WEBVTT 00:10.816 --> 00:12.872 - As I grew up, there were always aircraft from 00:12.872 --> 00:15.606 the reserve base at Youngstown that were flying overhead, 00:15.606 --> 00:18.023 C-119 boxcars and then A-37s. 00:18.699 --> 00:22.007 So when I graduated high school in 1980, 00:22.007 --> 00:23.694 I was looking for some help for college, 00:23.694 --> 00:27.861 so I went to the reserves next door and joined the reserves. 00:27.868 --> 00:29.950 And when I was graduating from basic training, 00:29.950 --> 00:33.055 all the guard guys that were in, in my flight, 00:33.055 --> 00:35.002 were sewing on stripes and talking about free tuition 00:35.002 --> 00:39.070 in college, when the reserves didn't offer the same thing. 00:39.070 --> 00:42.075 So I graduated from basic training as an E-1, 00:42.075 --> 00:44.428 didn't have the free college, and so I spent the next 00:44.428 --> 00:47.273 couple years trying to get into the Ohio Guard in Columbus 00:47.273 --> 00:48.992 so that I could go to Ohio State. 00:48.992 --> 00:51.007 And eventually I was successful, and in '83 I got 00:51.007 --> 00:54.324 to get into the 121st Tactical Fighter Wing 00:54.324 --> 00:55.824 as a avionics guy. 00:56.259 --> 00:58.455 Yeah, initially my plan was six years, 00:58.455 --> 01:00.616 I was gonna do my first enlistment, get my degree 01:00.616 --> 01:02.943 and then get out and go out in the real world. 01:02.943 --> 01:06.693 Luckily for me, that's not how it worked out. 01:11.170 --> 01:13.396 My standard answer is the people. 01:13.396 --> 01:15.546 It really is the people, but someone told me recently, 01:15.546 --> 01:18.728 they said, I think it's the culture you'll miss, 01:18.728 --> 01:19.887 not really the people. 01:19.887 --> 01:22.812 And then I thought about that, and it's interesting because, 01:22.812 --> 01:25.512 you know, the people make the culture but the culture 01:25.512 --> 01:27.009 continues because of the people. 01:27.009 --> 01:29.629 So people come into a culture, they keep it going, 01:29.629 --> 01:32.431 and when I really look at the state of Ohio, 01:32.431 --> 01:33.937 the Air Guard in the state of Ohio, 01:33.937 --> 01:36.592 all the units, the culture there has been resilience. 01:36.592 --> 01:39.125 They've changed missions, and they, 01:39.125 --> 01:41.070 they're good at what they do and they know it. 01:41.070 --> 01:42.286 And they've always, they've accomplished 01:42.286 --> 01:44.278 everything asked of them. 01:44.278 --> 01:46.987 Keep giving us stuff, we can handle anything. 01:46.987 --> 01:49.341 Watching them go out the door, confident that they're good. 01:49.341 --> 01:51.105 Watching them come back, confident that they know 01:51.105 --> 01:54.155 they did a great job, but it's just been a culture of, 01:54.155 --> 01:58.322 we know we're good, and you are gonna be good, airman, 01:58.812 --> 02:01.354 when you join our organization and we'll make sure of that. 02:01.354 --> 02:03.222 It has been just a great thing seeing 02:03.222 --> 02:06.555 what all the airmen around the state do. 02:07.485 --> 02:09.895 I think it's the same thing I would've told myself 02:09.895 --> 02:11.562 as an E-1, you know. 02:13.862 --> 02:15.280 A, be proud of what you're doing. 02:15.280 --> 02:17.812 I mean, it's a great organization. 02:17.812 --> 02:19.993 You know, we all can get into, 02:19.993 --> 02:22.772 there are aspects of this job, just like any other job, 02:22.772 --> 02:25.189 that we don't like, you know. 02:25.587 --> 02:27.712 But there are so many things that you can do 02:27.712 --> 02:29.545 in the Ohio Air Guard, 02:29.657 --> 02:32.660 just be willing to change, look for opportunities. 02:32.660 --> 02:34.565 If an opportunity comes along, be prepared. 02:34.565 --> 02:36.880 Have your PME done, have all your training done, 02:36.880 --> 02:38.691 because that's when you get some opportunities 02:38.691 --> 02:40.647 that you may not have gotten before. 02:40.647 --> 02:43.564 It goes back to that culture thing. 02:43.606 --> 02:47.773 The airmen come in, we raise them the best we can. 02:48.219 --> 02:50.506 We're together for 20 years. 02:50.506 --> 02:53.135 We try to recruit people to retire them. 02:53.135 --> 02:56.218 So just be proud of the organization, 02:57.141 --> 03:00.891 and don't let it be a bad experience for you.