Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!!!

Just want to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and the very best of the New Year.  This especially goes out to our extended family that has found themselves a half a world away from family and friends.  We look forward to celebrating your safe return back into the arms of loved ones.

I also want to recognize the number of readers from Russia and Canada who started following this blog the past year.  Thank you for your interest and visits to the cyber Comstock.

"Gang Leader for a Day"

Although am trying to return the blog site to its original intention of journaling the writing process, I want to make a rare commendation of the book, “Gang Leader for a Day” by Sudhir Venkatesh.

A self-proclaimed “rouge sociologist,” his 2008 book is a look at JT and the Black Kings, a drug gang embedded in the projects of Chicago. He covers an almost ten-year period providing insight into not only the culture of the gang, but also takes an in-depth look at the residents of the projects and their community within a community geared towards their very survival.

Venkatesh and his work with the Black Kings were introduced in Stephen J. Dubner’s “Freakonomics.” This book is a result of the attention Venkatesh received as a result of “Freakonomics.” It is well written as the style seamlessly transitions back and forth between his memoir and his Master’s dissertation. An important take away also found within its pages is an issue we all fall victim to – a lack of cultural understanding. Every chapter is a composite of paradigm shifts SoCal raised Venkatesh was confronted with as well as cultural misunderstandings throughout his time amongst the Black Kings.

I picked up a copy for research for “Last Standing Hero” and walked away with a greater learning experience than I expected. A great read and learning experience!!

Open Cuba

The following was my response to the USA Today editorial regarding Cuba, dtd 27 Sep 2010.

Addressing the issue of relations with Cuba seems to always draw a maelstrom of emotions from individuals and groups who continually bully it off the agenda for any intellectual discussions. 

So why do we view the island nation as a threat to our way of life?  We must get beyond archaic Cold War attitudes and move forward with foreign policy enlightenment reflective of current and future global strategies.  After all, Communism as a governance system has proven to be ineffective and a politically endangered species. 

How different is the situation regarding China?  The Asian giant is plagued with allegations of human rights violations, and addresses the sovereignty of Taiwan with a contentious if not bullying approach.  And yet the United States goods imports from China were close to $300 billion last year.

Where is our credibility as a global leader if we can’t even take care of business in our own backyard?  Now is the time to stop treating Cuba like the 600-pound gorilla in the room and reestablish diplomatic and economic relations with our southern neighbor.

Finally, remember the Maine?  The USS Maine blew up in Havana Harbor 15 Feb 1898 with the loss of 260 American lives.  US Navy investigators found inconclusive evidence as to the cause of the explosion.  Similar as today, it was an outspoken populace fueled by external influences that shaped opinion and eventually drove the US political response.

Time to Turn the Page

Last night the US President announced the end of combat mission in Iraqi.  While I applaud his actions, especially with the announcement occurring on my final day in the US Army, it concerns me whether or not it’s being done for the right reasons.

Why the war in Iraq was initiated in the first place is one for historians and politicians to argue and debate in the years to come.  Personally, I am beyond that – too many hours were spent on this particular at the USAWC – now my focus is our extended family that continues the mission in my absence.

The President noted a couple of issues that immediately caught my attention: the “violence will not end” and the remaining US military will redirect their efforts to an “advising and assisting role.”  That being said, of concern is the issue of rules of engagement for the troops in Iraq.  Will they no longer have the ability to adequately protect and defend themselves while in theater?

The President also noted, “We must use all elements of our power.”  That should be a given in times of any crisis – foreign or domestic.  As for “Diplomats, aid workers, and advisors – are moving into the lead,” the question becomes, Where ya been??  Because the State Department was too slow on the upswing of resolving the issues of nation rebuilding as well as a number of the NGOs, the military in many cases had to step up to the traditional civilian roles to put in place civil infrastructure or see to their creation.

In the Q&A session the White House communications office had on uTube following the President’s speech there were a couple of reoccurring questions that probably was on everyone’s mind.  Will the money we have been putting into the war now be used on other things to jump-start the economy? And, How much will ending the Iraq war save in defense spending?

In this time of recession and depression fears these are realistic questions each of us should be asking our elected representatives – especially with elections less than two and a half months away.  But before anyone runs off to play stump the chump with the candidates there’s a couple of tidbits of information to also keep in mind.  One, this war has been for the most part done on the cheap – in terms of money.  In previous wars the nation postured themselves into a wartime footing taking significant amount of funding and materials into the fight. 

While there was significantly more funding available to prepare our military for war from what was allotted prior to 9-11, it was still not at the levels experienced in previous wars.  Of note, the latest weapon, the M-4 rifle, is still not fully fielded throughout the Army; consequently, Soldiers aren’t normally issued the weapon until they are preparing for deployment.  Helicopters lost in the war are not readily replaced, but shifted around from other aviation units not in the deployment window.  Most up-armored vehicles are kept in theater for rotation after rotation after rotation – sooner or later someone is going to have to absorb the cost of their replacement.  And the list goes on.

There are also the post-deployment medical costs that have only just begun.  We the people cannot afford or allow the affects of PTSD, suicide, physical trauma, and other disorders to simply slip to the back pages of everyday life.  These kids stepped forward when our nation called and rode to the sound of the guns to help preserve our way of life.  So, lets not make their care an issue of political contention.

The bottom line, it’s reasonable to assume this war will continue to cost us long after the last Soldier turns out the lights and flies back to the world.

What the President and I do agree on – yes, it’s time to turn the page.

Katrina - Fifth Anniversary

The fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is now upon us.  And this half-decade moment should not only be one of reflection on the destruction of people’s lives and property, but also one of celebration as communities like Biloxi and New Orleans defied the odds and are slowly returning to productive neighborhoods where dreams can yet again develop and blossom.

One of the strengths that’s made the United States a social success has been an ingrained philosophy of “Neighbor helping neighbor” to address times of challenge and need.  If Katrina was anything it served as the vehicle to show the world – on a grand scale – the spirit of America was not dead.

Like the conference rooms for National Guard headquarters and other first responder organizations, it all started with a late night call for help.  Actually, it wasn’t really a request for help, but inquires as to be the ability and capabilities to “maybe provide some assistance.”  And it was from these simply questions that America’s internal humanitarian response snowballed onto a scale never before seem within the borders of the red, white and blue.

Unfortunately, this catastrophic event must also serve as a wakeup call to false realities.

How prepared were we, are we really?  A lot of assumptions came into play with Katrina: assumptions the local government had executable plans in the hopper to take care of all its citizens; assumptions the state government had contingency requests for assistance from unaffected states – some did, some didn’t; assumptions the federal government had immediate response agencies waiting in the wings; and assumption plans at all levels were executable and well rehearsed.  Like the event of 9-11, the disaster in the Southern States brought on a slurry of reviews and revisions of disaster plans to ensure this debacle will not occur again.  But all thought we were ready on 28 August 2005.

Next, the human element must be seen as the unknown factor in any equation.  In times of tragedy we look to our civic and government leaders as the authority figures who will pull us through to calmer waters.  We look, we depend, we pray for their guidance to the sanctuary of safety and the return to the comfort of our “normal” lives.  Using New Orleans as the example, the mayor did not provide the guidance or ensure the safety of his citizens; the extensive corruption of the NOPD quickly became evident in the wake of Katrina; and the governor had her own leadership issues that will remain forever in the history books.  Unfortunately, the list goes on and on.

But the NOLA basin is also the nest of the Phoenix.  Even though we must continue to pursue mitigation of the trauma from Katrina, there is a part of the human element we must never stop celebrating.  All along the southern coast is alive with everyday heroes who not only pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, but also ensured their neighbors a ray of hope for the future.  They shared shelter, shared food and clothing, and shared the spark to start anew.  When you ask them why you get many different answers.  But it all seems to boil down to this inclination of neighbor helping neighbor.

Issues of Transparency

The past 72 hours has been a period where issues of openness have dominated the news.  Although transparency was not the headline-grabbing point, it has found itself the bottom line theme in each of the three cases. 

Dominating this week’s events has been the wikileaks.org disclosure of classified documents pertaining to the current war in Afghanistan.  For the most part this story is much ado about nothing.  The vast majority of military operational intelligence summaries and after action reports outside the United States involves some level of classified status.  And in the case of these reports, they provide a nauseous lineup of abbreviated situation reports, after action reports, and ambiguous speculation of interviewed civilians.  Fortunately, the published information was not at the Top Secret or above levels . . . this time.  According to the media talking heads this is the work of an intel analyst disgruntled with the conduct of the war in Afghanistan.  That’s fine, we’re all entitled to our opinion, but there are means in place to address such issues.  There is a more effective route of protected disclosure better suited to handle the individual’s issues – unless, of course, you are harboring a more profitable agenda than doing the right thing.

The drama continues to evolve with BP as CEO Tony Hayward steps down and is replaced by Robert Dudley.  How did this all happen?  BP’s arrogance and attempt at slight-at-hand damage control proved ineffective for what will no doubt find its way into history books as the worse manmade disaster against nature.  What BP didn’t count on was the ruthless accountability of the American federal, state, and local governments – not to mention the watchdog efforts of the US media.  The petroleum board of directors should have taken the bull by the horns and addressed their problem immediately while simultaneously providing full assistance to the local communities – that’s just what good neighbors do.  More importantly, the multinational corporation should have been upfront with the world as to what they could or could not do, and not hide behind shroud their lawyers and the “we’re here for you” media campaign they recklessly tossed out to the American people.  Having recently flown over the effected area, this mess is going to impact the southern US shores for decades to come – long after BP executives have their lives back.

The 36,000 citizens of the Central California town of Bell are in an uproar over the disclosure of the out of control pay hikes for its city leaders.  A civic government is supposed to be of the people, for the people.  As a result, and especially in this case, there should have been a transparency of actions and accountability to the community it supports.  Then again, how did the voters allow such actions to occur over several years?  Were there no oversight or other checks and balances in place from the citizens or local unions that make up the government employee base?  Am sure this unfortunate incident has inspired an active community involvement in all future government and local political issues.

Stepping Into Retirement

Sooner or later it all lines up – the job, the time, the planets – it all comes together and BINGO, its retirement. No BlackBerry, no looming deadlines, no job. And yes, this time has come yet again to the Carlson household, only this time to me.

Okay, so now what?

The party aside – which I might note was an awesome performance by Team Carlson – it was off to Hawaii with my child bride to decompress, attend to self-reflection of this road I’m headed, and provide time to return to healthy lifestyle. Although the agenda was full of activities the main effort focused on rest and transitioning to the new lifestyle. Coming from a career of high OPTEMPO, systems and processes to sustain this choice of life was the norm. Consequently, the work comes to adapting this means and direction to the transition was more from habit, but also the cause and effect of transition headaches.

The most helpful realization through this time is actually pretty simple – A new life means a new way of doing things.

And one last good thing about retirement is the unconstrained time and environment to post more on my blog site. As such, over the next couple of months will be an ongoing series of updates, commentary and whatever regarding my tour with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps.

See you next time.

Final TDY (Chapter 1)

Earth Date: 03.28.2010.

This morning marks the conclusion of the first leg of my final significant TDY for this long career.

The first stop was Camp Atterbury, IN. Located off of Interstate 65 south of Indianapolis, this is the site of one of the military’s projection platforms – more commonly referred to by Soldiers as a mobilization station. Not exactly one of our favorite support bases, but they have been good to Nevada units.

First on the agenda was to welcome home the 1/221^st Cavalry Squadron home from a year in Afghanistan. It was good to see them back and intact. It had been a long year in some of the most difficult of circumstances. A tear defining moment was the arrival of the wounded so they could cross the finish line with their band of brothers. Warriors all, they came together for the spurs ceremony – the last formation before four elements of the squadron returned to their homes in Guam, Arizona, Arkansas, and Georgia.

A trying moment was the lack of interest from the leadership of the Arkansas and Georgia elements to welcome their Soldiers home from a year in Afghanistan. These troops stepped forward to give their all, but obviously urgent matters were pressing elsewhere. Fortunately, these warriors know they will always have an adopted home in Nevada.

In a surprise early arrival the 1864^th Transportation Company landed from theater a couple of days early! They were in fine spirits, but a bit sleepy from the 18-hour flight. A lot of smiles and hugs – they are glad to be back home.

Prior to the arrival of the 1864^th the isolated terminal was used by the Indiana Pacers’ NBA basketball team to board their charter to a game in Atlanta against the Hawks.

It was nice some of them took the time to come over and talk with us. But, for the most part we weren’t too impressed. I mean it’s not like they were from the UConn Girl’s Basketball team – after all, this is March Madness.

This leg also marked the last major event with the command team. The moment was celebrated – as only a military can do – with the hoist of Silver Petron to the last couple of years together. Okay, so there were three hoists, but we were no worse the wear the next morning.

A sentimental moment? Oh hell no. I’m worried about pacing myself to survive this globetrotting experience. I figure with the many time zones incorporated into this trip I should be able to dodge the jet lag bullet – stay tuned for more.

Thoughts on Nevada Economic Crisis

The Silver State is in the mist of an economic crisis, much of which, for a variety of reasons, is self-inflicted. What further compounds the pain of this situation – it’s an election year.

Consequently, this is now a time when any hope of consensus or compromise is only a faint glimmer at best. Too often civic and government leaders address the issues and recommendation proposals from political-centric points of view, and not with the realism of individuals and families who must pinch pennies to survive. This self-centered approach to decision-making further depreciates the effectiveness for viable solutions by not addressing the needs for tomorrow. So, not only must we look at the impact of immediate fixes, but also formulate the look of our future.

So, what is the road to economic recovery? What its not is the usual political diatribe that insults the intelligence of people in need of hope and direction for a brighter future. This is a time for all – yes, all – options to be placed on the public table for transparent decision-making. Unfortunately, this can only be done when elected officials remember their role is “for the people” and NOT “for the party.”

First and foremost, the paradigm of casinos as the cash cow must be broken. Although the casino footprint continues to grow on the Las Vegas Strip, what is their qualifying contribution to the long-term health of Nevada? 2009 saw the statewide loss of approximately 25,000 employees and a 13-percent drop in revenue. Yes, they do provide a gainful source of employment for many, but they also serve as the chief contributor to Nevada’s transient population. So we have to ask ourselves – how does this contribute long-term to a stable tax base?

Here are some other “DOs” and “DON’Ts” to be considered as a common sense approach to our economic survival and recovery way ahead.

Education is an investment in our future. We must look beyond the current crisis to create solutions for tomorrow. Placing significant financial cuts on the education system is nothing more than using a band-aid to mediate a sucking chest wound. We should be aggressively looking for ways to create and enable our potential both as a state and the future generations. Furthermore, we are missing the boat in attracting corporations who invest in their people as well as their organizational growth.

We must attract a quality workforce to our state agencies. The focus must be on attracting a workforce competitive with private sector corporations, then holding them accountable for keeping state on the cutting edge of best practices and adding to the potential coffers. Yes, maybe we do pay state employees at a higher level than other states, but then we should be demanding performance levels that equate to their paychecks.

State facility management and inventory is out of control. A couple of years ago, based on the governor’s call to stand up a Project Challenge program for disadvantaged youth, efforts were made to house the program in an existing state owned building. Unfortunately, the state property managers were not fully aware of what they had available and those provided as options, upon inspection, were found to be well beyond acceptable levels for human occupancy. So, the question becomes – why are taxpayers paying to hold condemnable buildings and facilities? And we must not forget the recent newspaper reports these same managers of state resources had no idea the extent of building and office leases the state is paying for.

Concur with Steven Horsford to put Nevada money in Nevada banks. The state should take a “Nevada First” attitude in dealing with our resources as well as business practices. You would think this just makes good sense – nuff said.

Don’t close Nevada’s state parks – you put the burden on county governments. One of the key icons for the Silver State is the natural beauty that is Nevada. Furthermore, if anything, this is the legacy we leave for future generations. So why allow the natural wonders that define who we are to be victimized by this self-imposed crisis?

Wake up, Nevada. Until we can tackle this economic situation with a no nonsense, realistic approach we are destined to change ourselves from the land of open skies and free spirits to the destitute land of stagnant futures.