Podcasts about Ramstein Air Base

In our latest episode, we shine a light on the exceptional lives of military children who have been recognized as the Operation Homefront 2025 Military Child of the Year recipients from the Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force families. Join us as Isabella, Ian, and Sophia share their heartfelt stories of resilience, adventure, and gratitude that come with growing up in military families.   This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Fort Bliss Spouses' Association. To learn more, visit https://www.thefbsa.org/.   Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas. Show Notes: Resources:   Operation Homefront https://operationhomefront.org/   Military Child of the Year Award Recipients https://operationhomefront.org/military-child-of-the-year/   Bio: Isabella, the 2025 Operation Homefront Military Child of the Year® for the Marine Corps, values the unique culture of the military community.    A junior at Swansboro High School in North Carolina, she makes it her mission to welcome new students. Isabella, 17, lives in Hubert, North Carolina, with her mother and stepfather, Amanda and Chris Price. She has four siblings.     “Being a military child who is now permanently in Swansboro, I get to not only relate to these new military kids, but help ease their transition into their new environment,” she said.    Her parents served a combined 42 years in the Marine Corps. Her mother, a staff sergeant, deployed three times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and humanitarian missions. She retired after 20 years.     Her father, Gunnery Sgt. Brian J. Smith, retired from service after 22 years and eight deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He was awarded a Purple Heart after suffering injuries in Afghanistan. He died in 2023 at the beginning of Isabella's sophomore year of high school after being diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic cancer.    “My father who was the epitome of hard work and dedication to his career,” she said. “I strive daily to be as committed as he was in everything I aspire to accomplish.”     Isabella is on track to earn an associate degree before graduating high school. She's considering several universities in North Carolina for completing a bachelor's degree before going to law school. She aspires to a career in the political field.     Ian, Operation Homefront's 2025 Military Child of the Year® for the Coast Guard, has achieved academic success that will help propel him to his goal of becoming a civil engineer, all while mentoring other students.    Ian, 17, is a senior at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, where he is currently his class valedictorian, the first Black male student to hold the position in a decade. He will graduate with an associate degree from Tidewater Community College a month before his high school graduation.    Ian is the son of retired Lt. Michael Lindo and Michelle Effatt. Michael served for 27 years active duty in the Coast Guard, deploying for a total of 10 years conducting counter drug and migrant interdictions in the Caribbean, before retiring in 2019. His father lives in Georgia while Ian and his mom live in Virginia.    “My father's dedication and commitment to serving our country for so many years is something I deeply admire,” Ian said. “His loyalty and sacrifice for our nation have shaped who I am. It's not just about the uniform; it's about the values he instilled in me—discipline, resilience, and a strong sense of duty.”   “I'm really passionate about designing systems that can improve lives, especially in underserved areas,” Ian said. “I've always believed that infrastructure like roads and bridges plays such a crucial role in connecting people, improving safety, and supporting everyday life.”    Ian is currently deciding among several universities, including Virginia Tech and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, to major in civil engineering.     Sophia, Operation Homefront's 2025 Military Child of the Year® for the Air Force, has learned to embrace life following the death of her father in 2023 after he served his country for 17 years.    Sophia, now 17, was 15 years old when her father, Master Sgt. Anthony Pinero, passed away tragically… She lives at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany with her mom, Sheena Pinero, an executive services specialist and her younger sister.    As a military child, Sophia experienced 37 months of her father's deployment and five changes of station. Moving most recently to Germany meant leaving friends and family even farther away than usual, but Sophia responded with resiliency, helping plan trips around Europe with her mom and sister.    “Of all of the bases that I have been stationed at, Ramstein Air Base has been the best,” Sophia said. “I have never felt as connected to the people around me as I do here. Whether it is pitching mail at the post office with active-duty personnel or recognizing volunteer excellence in the community, Ramstein Air Base has always felt like one big, connected family.”    Sophia is considering pursuing a career in engineering or medicine. She wants to attend the United States Air Force Academy or a university with a strong Air Force ROTC program, and she hopes to become an officer in the Air Force.     Full biographies can be found at https://operationhomefront.org/2025-military-child-of-the-year-award-recipients/?internal_medium=internal&internal_source=banner&internal_campaign=thd-oh-25-03-internal-mcoy-traff&internal_content=D2503W61SB&sourceid=1153486.              

As US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin heads to Ramstein Air Base for the final time, Emma Nelson explores what the future of the country’s support for Ukraine will be. Plus: can Lebanon overcome its presidential crisis? And are Parisian police really putting on their sirens to get home for their aperitifs?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drone sightings are not confined to the US East Coast. There have been multiple reports from bases across the UK and mainland Europe. Pilots saw UAPs in Eugene, Oregon. In this video, I cover a recent drone crash and the increased drone sightings over sensitive European bases. Based on 18 years of flying fighters and 4 years investigating UAPs, I give my impressions of these things.Podcast published on 17 Dec 2024.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lehto-files-investigating-uaps--5990774/support.

The Ukraine-Russia war is now openly the NATO-Russia war. Things are quickly spiraling out of control. Few Westerners are aware that we could be days, perhaps hours, away from an exchange of nuclear weapons.Rick Wiles, Doc Burkhart. Airdate 11/27/2024Join the leading community for Conservative Christians! https://www.FaithandValues.comCelebrate Christmas with TruNews! Donate $200 or more to TruNews and receive 8 gifts: 2 Final Day books, 2 Sacrificing Liberty DVD sets, 2 The Greatest Reset DVDs, and 2 talking Fauci Elves. Donate at https://www.TruNews.com/donate, call 800.576.2116, or mail to PO Box 399, Vero Beach, FL 32961. Request your gift bag today!Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves!https://www.AmericanReserves.com             It's the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today!https://www.amazon.com/Final-Day-Characteristics-Second-Coming/dp/0578260816/Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books!https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/final-day-10-characteristics-of-the-second-coming/id1687129858Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today.https://www.sacrificingliberty.com/watchThe Fauci Elf is a hilarious gift guaranteed to make your friends laugh! Order yours today!https://tru.news/faucielf

Send us a Text Message.Beyond the headlines of scandalous stories about military members getting in trouble, there are real people whose lives are forever changed. What we see in the news is often far from the truth or slanted to fit a one-sided narrative. That's why sharing our stories is so important, especially when seeking justice. Join me as I talk to get another attorney who works with service members seeking accountability. Hear the “stories behind the story” on some of his most compelling cases and his suggestions for reforming the military justice system. Benjamin Beliles is a former Air Force JAG officer and trial lawyer with over 15 years of experience in complex criminal prosecution, civil litigation, defense, appellate work, and internal investigations. He focuses his practice on white-collar crime and complex civil litigation matters and advocates for victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military.  Before entering private practice, Ben served as senior trial counsel for the Special Victims Unit of the U.S. Air Force at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. As the senior prosecutor for the Air Force's legal offices in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and the U.K., he first-chaired 46 jury trials to verdict. While serving in that role, Ben was named the Special Victims Unit Prosecutor of the Year twice. Before leaving active duty, Ben served as a federal litigation attorney, defending the agency in employment actions in administrative and federal litigation. In that role, he was designated the Air Force Subject Matter Expert in sexual harassment-based removals of civilian employees. Notably, Ben successfully prosecuted Lt. Col. James Wilkerson for sexual assault at Aviano Air Base, Italy. The convening authority, Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, threw the verdict out. That action made the case a lightning rod for change to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Ben was integrally involved in its systemic revision to provide more robust protections for victims of sexual assault. During the fallout from the case, he served as a frequent media contributor. He suffered extensive reprisal for those who opposed the changes to the military's handling of sexual assault.  Ben is licensed to practice law in Virginia and is permitted to practice in all military and federal courts, including the Eastern and WVisit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTERRead my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.comWatch episodes of my podcast:https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, US Air Force Captain Jose Davis discusses his paper, which is entitled: "Leveraging AI for Operations in the Information Environment: 3 Demonstrations in Disinformation, Social Media, and Entropy." The paper focuses on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the realm of Operations in the Information Environment (OIE), particularly for the Air Force. The paper presents three case studies demonstrating how AI can positively impact OIE and advocates for direct AI research in this area. Additionally, he'll recap an information campaign that US Air Forces in Europe conducted to assure Baltic NATO Allies, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Recording Date: 24 April 2024 Research Questions: Jose Davis suggests as interested student examine:  What other common metrics can be developed or researched for assessing the Information Environment, tailor-made for the national security needs and useful for IO and PA operators? What are the practical outcomes in the Information Environment (a complex system) when entropy is influenced, pushed either higher or lower? e.g. Hypothetically, when high entropy is present, humans deploy simplifying heuristics, so this should help improve Key Leader Engagements' (KLE) timing and improve KLE dossiers. Or with PA/IO, high entropy hypothetically may demand a simplified messaging campaign. In what other ways can AI be leveraged to combat nefarious AI use for disinformation? The ideas of watermarking or safeguarding content from manipulation from nefarious Generative AI are a form of  immunization, advancing Inoculation Theory as a whole. What other preventative measures along the lines of immunization can be taken to combat disinformation? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #46 Pat Ryder on Public Affairs and Strategic Communications #174 Kara Masick on Assessment Insights from Program Evaluation #183 Julie Janson on Air Force IO Talent and Strategy Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence Universal adversarial perturbations by Seyed-Mohsen Moosavi-Dezfooli, Alhussein Fawzi, Omar Fawzi, and Pascal Frossard Pre-trained Adversarial Perturbations by Yuanhao Ban, Yinpeng Dong Automating OIE with Large Language Models by Cpt Alexander Sferrella, Cpt Joseph Conger, and Maj Kara Masick Claude Shannon AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by former Google technologist Kai-Fu Lee and science fiction writer Chen Qiufan. I'm a huge advocate of using story to educate. For those new to AI or wanting to understand AI's societal impact, this is my go-to book. Written in a series of fictional short stories with in-depth essay analysis at the end of each, the book teaches AI while making it entertaining. A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age by Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman. I think every Information Warfare professional should know who Claude Shannon is and read his “magna carta” of the Information Age, The  Mathematical Theory of Communication.  My intellectual hero, this exceptional biography brings the man to life — a polymath, a tinkerer, an innovator. “Attention is all You Need” by Ashish Vaswani et al. This is the seminal paper advancing the Transformer architecture which made Generative AI like ChatGPT possible. Liken this paper to Einstein's book on Relativity or Newton's Principia. Information Theory: Structural Models for Qualitative Data by Klaus Krippendorff Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio:  Jose is a Public Affairs Officer for Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He has over 14 years of experience in integrated communications, both in the public and private sectors. He is accredited in Public Relations and Military Communications through the Public Relations Society of America. In his current role, he ensures the strategic communication of accurate and timely information about the command's 104-country area of operations. He played a pivotal role at NATO in combating misinformation before, during and after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He just finished a rigorous six-month fellowship at a DoD-sponsored AI Accelerator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, gaining exposure to some of the brightest and best minds in AI and Machine Learning technologies. As part of his fellowship, Jose was required to apply his newly acquired AI foundational knowledge to produce a research paper addressing a problem or issue facing the U.S. Air Force. The paper is slated for publication in the U.S. Air Force's Air and Space Operations Review journal. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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      

From the Archives. We're the first US crew inside NATO Allied Air Command at Ramstein Air Base to get the lowdown on the Ukraine-Russia war and America's involvement.This episode was originally published September 15th, 2022. Subscribe to my two podcasts: “The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast” and “Full Measure After Hours.” Leave a review, subscribe and share with your friends! Support independent journalism by visiting the new Sharyl Attkisson store. Preorder Sharyl's new book: “Follow the $Science.”Visit SharylAttkisson.com and www.FullMeasure.news for original reporting. Do your own research. Make up your own mind. Think for yourself.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*) MSF urges blocking Israel's Rafah assault Doctors Without Borders chief Christopher Lockyear warns against Israeli war in southern Gaza's Rafah, citing a potential catastrophe that must not be allowed to happen. His concerns stem from a recent visit to the Palestinian enclave, where he witnessed the urgent humanitarian needs at the densely populated Rafah crossing. Lockyear urges diplomatic solutions to prevent further conflict escalation, emphasising the importance of stability. MSF stands prepared to offer aid amidst ongoing tensions in the region. *) Israel blocks UNRWA chief from entering besieged Gaza UN's relief agency for Palestinians or UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini expressed frustration as Israel barred his entry into Gaza, a territory facing a looming famine. During a press conference in Cairo, Lazzarini disclosed the denial, which disrupted his planned visit to Rafah. He accused Israeli authorities of the denial on social media and underlined that Palestinian children are dying of dehydration and hunger. *) US' Blinken travels to Saudi Arabia, Egypt for potential Gaza truce Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarks on a crucial trip this week, aiming to secure a ceasefire and boost humanitarian aid in Israel's Gaza war. His journey begins in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, where talks with Saudi leaders in Jeddah are pivotal for regional stability. Following Saudi Arabia, Blinken will fly to Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian authorities. *) 50 allies to meet as US funds for Ukraine's defence cease US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin aims to reassure European allies of President Joe Biden's commitment to support Ukraine amid concerns over funding challenges. Austin leads discussions at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group summit at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where approximately 50 allies convene to provide military assistance, emphasising collective efforts to bolster defence capabilities. Despite obstacles, Austin reaffirms US commitment to Ukraine's security, aiming to galvanise collective action and solidarity to address evolving challenges. *) Nvidia unveils powerful 'superchip' for AI Nvidia has unveiled its latest chip for powering artificial intelligence, known as Blackwell, as it seeks to consolidate its position as the major supplier to the AI frenzy. The new chip has 208 billion transistors, more than double the 80 billion on the company's previous chip. All of those transistors can access the memory attached to the chip at nearly the same time, improving productivity.

Today's Story: Enhancing F-35 Collaboration

Eva Braun and Hitler – Played by Walt Disney  Moor Hall Studios Part VII (youtube.com) Chile coup 50 years later: The U.S. role and its unintended consequences : NPR  These Were the Secret Nazi Colonies in South America (spanish.academy)  Walter Rauff – Wikipedia  Mobile Van Death Architech War Crimes Central: the Ramstein Air Base – […] The post USA Military =the HEAD OF THE SNAKE. From WW2 into Torture Camps in Chile. Ramstein AFB in Germany controls DRONES and STOCKPILES weapons of war inside Germany. Experiments & Torture never stopped, just NEW locations after WW2. appeared first on Psychopath In Your Life.

Technical Sergeant Joseph Whitt is the bassist for the United States Air Force Band of the Pacific in Tokyo, Japan. Prior to joining the Band of the Pacific, he was stationed at the United States Air Force Band of Flight, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and at the United States Air Forces in Europe Band at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.   We dig into a variety of topics, including: the USAF Band mission the USAF audition process and preparation military lifestyle, service, and overseas experience benefits, education, training professional development double/electric bass cross-over   Enjoy, and you can learn more about a career in The United States Air Force Band here.   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Thank you to our sponsors!   Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – The School of Music at CMU highly values each and every individual who wants to be a part of an innovative fine arts community immersed in a top research university.   Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah's website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.   theme music by Eric Hochberg

Germany's Ramstein Air Base will be the headquarters of a new US Space Force service component for Europe and Africa. The UK Space Agency has awarded Scotland-based AstroAgency and UAE based AzurX, 75,000 pounds each to develop advanced space technologies to tackle natural disasters and reduce greenhouse emissions in the Gulf. EutelSat says its HOTBIRD 13F and HOTBIRD 13G satellites have now entered into full commercial service. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on Twitter and LinkedIn. T-Minus Guest Our guest is Dr. Shawna Pandya is a Canadian physician, scientist-astronaut candidate with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). You can connect with Shawna on LinkedIn and Learn more about IIAS on their website. Selected Reading Newest Space Force component to stand up at Ramstein Air Base in December- The Stars and Stripes UAE and Bahrain to work with UK to develop space technologies to help protect the planet- The National UK Space Agency launches consultation on variable liability limits for orbital operations Eutelsat Brings Two Hotbird Satellites into Commercial Service- Via Satellite Mini space thruster that runs on water- ESA UT Will Lead $4 Million Research Collaboration in Outer Space- PR Astra Space, Inc. Announces Reverse Stock Split- PR ‘Galactic 04' Mission Marks Virgin Galactic's Fifth Spaceflight In Five Months US could advance SpaceX license as soon as October after rocket exploded in April- Reuters Allies Eager to Develop, Collaborate with US on New Space Programs- Air and Space Forces Earth is outside its ‘safe operating space for humanity' on most key measurements, study says- AP 'Learning period' for US commercial space regulations should be extended, Sen. Cruz says- Reuters https://www.welcometohelios.com/missions/ T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © 2023 N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we back to counting tanks and trenches? Do the air and space domains matter in the context of the war in Ukraine? Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, Deputy Commander of NATO's Allied Air Command at Ramstein Air Base, explains why air superiority matters and why access to space and the capabilities it enables is so important. We discuss the lessons learnt from this war for peer-on-peer air and space operations, including the involvement of commercially available capabilities.

U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa security forces member compete in the USAFE Defender Challenge Selection at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 2, 2023. The USAFE Defender Challenge Selection tested participant's physical strength, mental fitness and knowledge. The winners will compete with other participants in a USAF level challenge at Fort Bliss, Texas. (U.S. Air Force Video by Senior Airman Isaac Olivera)

This episode comes to you from Ramstein Air Base, where Ryan spoke with Gen. James Hecker of the U.S. Air Force and Air Marshall Johnny Stringer of the Royal Air Force about what we can learn from airpower and spacepower almost a year and a half into the war in Ukraine.

This has been a Pride Month like no other. The massive outdoor event at the White House with transgender toplessness, the open flaunting of sexuality and nudity on streets across America, and the wanton brazenness taking place tells us it's only going to get worse. For example- ----Assistant Secretary of Health Rachel Levine -a man who claims to be a woman- has extended the month of Pride -June- into the Summer of Pride. Jim provided audio from the secretary.----The latest inappropriate act turned Yosemite National Park, one of the dearest national monuments, into a debauched party to push a corrupt sexual agenda. The controversy ensued when a drag queen posted a video showing a June 8th pride parade conducted by staffers of the National Park Service.----Ramstein Air Base in Germany hosted a pride themed story hour for children in the library in celebration of Pride Month. The celebration called -Reading With Pride- was held on June 15, with the official Facebook page of the base posting photos of the event. ----Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has declared the state a sanctuary for parents of trans kid seeking to evade sex-change bans in other states.----Naked men on bicycles in Seattle. The naked bike ride in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last weekend. Bud light proudly sponsored the city pride parade in Toronto and even featured a float with a drag queen and there were multiple reports of fully nude parade participants. In New York City, lesbians shed their clothing and danced nude in a giant fountain in the middle of Washington Square. All of these are promoted as -family friendly- events.

This has been a Pride Month like no other. The massive outdoor event at the White House with transgender toplessness, the open flaunting of sexuality and nudity on streets across America, and the wanton brazenness taking place tells us it's only going to get worse. For example- ----Assistant Secretary of Health Rachel Levine -a man who claims to be a woman- has extended the month of Pride -June- into the Summer of Pride. Jim provided audio from the secretary.----The latest inappropriate act turned Yosemite National Park, one of the dearest national monuments, into a debauched party to push a corrupt sexual agenda. The controversy ensued when a drag queen posted a video showing a June 8th pride parade conducted by staffers of the National Park Service.----Ramstein Air Base in Germany hosted a pride themed story hour for children in the library in celebration of Pride Month. The celebration called -Reading With Pride- was held on June 15, with the official Facebook page of the base posting photos of the event. ----Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has declared the state a sanctuary for parents of trans kid seeking to evade sex-change bans in other states.----Naked men on bicycles in Seattle. The naked bike ride in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last weekend. Bud light proudly sponsored the city pride parade in Toronto and even featured a float with a drag queen and there were multiple reports of fully nude parade participants. In New York City, lesbians shed their clothing and danced nude in a giant fountain in the middle of Washington Square. All of these are promoted as -family friendly- events.

Join host Joanne Carey as she is joined with Special Guest, Nicole Elaine Roque, of Nicole Elaine Tutus. In this episode of “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey, US Air Force Veteran turned bespoke costume designer, Nicole Roque, discusses the process behind her tutu designs and how each choice she makes in the construction of her designs, from fabric, to embellishments, to hook placement, will contribute to the success of each tutu. Tune in as we even get a pointe shoe ribbon tutorial! Nicole designs tutus for individuals, groups and has a rental collection available. Nicole Roque grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut and has a background in classical ballet. She was a student with the Connecticut Ballet, The Ballet Class in Rye, New York, and also attended a summer intensive with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. After graduating in 2004 from Duquesne University, she joined the United States Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant and was stationed overseas at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Nicole took her first sewing class at Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT and what was once a hobby, is now her passion. After taking design, pattern making, and color theory classes at the Art Institute of New York City, Nicole has come full-circle and answered her calling to classical ballet. *You can also catch Joanne's IGLive interview with Nicole on Joanne's Instagram Page @westfieldschoolofdance To contact Nicole, find her on Instagram @nicoleleainetutus to design your next tutu or to rent one of her beautiful designs! "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey "Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real." Subscribe, Follow, Like Us and SHARE! And please leave don't forget to leave us a REVIEW!

This edition features stories on the concerns of Airmen on Eielson Air Base who pay more than the national average for gas and a teen summit on Ramstein Air Base. Hosted by Tech. Sgt. Lee Hoover.

This edition features stories on a Air Force mechanic working on vehicles at Ramstein Air Base, Airmen participating in an aircraft loading competition, a new procedure to help Airman's vision. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp

This edition features stories on Airmen choosing reenlistment bonuses, cable maintenance Airmen at Ramstein Air Base and the Air Force lowering base expense. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp

This edition features stories on an enlisted heritage room at Ramstein Air Base, Airmen training in mass causality exercises and a rock concert put on for service members. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp

This edition features stories on Medal of Honor recipients visiting aero medical facility on Ramstein Air Base, pilots gathering for the Hawgsmoke competition, and Airmen training in emergency situations. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp

This edition features stories on the SECAF Confirmation Ceremony of Hon. Michael Donley, the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift and a street weeping Airman on Ramstein Air Base. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp.

This edition features stories on a memorial service for a fallen Airman, a Reconstruction Team training at Fort Bragg and an Airman who takes pride in wearing his blues on Blue Mondays at Ramstein Air Base. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp

This edition features stories about a B1B Lancer destroying a large compound used as an anti-Afghan forces staging base, an A-10 Thunderbolt-2 strafing an anti-Afghan motorcycle, an American A-10 Warthog pilot getting an opportunity to work with Bulgarian pilots to learn about the Bulgarian SU-25 Frogfoot ground attack plane, the Navy and Air Force teaming up to demonstrate a rescue mission for the public at Virginia Beach during Air Force Week, Airman at Little Rock Air Force Base learning about the effects of tasers and employing them properly, and the C-130E model aircraft carrying paratroopers for a jump mission at Ramstein Air Base possibly for the last time from this type of aircraft. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp.

This edition features stories about coalition aircraft in Afghanistan employing guided bombs to hit an enemy fighting positions, service members in Djibouti relieving stress after work by learning to dance, three mixed martial arts fighters from the Ultimate Fighting Championship visiting wounded troops at Ramstein Air Base, how the Air Force has instituted a variety of programs to help keep Airmen in peak physical condition and eating well, and U.S. Africa Command's leadership reaching out to regional partners in to help promote stability and security in the region. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp.

This edition features stories on President Barak Obama's visit to Ramstein Air Base, the Viper West Air Show in Utah, the best paralegal in the Air Force, the new expansion to the Montgomery G.I. Bill and Operation Southern Partner. Hosted by Senior Airman Robbie Arp.

This edition features stories on a CMSAF visit to bases in San Antonio, a quilt building Guild on Ramstein Air Base, cyber bullying and the 2009 Wheel Chair Games. Hosted by Master Sgt. Shawn Sprayberry.

This edition features stories on an F-22 test aircraft crash outside Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., that occurred on March 25th, transformations taking place that affect the security alliance between U.S. Forces Japan and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, Airmen first responders at Hulburt Field working with their local civilian counterparts during a recent mass casualty exercise, the Armed Forces Electronic & Communication Association (AFCEA) bringing some of the open markets most high-tech, state-of-the-art technologies for Airmen at Ramstein Air Base to experience, crash site recovery that helps recover and identify U.S. Airmen lost during World War II. Hosted by Tech Sgt. Chris Decker.

This edition features a story on a new software program in the Air Force intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance platform, the 17th Air Force hosting Nigerian Armed forces at Ramstein Air Base to educate them on how the U.S. Air Force trains, an open house at Hickam Air Base featuring the Thunderbirds, Yokota's base commander instituting a new policy concerning visitors, the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) holding its first Coalition Games competition, preparing properly for the new modified Air Force physical training test. Hosted by Senior Airman.

This edition features stories on the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft reaching 25,000 flight hours, an Airman from Ramstein Air Base getting some help to attain his dream of becoming a pilot, leaders at Hill Air Base assessing their personal fitness by the new Air Force physical training test standards, Airman at Misawa Air Base celebrating Spirit Week, Airmen at Incirlik Air Base receiving housing improvements, and Airmen from Spangdahlem Air Base volunteering to spend a day of fun with special needs children. Hosted by Master Sgt. Shawn Sprayberry.

This edition features stories on the safest flying year in the Air Force, country music stars playing in Ramstein Air Base, Wis. National Guard members in Iraq and the Warrior Resilience Conference. Hosted by Tech Sgt. Chris Decker.

This edition features stories on two F-15 fighters escorting a commercial airliner bound for Hawaii after a passenger caused a disturbance, a natural gas fire on Barksdale Air Force Base killing a non-Department of Defense (DoD) civilian, the Lajes Field career assistance adviser, volunteers at Camp Taji, Iraq, putting together kits to help Iraqi school children, Soldiers at Joint Base Balad teaching first responders life-saving techniques, children's author, Trevor Romain, visiting Ramstein Air Base to unveil his new character, Cuzzie Bear. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richard.

This edition features stories on elements of the U.S. 1st Special Operations Wing (1SOW) deploying to the International airport at Port-Au-Prince to provide air traffic control capabilities and air field operations to help the people of Haiti after a massive magnitude seven earthquake devastated the island nation, the Department of Defense's (DODs) Prisoner of War (POW) Missing Personal Office announced the remains of Air Force pilot, Maj. Russell C. Goodman, have been identified, an Airmen who welds important aircraft parts to keep aircraft flying, some of the negative effects stimulants have on Airmen using them to get in shape quickly, Ramstein Air Base leadership working together to keep drivers safe. Hosted by Senior Airman Brad Sisson.

This edition features stories on an Air Force C-130 conducting the first combat air drop of the new the low-cost low-altitude (LCLA) air drop re-supply system, an air crew from Yokota experiencing a simulated combat scenario during a training exercise where they launched five C-130 aircraft simultaneously, Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska conducting Red Flag exercises where fuel-lab technicians play a major role in the exercise's success, some senior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) at Spangdahlem Air Base helping keep Airmen's morale high by providing them warm food and sandwiches while pulling duty outdoors in the brisk conditions, service members at Hickam Air Base celebrating the Year of the Air Force Family with a big party, and a combination of U.S. Reserve Airmen and members of the Croatian army receiving water purification training at Ramstein Air Base. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richard.

This edition features stories on the start of the Air Force Thunderbird's 2010, a child from Western Afghanistan being treated for burns at the Kandahar Regional Medical Center, the National Guard sponsoring a weekly evening for patients and the chapel staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Ramstein Air Base, bio-environmental engineers at Kadena Air Base participating in an exercise to practice their skills, and a family in Yokota who have committed to fitness, training together and running the Tokyo Marathon together. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richard.

This edition features stories on a U.S. commander in the Panjshir Province of Afghanistan who helped get Afghan families compensation for business and property destruction caused by a paved road's construction that runs through the area, the kick off of exercise Silver Flag at Ramstein Air Base, an exercise for civil engineering, personnel, and services career fields, civil engineering Airmen in Southwest Asia finishing new bathroom facilities, a United Services Organization (USO) concert for service members in Southwest Asia featuring the band Saving Abel, the Air Force Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams capturing the Armed Forces Cross Country Championship, and American High School Wrestling teams from different countries competing in Korea for this year's Far East Wrestling Tournament. Hosted by Tech Sgt. Chris Decker.

This edition features stories on a helicopter crash that claimed the life of Capt. David Wisniewski, Ukraine Air Force members touring the flightline at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the importance of weather forecasters in planning and executing missions involving aircraft and Airmen celebrating the 4th of July holiday. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richards

This edition features stories on Air Education Training Command (AETC) Commander, Gen. Stephen Lorenz, receiving the Order of the Sword award, the 379th Medical Group testing and training their medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) capabilities, Basic Cadet Training at the Air Force Academy, the Deployment Transition Center at Ramstein Air Base. Hosted by Senior Airman Brad Sisson.

This edition features stories on the Air Force top leaders releasing a joint letter encouraging Airmen to remain energy efficient at the workplace and at home, service members traveling to Micronesia to help locals renovate a school as part of Operation Pacific Unity, Airmen conducting a 24-hour vigil run at Aviano Air Base to honor the fallen during POW/MIA Week, the ninth annual Sumter-Shaw Street Fest where the Sumter, S.C., community comes out to thank the Airmen of Shaw Air Force Base for their service and the Airmen get show their support for the community while enjoying fun and festivities, families and their pets gathering to support World Rabies Day at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, and Airmen from units at Ramstein Air Base going through Air Force Operational Readiness Inspections. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richard.

This edition features stories on Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Adm. Michael Mullen, holding a press conference describing the three-step process for preparing to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military, a blood drive at Ramstein Air Base, rebuilding the T-38 Fighter jet as an air-to-air combat training aircraft at Holloman Air Force Base, the Community Center at Spangdahlem Air Base hosting a Chili Cook-off, preventing sickness during gym workouts, and United States Air Forces Central Command's Senior Enlisted Advisor visiting bases around the area of responsibility (AOR). Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richard.

This edition features stories on cutting construction costs on Ramstein Air Base, Germany and a program that uses Polaroid pictures to meet and develop relationships with Afghan children and top cross country runners competing in the USAFE cross country regional championships. Hosted by Senior Airman Brad Sisson.

This edition features stories on President Barack Obama honoring Korean War veterans during a ceremony at the Eighth Army War Memorial in Yongsan, First Lady, Michelle Obama, and U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) commander, Gen. Roger Brady, visiting Ramstein Air Base service members and serving them food in honor of Veteran's Day, service members stationed in Germany and civilians taking time to honor Veterans at Luxembourg, and a Veteran's Day Ceremony honoring all veterans, at the Madingley American Cemetery in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richard.

This edition features stories on the search for a missing F-22, a Ugandan Air Force Commander touring Ramstein Air Base, an Airman who keeps aircraft flying, the San Antonio Marathon.Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richard.

This edition features stories on the Air Force implementing a new technical training transition program to help Airmen ease into Air Force lifestyle, Airmen at Kirkuk Air Base celebrating a milestone with their Iraqi counterparts as the Iraqi air force demonstrated their precision air-to-ground attack capability, an Airmen embracing his new home in Alaska by learning snowboarding, Holloman Air Force Base honoring the Mescalero Apache Native American tribe, Spangdahlem Air Base's fuel shop hosting its first PLL Safety Challenge, and Joint Terminal Attack Control (JTAC) Airmen honing the most vital skills of their profession through practical training exercises at Ramstein Air Base. Hosted by Senior Airman Brad Sisson.

Tom Donilon, Chairman of the BlackRock Investment Institute and former National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama returns to this special post-Davos edition of The Bid to provide his take on the geopolitical issues that are shaping the global investment landscape in 2023.Sources:Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and General Mark A. Milley Press Conference Following Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meeting, Ramstein Air Base, Germany Jan. 20, 2023;UN Report of displaced refugees in Ukraine as of January 24th 2023;Internal Ukraine Report October 2022“The Russo-Ukraine War Ten Months In: Taking Stock” Michael Kopfman, Dec 28 2022White House release “Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook” August 16 2022Reuters Article Jan 22nd 2023 “China's 2022 economic growth one of the worst on record, post-pandemic policy faces test”This material is intended for information purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities, funds or strategies to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The opinions expressed are as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Investing involves risks. BlackRock does and may seek to do business with companies covered in this podcast. As a result, readers should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this podcast. In the U.S. and Canada, this material is intended for public distribution. In the UK and Non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries: this is Issued by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL. Tel:+ 44 (0)20 7743 3000. Registered in England and Wales No. 02020394. For your protection telephone calls are usually recorded. Please refer to the Financial Conduct Authority website for a list of authorised activities conducted by BlackRock. 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Defence leaders from dozens of countries and Nato meet at Ramstein Air Base to discuss arming Ukraine. Plus: China's latest censorship crackdown and the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon.

We're the first US crew inside NATO Allied Air Command at Ramstein Air Base to get the lowdown on the Ukraine-Russia war and America's involvement.Subscribe to my two podcasts: “The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast” and “Full Measure After Hours.” Leave a review, subscribe and share with your friends! Support independent journalism by visiting the new Sharyl Attkisson store.Order “Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism” by Sharyl Attkisson at Harper Collins, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, IndieBound, Bookshop!Visit JustTheNews.com, SharylAttkisson.com and www.FullMeasure.news for original reporting. Do your own research. Make up your own mind. Think for yourself.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.