WEBVTT 00:00.621 --> 00:02.488 - Welcome, Major Patrick Billman. 00:02.488 --> 00:03.761 It's really great to have you here this morning. 00:03.761 --> 00:05.271 Thanks for interviewing with us. 00:05.271 --> 00:06.136 How are you doing today? 00:06.136 --> 00:08.315 - Good, Michael, and I really appreciate the opportunity 00:08.315 --> 00:11.059 to talk to Buffalo District. 00:11.059 --> 00:12.736 - Well, we're really glad to have you and 00:12.736 --> 00:14.266 we just want to get to know you a little bit more 00:14.266 --> 00:16.577 so I'm going to ask you a few questions for the 00:16.577 --> 00:18.140 good of the District here. 00:18.140 --> 00:19.937 Could you tell us about your prior assignment 00:19.937 --> 00:21.411 before coming here to Buffalo? 00:21.411 --> 00:23.789 - Sure, prior to coming to Buffalo, 00:23.789 --> 00:26.039 I came from Vicenza, Italy. 00:26.918 --> 00:31.110 I was with the 173rd brigade combat team, 00:31.110 --> 00:33.545 54th Engineer Battalion. 00:33.545 --> 00:36.988 It was a regular Army unit, Army brigade, 00:36.988 --> 00:40.951 that their airborne jump out of planes. 00:40.951 --> 00:43.210 - Did you family like being there in Italy? 00:43.210 --> 00:46.840 - Yeah, so, the experience in Italy, there was positive and 00:46.840 --> 00:49.424 negatives about it just like every place you live. 00:49.424 --> 00:51.833 Travel to go out and see other countries was a 00:51.833 --> 00:55.687 really, really good thing that we all enjoyed. 00:55.687 --> 00:57.294 I think my son has been to more countries than 00:57.294 --> 01:01.177 he's been to states so it's been a really unique experience. 01:01.177 --> 01:02.310 - Did you pick up any foreign languages 01:02.310 --> 01:03.403 while you were there? 01:03.403 --> 01:07.230 - Yeah, you know, my three year old, he knew more Italian 01:07.230 --> 01:09.702 than myself or Amanda. 01:09.702 --> 01:12.103 Boden picked up quite a bit of Italian but 01:12.103 --> 01:14.513 he's quickly lost it since coming back here. 01:14.513 --> 01:16.638 - Well, great, maybe we'll have some sort of liaison 01:16.638 --> 01:19.805 for further engagements in the future. 01:21.271 --> 01:23.639 Can you tell me about your main responsibilities here 01:23.639 --> 01:25.369 in the District as the Deputy Commander? 01:25.369 --> 01:27.781 - Sure, so as Deputy Commander, 01:27.781 --> 01:29.469 I primarily wear three hats. 01:29.469 --> 01:31.307 The one being Deputy Commander, 01:31.307 --> 01:33.436 where I am able to step in 01:33.436 --> 01:37.211 as acting Commander in Colonel Totes absence. 01:37.211 --> 01:41.669 The other two would be like, Chief of Staff and S3. 01:41.669 --> 01:46.402 As Chief of Staff, it's leading the staff to achieve 01:46.402 --> 01:49.205 the District and Division priorities 01:49.205 --> 01:51.283 that Buffalo District has. 01:51.283 --> 01:55.059 The last one, the S3, would be looking at the Op orders 01:55.059 --> 01:57.047 that come down from headquarters 01:57.047 --> 01:59.495 in Division and interpreting that and 01:59.495 --> 02:01.306 putting that out to the workforce and 02:01.306 --> 02:03.302 establishing the systems to make sure 02:03.302 --> 02:04.690 we comply with those things. 02:04.690 --> 02:05.757 - Okay, great. 02:05.757 --> 02:08.956 Okay, so, you've been here for a month, right? 02:08.956 --> 02:10.641 How are you adjusting to the area, 02:10.641 --> 02:13.882 first, being in Buffalo and what about the actual District 02:13.882 --> 02:15.384 that you're in, specifically? 02:15.384 --> 02:17.591 - So, adjusting to Buffalo, it's been, 02:17.591 --> 02:21.341 it's probably been our most adventurous move. 02:22.364 --> 02:24.697 I say that, we arrived here, 02:26.069 --> 02:29.492 well our family actually came here in May. 02:29.492 --> 02:31.641 They went to New Jersey for a little bit and 02:31.641 --> 02:33.689 then I came over at the end of June and 02:33.689 --> 02:36.784 then we came up from Jersey all together 02:36.784 --> 02:39.324 that last week of June. 02:39.324 --> 02:42.391 Our stuff however was supposed to arrive in July and 02:42.391 --> 02:44.885 it just got here about a week ago. 02:44.885 --> 02:49.885 So, we've been living in a house without a kitchen table or 02:49.968 --> 02:53.399 without mattresses, so on air mattresses, 02:53.399 --> 02:55.778 and so it's been interesting. 02:55.778 --> 02:58.293 - Typical miliatary life then, right? 02:58.293 --> 02:59.410 Well, that's exciting. 02:59.410 --> 03:01.223 - So, my family would call it house camping. 03:01.223 --> 03:02.941 - I was just gonna say, yeah, it's like camping. 03:02.941 --> 03:04.327 Well, I mean there's always... 03:04.327 --> 03:07.308 - Right, we're getting out and enjoying the Buffalo area. 03:07.308 --> 03:08.792 There's a lot to see here. 03:08.792 --> 03:10.892 Like, we've been to a few different things and there's 03:10.892 --> 03:12.744 more to explore I think. 03:12.744 --> 03:14.619 - Well, just so know, there's always room for that. 03:14.619 --> 03:17.252 If we have a horrible snowstorm and the power goes out, 03:17.252 --> 03:19.542 you'll be back in sort of austere conditions 03:19.542 --> 03:20.917 so be prepared for it. 03:20.917 --> 03:22.908 You just never know here in Buffalo. 03:22.908 --> 03:25.816 - And, you now, the Buffalo District, I really do want to 03:25.816 --> 03:30.299 add that I am truly impressed with everybody I've met. 03:30.299 --> 03:33.980 It's really an excellent team here and I'm really excited 03:33.980 --> 03:36.673 to the next couple of years here. 03:36.673 --> 03:38.588 - What are some of the challenges 03:38.588 --> 03:40.931 you might envision over the next couple months 03:40.931 --> 03:43.748 as you transition and learn about the District? 03:43.748 --> 03:44.831 - Yeah, sure. 03:46.478 --> 03:51.061 So as I'm kind of learning my job and there's a lot of, 03:51.901 --> 03:56.036 like, coming up there's several, I mean, 03:56.036 --> 03:57.901 not to point anything particular out but, 03:57.901 --> 04:02.818 I mean, when you look it, it's the balancing of the unknown 04:04.581 --> 04:06.934 versus the known, you know, 04:06.934 --> 04:11.708 it's like making decisions on what we do with something 04:11.708 --> 04:15.672 when we don't necessarily have all the answers. 04:15.672 --> 04:17.046 Does that make sense? 04:17.046 --> 04:17.973 - Yeah, it does. 04:17.973 --> 04:19.526 It takes time to learn any new job 04:19.526 --> 04:20.984 even if you're a Deputy Commander. 04:20.984 --> 04:23.892 Did Major Runga, your predecessor, did he give you any sage 04:23.892 --> 04:27.078 words of advice before coming here to the District. 04:27.078 --> 04:31.020 - So, I've know Major Runga quite a long time. 04:31.020 --> 04:35.756 Jared and I, so, I was, he was one of my first supervisors, 04:35.756 --> 04:37.762 when I first came into the Army. 04:37.762 --> 04:41.429 So, 14 years ago I first met him and within, 04:43.796 --> 04:46.713 I worked directly for him in 2006-7 04:49.641 --> 04:51.580 when I was deployed with him. 04:51.580 --> 04:53.770 So, I've known him for quite a long time. 04:53.770 --> 04:55.152 - Was he a Major at the time? 04:55.152 --> 04:58.233 - He was a Captain at the time and I was a Lieutenant. 04:58.233 --> 05:01.841 So, I learned a lot from him back then. 05:01.841 --> 05:03.878 This time we only had like a week overlap but 05:03.878 --> 05:07.491 he did leave me a book with words of advice 05:07.491 --> 05:09.392 on things he thinks he could've done better 05:09.392 --> 05:12.777 and things that, hey, not screw up on, kind of. 05:12.777 --> 05:14.671 - He probably said, look out for Public Affairs. 05:14.671 --> 05:16.201 Nah, just kidding. 05:16.201 --> 05:17.401 Well, thank you. 05:17.401 --> 05:19.289 Is there anything else that you wanted to add? 05:19.289 --> 05:21.219 This concludes my formal part of the interview. 05:21.219 --> 05:23.033 - Yeah, I definitely want to thank the 05:23.033 --> 05:25.715 Buffalo District team for the warm welcome. 05:25.715 --> 05:28.721 Everyone I've met has been more than willing 05:28.721 --> 05:30.760 to help me out in the situation. 05:30.760 --> 05:33.174 Everyone asks hey, is there anything here I can lend you 05:33.174 --> 05:35.329 since we didn't have our furniture. 05:35.329 --> 05:36.425 A few people came over and 05:36.425 --> 05:38.399 helped me move stuff into storage. 05:38.399 --> 05:40.489 It's really been awesome to come here and 05:40.489 --> 05:43.518 not know people and get such a warm welcome. 05:43.518 --> 05:45.745 Thank you, Buffalo District. 05:45.745 --> 05:47.757 - Well, thank you very much, Major Billmann. 05:47.757 --> 05:49.633 It is a pleasure to have you here in the District and 05:49.633 --> 05:52.029 thank you very much for doing the interview. 05:52.029 --> 05:53.779 - Thank you, Michael.