At some point, you know —  I look back and my final job in the Air Force was here at the Academy as the director for the Center for Character and Leadership Development. And I learned so much about myself in that year, I learned so much from this amazing team that works there, who are all experts in leadership and leadership development. And I love that that came in the final point of my career, you know, and I just feel like you, we have to constantly learn to improve and adapt. And my leadership style when I first started out was very different than, you know, when I finished my career And I think it's because I was learning, I was figuring out what works, I was making mistakes, and thankfully, having people, you know, share their feedback with me. So, I absolutely think that it requires work. Leadership requires work. It's, you know, it's not easy. There are challenges, there are things to learn, things adapt, your team is different. It's just constantly one of those things that professional development, for me is something that should continue throughout your career, throughout your life, always looking for new ways. And learning from your team as well. Like right now, I learned a lot from my kids. But I've learned a tremendous amount from the airmen that have worked for me as well. And that's just, it's rewarding, but I think it's one of those things that just helps us to continue to learn and grow. Naviere Walkewicz  27:44 I was actually going to ask you, you know, what does learning as a leader look like? And you really touched on that. Because, I think a lot of listeners are looking for those nuggets, or “How do I get better as a leader?” So, it's not necessarily just professional development. That's part of it, certainly, but it's also looking at others, learning from others. … What would you say are some of those lessons or traits that you picked up from others that you adopted into your leadership style? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  28:08 I think the biggest thing for me, as I look back and had some reflection time on this is, you know, I think when I started out, I had this idea that leadership was like — put on this tough exterior, like, have the answers, like, be strong and credible and capable. And I do think credibility is important. But I've also learned that that human connection, and really, just be authentic and true to who you are. But really connect with people on a human level like that, for me is night and day from, you know — I knew that I needed to get to know my airman like that was, you know, that made sense. But I think, really, truly connecting with people and taking the time to learn from them, like walking around and just getting to know your team on a very human level. Like meeting with them on a personal level also, like getting to know them and then their families. You know, obviously there's limits to this based on your position and your role. But I think just connecting with people and finding out where they struggle, you know, where do they add value? What do they bring to the organization? Letting them teach you what they do — I've had a few leadership roles where, you know, I'm not the expert, you know? I don't have the same background that everyone does. And I just really learned to learn from my team — whether it was driving a front loader with my civil engineers; suiting up in a fire suit and go into the burn house with my firefighters — those were moments that I just, there's some of my favorite moments is taking the time to really connect and get to know people and it builds trust. I did not start out that way. But to me, that was the most important thing that I learned and I learned it from my airmen. Naviere Walkewicz  29:45 There was a story you shared in your book about when you took command and it can get really tough. And I think it really talks about the connection piece.  Was it your son…? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  29:57 Yeah, he's 15 now. Yeah, he, you know, kids have a mind of their own. And he did at my change-of-command ceremony first, this was for squadron command. And he decided in the middle of the ceremony to just get up and come up on stage and sit in my lap. And I was, you know — there's that part of me that is just was so worried about what my team was thinking, you know, like, obviously not proper military protocol. I was trying to figure out how I was going to do the rest of the ceremony with my son up on stage with me. But I think, in that moment, like, I just remember looking down at my son, and even though my mind is racing, because I'm so worried about what people are thinking, that I look at him, and I'm like, You know what, this is me, right? Like, I'm a mom; that's just part of who I am. Yes, I am going to be a commander of 150 people. And sometimes I can't control my 3-year-old son. Like, that's just reality. But it put this perspective of like, letting people in a little bit to see me for who I was, you know, yes, I'm a mom, I'm a fighter pilot, I'm wife, I'm a leader. Like, here I am, you know, these, I'm all of these things. And at that, really that one moment, like, in the days after, when I spent time just walking to the different locations and meeting my team, like, that's the thing that came up was my son on my lap. I mean, that was the highlight for everyone. And so, it was this idea that my young airmen, you know, they taught me a lesson that day to like — we earn trust when we, like, create those connections and open ourselves up to have a little bit of vulnerability. So yeah, my 3-year-old kind of opened my eyes to just letting people in and letting people see who for who you are. Naviere Walkewicz  31:39 Well, that is certainly one way that your family, your 3-year-old at the time, influenced you as a leader. How else would you say — I know you said your dad is a grad. Your mom probably played a strong role in your leadership throughout the years, and your husband being in the military as well. Talk about your family's influence on you as a leader. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  31:58 I think it all really started out growing up. My mom was an oncology nurse and she really, you know — she taught me a lot about that compassionate side, but also very credible and capable as an oncology nurse. And my dad, really from the moment that he decided that he was going to let me into his world of what going to the Air Force Academy … instilled in me this idea that if you want something, you're going to have to work for it. And you're, you know — it's not going to be easy. I remember, I did a lot of sports, like cross country and soccer. And so, my upper body strength wasn't great going into my application for the Academy. Naviere Walkewicz  32:37 And so you're gonna talk about the pull up? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  32:40 I couldn't do any. And my dad was like, "Well, if you're gonna go to the Academy…” and I think this was still a little testing, like, “Do you really want this? Are you really willing to put in the work?” He said, “All right, we'll install a pull up bar in the bathroom. And every time you go in and out, you can do a pull up.” And I did. And that meant that by the time I got to the Academy, I could max the pull ups. It but it was, it's, you know — it's that little early lesson of like, “If you want something you got to put in the work.” And, you know, that stayed with me. I mean, obviously, throughout my career, throughout my life, it's things that I talked to my kids about now. You know, you can have goals, and you can have dreams, but you have to put in the work. So, they absolutely, like they've been my role models, my heroes, my mentors. They still are, you know? Now they thankfully live close by; I get to see them more. But yeah, they've actually, you know, they've really been tremendous in my life. And, you know, I rely on them for their advice and mentorship. So, that's been really powerful. And then, you know, having a husband who was also a colonel, also a commander, to have somebody in your life you can bounce ideas off of who will have your back and give you honest feedback, right? Like, you know, we're very honest with each other. And we'll give each other feedback. And so that's really important. You know, it's that wingman support of somebody who is always there, that has your back, that's looking out for you, will support you, but will also push you to be at your best and, and who has been a true partner ... So, yeah, family is really important to me, I think it can make a tremendous difference in our lives, and my kids now teach me a lot of things as well — patience being one of them. Naviere Walkewicz  34:23 Being out of the uniform now, you know, what are some things that you're doing to continue to develop yourself as a leader? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  34:32 I think it's continuing to push myself outside my comfort zone. You know, I retired a few years ago, and that was a hard transition. You know, I miss the people I miss the camaraderie I miss that sense of commitment to service. And I realized that there's so many ways you can serve outside of the military as well. And for me, I realized part of it being in the Center for Character and Leadership Development, how passionate I was about inspiring others. and helping other leaders, whether they're brand-new leaders, or maybe even very experienced leaders look at something from a different perspective or to continue to push themselves out of their comfort zone because we can get comfortable in the way we've been doing things. And so, I just realized that that's something I'm passionate about. And so I've realized, I'm maybe I'm not serving in uniform anymore, but I'm trying to give back in a way, and I love the opportunity to mentor our next generation of cadets. But I also love the opportunity to travel to talk to different teams and organizations from the public and private sector to talk about leadership and talk about overcoming hard things and putting in the work. And that's been a lot of fun and very rewarding. Naviere Walkewicz  35:44 I can imagine that journey of developing yourself even outside of uniform, you know, as a, as a leader, you talk about pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. Can you share a time maybe where you've been doing that and you failed, and what that looked like, and how you picked yourself up or a time when you really saw some benefit from pushing yourself out of the comfort zone? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  36:05 I can talk to both. I think anytime you try something new, that feels a little bit scary, like, it just feels daunting. And I think even just for me, if I look back, probably earliest in my career, just being one of the only women going into a fighter squadron — that felt very outside of my comfort zone. I mean, yes, I had gone through pilot training. And I had gone through the training… but it felt very nerve-wracking to go into a fighter squadron. For the first time. I mean, the, one of the biggest failures I had was my final checkride and pilot training. And that was a moment where, you know, I had done so well, up to that point, minus some early bouts of air sickness, which is a totally different story, I might have read just when you think you have this whole thing planned out. But my final ride and pilot training was my formation ride — I had put myself out there as wanting to fly fighters at that point, we had made our dream sheet of fly the A-10. Like, I felt like I had done so well up to that point and really put in the work. And then I really struggled with my final formation checkride. And again, sometimes those moments that are so hard and such a struggle are also the moments where you learn the most. And I had made some mistakes in the ride and the flying and the formation, and I didn't let them go. Like, I just kept focusing on the mistakes. And I performed terribly on the ride. And, you know, thankfully, my instructor gave me some honest feedback and was like, “Kim, you're a good pilot, but that was a terrible ride.” But I think that one ride really reinforced to me this idea of when you make a mistake, like, let it go. Like, you can't focus on it, you just learn the lesson and don't do it again, but let it go. So, I think you know, that was one of those ones where, you know, it certainly didn't go so well. But I think it really made me stronger, and a better pilot and a better leader, and I'm thankful that I learned that early in my career. I will tell you, on the positive side of getting outside my comfort zone — like, I never thought I was going to be an author and I never it wasn't on my dream list. It wasn't a goal that I had set my for myself. And I joked to my husband a few times, like I wrote the book, but then was going to have the courage to publish it because it felt very vulnerable. It felt very vulnerable to put myself out there and to share some of the stories and, you know — the good stories are one thing, but the mistakes, the failures, you know, the things that didn't go as well, it felt very vulnerable. And, you know, he always laughed, he's like, “Of course you are.” You have to take your own advice, you know, even when you're scared, you do it anyway. And so, pushing myself outside my comfort zone to publish the book and put it out there. And now to get the feedback from people of how important it is to hear the not just the good, but the bad, right, the struggles, the challenges, and to know that, yes, you can have this amazing résumé and done some amazing things and how to have a great career. But what are the things behind that? And I think that's sometimes what we miss. And so, I'm thankful for the opportunity. And it's been a reminder to me that even when it feels uncomfortable, that we have to go for it, you know, to put ourselves out there and give it a shot. And, you know, this has been incredibly rewarding. Naviere Walkewicz  39:20 Well, I have to say, you know, it's funny that we've only just met in person for the first time today when we hugged and said hello, because I feel like I've known you — I mean, aside from reading the book. I remember going on LinkedIn when you got the box of your shipment. And I just remember being in that moment with you — I think you were so emotional about opening up the box and seeing your book and holding it in your hand, like this was a special moment. … So, I think you know your leadership. The way you inspire people has transcended, you know, different social mediums and also just people that you never even met. So, I thank you for that moment because, yeah, I mean, that really inspired me as well. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  40:01 I think it was also, you know, seeing the book for the first time, but also like, “Oh yeah, like, now it's in print, there's no turning back now.” But yeah, you know, even pilots and guys that I flew with were like, “We thought we knew pretty well, but, like, we had no idea that the some of these things were going on or that, you know, these were some of the things that you were feeling.” And just, I appreciate that, you know, that they recognize that. But there's sometimes that there's a lot more going on with people that we don't recognize. And so, you know, putting yourself out there is a little scary. But it is, like I said — it's just been such an honor to be able to connect with people and for them to share their stories with me, and to know that in some way I can help make a difference on their journey. Naviere Walkewicz  40:46 Well, for those listeners that are looking for nuggets, and how to get to know people better when you just said that, you know, we thought we knew you, we didn't know you were handled all those things going on, how would you share with leaders that they might do that better for people that work for them? Their colleagues? What does that look like if they're not reading a book? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  41:06 I think it means, you know, we often say, "Well, I have an open-door policy." I think it's more than that — it is getting out of your office, getting away from the computer, and walking around and really talking to people and just taking those small moments with people as individuals, as humans, and really getting to know them. And, you know, again, it's all about, like, “Let them teach you something; you don't know everything.” You know, how can you learn more? How can you continue to develop and grow? What can you share with them that you learned on your own journey? Yes, you can do that in large groups, but sometimes that one on one, like, hey, I've been there, I know what you're feeling. I struggle there too. This is where I failed. You know, those little moments are really important. And it lets your team see you as human to Right. Like you're not perfect, you don't have all the answers, you have your own challenges. I think that is truly important that human level connection really is important. Yes, you should be credible, you should be capable. You have to put in the work, but that humility and approachability is also so important. Naviere Walkewicz  42:07 What are the one or two key lessons in leadership that you'd really love to share with our listeners? Like, what do you want them to take away? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  42:14 Yeah. I think one of the things that really sticks out to me — and it's something that we learned as cadets as well — is the idea of having a wingman by your side personally, professionally, — someone that will have your back, someone that will support you. I think it has been so critical throughout my life; I think at that moment over Baghdad, when everything was going wrong, I mean, just everything was going wrong. And all I said over the radio was, "two got hit, two got hit." That was it. And immediately my wingman stepped in. He, you know, immediately provided me guidance and support when I needed it most. And you know, when the adrenaline is pumping, we're feeling overwhelmed, like that wingman can step in and help us to see the bigger picture and make the best possible decision. And I think that mutual support, like, yes, it's that moment over Baghdad of having that mutual support. But I think back to as a cadet, right, like, the moments of struggle through basic training, or recognition, or just academics, whatever it was, like, having people that you could count on to be your support network was huge. And even, you know, as a leader at, you know, as a colonel, as a leader, as a commander all these different times, I wasn't alone. I had, you know, a team, I had chiefs that were just incredible, who had shut the door and given me honest feedback. But who would also support me, and I think that is just so critical to have somebody by your side. And again, it's personal. It's professional. I mean, my husband has been my wingman. I think it's just a reminder that we don't have to do hard times alone, that we can have a wingman by our side that we can count on.   Naviere Walkewicz  43:47 That is a fantastic lesson. Well, there's always the possibility that when our listeners, you know, review this and we go back through the, through our time together, they'll be things that they would wish they'd wish we talked about. Yeah. So how can they get a hold of you? You know, what does that look like? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  44:04 Well, first off, I would love for people to reach out if there's a question or something that someone wanted to ask or, you know, that we didn't cover. I think it's important that people reach out and ask the question, I love to connect with people. The easiest way to get in touch with me is probably through my website because it has links to all the social media channels, and my email. So, the website is kim-kc-campbell.com. And again, it has links to LinkedIn and Instagram and Twitter and all the different locations that you could find. It also has links to my book if people are interested in the book. It's available Amazon Barnes and Noble, your favorite local bookseller wherever you would like to purchase the book. And like you said, it's available in an audio version. It's available in hardcopy, but yeah, please reach out. I'm open to feedback as well. I love when people share some thoughts about the book and thoughts about the podcast. It would be great to connect. Naviere Walkewicz  45:01 Well, I'd be remiss if we didn't end with just the quick story of how KC came to be. Like, can you just share with our listeners how you got that call-sign? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  45:10 Yeah, the KC part, right? So everybody thinks it's my initials, because that's the easy button. But it's every fighter pilot has a callsign. And I got mine after being designated combat mission ready in the A-10. And we're not in the room when they tell stories about us from our experience, but I was the only female fighter pilot and our A-10 Squadron. And so, I came back into the room, lots of tears, lots of excitement, and they said, “Your new callsign is KC.” And I was like, well, that's kind of lame. I didn't say that out loud. Because it's my initials. And they said, it stands for “Killer Chick.” And I was like, “All right, well, that's fitting.” You're like, “I can handle that.” Naviere Walkewicz  45:46 Well, this was wonderful, Kim. Can you remind listeners one more time the name of your book just so in case you missed it? Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  45:53 Yes. “Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot's Lessons on Leading with Courage.” Naviere Walkewicz  45:58 Thank you so much for your time today. Col. (Ret.) Kim "KC" Campbell  46:00 Thank you so much. I appreciate it.   KEYWORDS Air Force Academy, moment, cadets, learned, Baghdad, pilot, leadership, felt, listeners, Academy, book, work, leader, lessons, important, people, talk, callsign, life, stories   The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation   

The Challenge of the Gospel Mike O'Dowd - Pt 2 We all love a good story. And one of the all-time great story tellers was Jesus. Amen!  He almost always told his stories, called “parables,” in order to leave a memorable thought with his listeners. Well, our guest today is the same way. He loves to tell stories in order to make his point. Mike O'Dowd spent 24 years as a pilot in the Air Force, flying combat missions across seven deployments from 1985-2010. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Valor in Combat. Today, he serves as the pastor of Leptondale Bible Church. In addition, he is a published author, with his debut novel, "The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story." Pastor Michael uses the power of story to lead his readers through the epic message of good news beginning in Genesis (where it all started).  He continues all the way to Revelation, where this amazing story ends and, as the Bible says, “All things become new.” Amen! This book, “The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story” describes doctrinal truth in story form, where God is the hero, and we are being saved. This book will help pastors and congregants alike, to understand the biblical details that saves us – and keeps us saved. Amen!  Praise God. This is part two and the conclusion of a great discussion with Pastor Mike O'Dowd about his book, “The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story” But why this book now? You are focused having churches embrace the “Great Commission.” Now, yes, it does involved getting people born again… but the command portion is to “go and make disciples,” which is the next step after getting them saved. How have you embraced this commission with your church? Share with us some information from your book… you start in Genesis with Creation and the Fall. What does it mean for a believer to walk in the same way Jesus walked? In Hebrews 2, we are warned not to “neglect such a great salvation.” How is it possible for us to neglect our salvation? When will this new book, “Neglecting a Great Salvation: An Exposition of Hebrews,” be published? Pastor, this has been so interesting. How can someone obtain a copy of your book, “The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story?”  Is it on Amazon? If someone wanted to ask a question, receive more information or possibly do an interview such as this – how can they do that?  How can someone get in touch with you? I'll put links to all of this in the show notes below. Folks, we may never be called upon to fly an A-10 in combat as Pastor Mike O'Dowd did starting out – but we are called be witnesses for Jesus which is what he's doing now! Amen! Just like Pastor Mike, we have our own back story. It is different from everyone around you. But yet, our end story should be the same! Amen!  We need to witness for Jesus. We need to make disciples for Jesus! Pastor Mike's book, “The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story,” will help you to fulfill your end story! Amen! Drop down into the show notes and click...

The Challenge of the Gospel Mike O'Dowd - Pt 1 We all love a good story. And one of the all-time great story tellers was Jesus. Amen!  He almost always told his stories, called “parables,” in order to leave a memorable thought with his listeners. Well, our guest today is the same way. He loves to tell stories in order to make his point. Mike O'Dowd spent 24 years as a pilot in the Air Force, flying combat missions across seven deployments from 1985-2010. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Valor in Combat. Today, he serves as the pastor of Leptondale Bible Church. In addition, he is a published author, with his debut novel, "The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story." Pastor Michael uses the power of story to lead his readers through the epic message of good news beginning in Genesis (where it all started).  He continues all the way to Revelation, where this amazing story ends and, as the Bible says, “All things become new.” Amen! This book, “The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story” describes doctrinal truth in story form, where God is the hero, and we are being saved. This book will help pastors and congregants alike, to understand the biblical details that saves us – and keeps us saved. Amen!  Praise God. Help me welcome to the program, Pastor Michael O'Dowd!  Pastor, it is a blessing to have you on the program today! I do appreciate your time! Let me just start here…you were an A-10 pilot in Louisiana. Let me guess – Barksdale AFB in Alexandria? I bet you had some mission runs out at the Peason Ridge area? Correct? I was a Cavalry officer stationed there up until 1989, when I left service. But I loved the Wart Hogs. We did Combined Arms live fire all the time with the A-10's. You're motivation to seek God started, or coalesced at least, on your trip from the states to Saudi Arabia flying the A-10 through a thunderstorm. Share that experience with us and what happened once you arrived? As we discuss your book, “The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story,”  I want to ask you, first of all, “Why” did you write this book? But why this book now? You are focused having churches embrace the “Great Commission.” Now, yes, it does involved getting people born again… but the command portion is to “go and make disciples,” which is the next step after getting them saved. Folks, we may never be called upon to fly an A-10 in combat as Pastor Mike O'Dowd did starting out – but we are called be witnesses for Jesus which is what he's doing now! Amen! Just like Pastor Mike, we have our own back story. It is different from everyone around you. But yet, our end story should be the same! Amen!  We need to witness for Jesus. We need to make disciples for Jesus! Pastor Mike's book, “The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story,” will help you to fulfill your end story! Amen! Drop down into the show notes and click the links right there! Order your copy of this great book. In fact, order two or three copies and pass them out to your friends – especially if you are in the ministry! Amen!  Buy a copy for your pastor, too! I know he will appreciate it. Amen!

In episode 81  @AfterburnPodcast  Colonel Samuel G. McIntyre, a U-28A Air Force Special Operations Pilot, who distinguished himself during the tumultuous events unfolding at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan. Amidst the initial Taliban invasion and the emergency United States embassy evacuation, Colonel McIntyre's exceptional flying skill, courage, and precision defensive maneuvers were pivotal in safeguarding the lives of his crew, Afghan civilians, and U.S. embassy and military personnel. For his actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor. Read the DFC citation here: https://bit.ly/McIntyre_DFC_Citation Join our free weekly newsletter for insights into aviation, defense, and geo-politics - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter Colonel McIntyre's valor is encapsulated in his receipt of the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for his extraordinary achievement during Operation Freedom's Sentinel. Facing a runway obstructed by a stampede of civilians and enemies, emergency fuel conditions, and violent urban warfare, Colonel McIntyre executed unprecedented feats of airmanship, landing amidst chaos and ensuring the safe recovery of his crew. This episode delves into the intricate dynamics of U-28A tactical capabilities, offering a glimpse into the life of a pilot marked by complexity, challenge, and courage. It's a narrative that transcends the ordinary, unveiling the profound impact of precision, skill, and dedication in the theatre of war.

In episode 78 of  @AfterburnPodcast , we jump into the mission where Chris 'Chewy' Richardson, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for a mission in Afghanistan. On approach into an austere airfield Chris' C-130J Hercules came under enemy fire, striking his loadmaster and damaging his aircraft. Join our Newsletter for weekly insights into defense, aviation, and geo-politics

Three years ago, on September 5th, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joseph Rosamond was the pilot in command of a California Air National Guard CH-47 that rescued hundreds of trapped campers in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The campers were cut off and surrounded by wildfires.  The actions of CW5 Rosamond, his crew, and a fellow UH-60 Blackhawk crew risked their lives to land and recover 242 individuals in the Mammoth Pools.  Despite local, state, and Homeland Security officials advising against them attempting a rescue they pressed forward, knowing they might not return. For their actions, the 7 crew members were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses.   This episode originally aired back in 2020.   Stay tuned for a follow-up interview with CW5 Rosamond.  Check out our newsletter: https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter Afterburn Podcast Sponsors Launch Your Aviation Career - BogiDope: https://bit.ly/BogiDope Secure Your Digital Identity - Aura: https://aura.com/afterburn E3 Aviation Association: https://bit.ly/E3Aviation  

On today's episode, Dennis speaks with keynote speaker, bestselling author, leader, fighter pilot and retired Command Pilot, Colonel Kim Campbell. Kim Campbell is a retired Air Force Colonel who served in the Air Force for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission in Baghdad. As a senior military leader, Kim has led hundreds of Airmen both at home and abroad in deployed locations and enabled them to succeed in their missions. She has experience leading complex organizations and driving cultural change. Kim knows what it takes to be a successful leader, to inspire and empower high performance teams to achieve success. Kim is passionate about leadership and feels strongly that leaders earn trust by leading with courage and connecting with their team. Today, Dennis and Kim discuss her military career, being a female in a male dominated industry, difficulties of being overseas away from her family and proving her capabilities as a female Colonel. Find more info Kim here: https://kim-kc-campbell.com/ If you like what you are hearing and want to stay in the loop with the latest in Street Cop Training, please follow our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/StreetCopTraining Don't forget to subscribe and rate the podcast, it truly helps! Sign up for classes here: https://streetcoptraining.com/course-list/Follow our podcast here: https://streetcoptraining.com/street-cop-podcast/    or    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/street-cop-podcast/id1538474515

Sean and Shane discuss Shane's unexpected path to flying in Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One. Shane Recounts the harrowing Hainan Island Incident in April, 2001, where his EP-3E Aries reconnaissance aircraft was downed by a Chinese aircraft, before he and his 23 crew members were detained and interrogated by the Chinese for 12 days.   Shane Osborn is a former Naval Aviator who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross following the Hainan Island Incident, and later served as the State Treasurer of Nebraska.   Subscribe to Battleground on Rumble Subscribe to Sean's YouTube channel for full episodes and additional content - @officialseanparnell Follow Sean on Instagram - @officalseanparnell Follow Sean on Twitter - @SeanParnellUSAFollow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lt. Col. Slade has held command positions in the Army and the Air Force and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and fourteen combat air medals. He attended Utah State, where he earned a BA and was commissioned as an Army Aviation second lieutenant. He's also earned an MA in aviation instruction. Brian currently serves as a lieutenant colonel for Air Force Combat Search and Rescue. He is the author of "Cleared Hot," Lessons Learned about Life, Love, and Leadership While Flying the Apache Gunship in Afghanistan, which is now available.