Category: Erik Milster
It’s Blackhawks for N. Andover Native
By Erik Milster
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 – Being drenched in sweat is something 2 nd Lt. Geoffrey Leonard, 24, has grown accustom to in the last four months.
A native of North Andover, Mass., Leonard is enrolled in the Army’s Aviation training program at Fort Rucker Army Base in southern Alabama. He is part of a select group taking a nine-month program to learn the techniques of flying combat helicopters, including the Blackhawk.
After a six-mile run Leonard said his simple grey t-shirt bearing “ARMY” across the chest could be rung out, prompting him to recount his first impression of Alabama: “Like the hottest sauna ever.”
Leonard began the flight training program in early June 2004, a year after graduating from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He recalls how even the moonlit nights were hot and humid.
“Almost every day I get up at 4 a.m., hoping maybe it will be cool out,” he said recently. “No such luck. . I step outside everyday and I am soaked within a minute. It is even worse when we are in our full gear, boots and all.”
By the time most people are waking up for breakfast, Leonard and his fellow officers have already arrived at the airfield ready for the morning briefing.
While the heat and humidity have taken their toll, it is the rigid schedule of flight training and studying that has most affected Leonard.
After ten weeks of training on flight simulators and smaller helicopters, Leonard now spends around four hours a day inside the cockpits of the Blackhawk. Along with a senior instructor, Leonard tries to learn the techniques of a seasoned Army pilot. Leonard has logged hundreds of hours in various simulators and helicopters since arriving at Ft. Rucker, but nothing compares to the Blackhawk.
After a grueling morning of flying-where “the seats of the Blackhawk are really good crash worthy seats, but they are not Lazy-Boy,” said Leonard – the afternoon is spent in class and physical training. Three-hour classes, and six-mile runs are not uncommon. This training is harsh, but Leonard said he does not mind. He even laughs a little while admitting that while his conditioning has never been better, he is exhausted. “In this program you have to be both a world-class sprinter and a marathon runner at the same time,” he said.
Even after 12- to 14-hour days that include flight simulator training, regular physical fitness tests, and extensive academic studying, Leonard is still absorbed in flight school, unable to step away for a minute.
“Someone told me that flight school was like having a firehose of information turned on you at full strength,” said Leonard. “By the time I am finished around 6 p.m., I still have to study for upcoming exams, polish my boots, as well as the simple things like laundry and keeping in touch with my family.”
Moving to Alabama was not the easiest transition for a boy born and raised in the Northeast. “When I heard that I was going to Alabama, I remember thinking, ‘Isn’t there a flight school somewhere in New England?’” Leonard said. The only times he had left New England was for family trips and Army training. His longest time away from his home region was a month-long Army training at Fort Knox, Ky.,. during the summer of 2001.
“While I wished I could have stayed close to family and friends, I knew Ft. Rucker was my only shot at flying,” said Leonard. Since 1973, when the Army consolidated its flight training program at Ft. Rucker, the base has since become the promised land for any young solider with dreams of flying Army green.
However, Leonard has not entirely abandoned the Northeast. “It was amazing to see the Red Sox’s wild run to the World Series not only because I am a huge fan, but seeing them on TV gave me a small window to see home,” he said. “Those games helped when I missed home.”
While at the University of Massachusetts the ROTC program was just one important aspect of Leonard’s life, though some time in his junior year, his roommates christened him “Army Geoff, or AG for short,” in response to his growing dedication. Now, flight training at Ft. Rucker has become his entire life.
One aspect of his active duty training that Leonard is reluctant to talk about is his prospect of being sent to the Middle East. “I am not going to go any time soon, but going there is inevitable. Within a couple of years, I’ll be over there,” said Leonard.
Even though Leonard has been passionately involved in the Army since his freshman year in college, it took a few years before he figured out his role in the military. “I loved being in ROTC at UMass,” he said. “It was a great introduction to all the military has to offer. But the more I learned the more I began leaning towards flying.”
Leonard recalls his days at UMass and before that at North Andover High School, where his interest in the Army grew daily. “From the time I was a senior in high school until my senior year at UMass, I noticed myself becoming not only more interested in the possibilities of a career in the Army, but more enthusiastic about the idea of flying helicopters,” he said. During his senior year, Leonard said he began to ask senior officers about flying in the Army. After hard work and dedication, Leonard was accepted to the flight school at Ft. Rucker.
Friends of Leonard’s back home in Massachusetts have seen a change in the young soldier. “I remember Geoff in college and he was always interested in his ROTC classes. But now I talk to him and he just has this new level of excitement I have never seen before,” said North Andover resident Kenneth Jenkins, who has been friends with Geoff since UMass. “It is remarkable how much effort, fighting that grueling schedule, he is putting in to fulfill his dream of flying.”
With only four months of training left, Leonard said he is looking forward to the future, much as he did during his senior year of college.
“When this program is done, my future is wide open,” he said. “This has been the best experience of my life. But for anyone interested in attending flight school here is a word of advice: Be prepared to get no sleep, and make sure to bring plenty of dry t-shirts.”
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Women Veterans Honored in Nation’s Capital
By Erik Milster
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12- More than 300 persons - members of the military, family and friends - gathered at the Women's Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery Thursday for the annual Veterans Day ceremony.
Now in its seventh year, the ceremony was one of three major Veterans Day observances in the nation's capital and the only one to honor women exclusively.
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught began the ceremony with a humorous yet respectful welcome. Vaught, who is the Women's Memorial Foundation president, said, "This is the best event in the nation's capital because it has the most number of speakers, and more over they are all women."
The Memorial site is a 4.2-acre Ceremonial Entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. A 30-foot high curved neoclassical retaining wall stands at the entrance , honoring the more than 2 million women who have served or are serving in or with the United States Armed Forces starting with the American Revolution.
After the National Anthem and invocation, Navy Lt. Paula Godes delivered the keynote address. She explained the creation of a quilt made aboard the USNS Comfort during her 2003 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was Godes who after months of seeing fellow members caring for injured military as well as Iraqi civilians decided to begin the quilt. "Every member of the Comfort served proud, but none of them would call themselves heroes," said Godes.
The Comfort quilt, which is part of a new exhibit in the memorial's education center, measures 11 feet by 12 feet and was completed after 2,000 hours of work. Unable to remain emotionless, Godes acknowledged how the quilt symbolizes the warmth and comfort that were abundantly present onboard the ship.
Each member of the crew was invited to create a small square of fabric that would become part of the quilt, Godes said. Some members did not know how to sew, but enjoyed the chance to learn. When word of the quilt traveled home, more than 30 women from around the nation sent fabric to the Comfort .
Towards the end of her speech Godes reflected on the vital roles women have played throughout the military both in wartime and in peacetime. "Every veteran deserves our thanks." she said.
After Godes speech, members of the various United States armed services were invited to participate in the ceremonial wreath laying.
In Massachusetts there are more than 28,000 women veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 6,000 of them have registered with the Women's Memorial. Massachusetts ranks third among all states in the percentage of women veterans who have registered with the Women's Memorial.
One former Bay State resident was on hand to watch the ceremony. Betty Splaine, 79, is retired from the United States Coast Guard and a great friend of the Women's Memorial. Originally from Revere and Somerville, Splain now lives in Washington and is a member of the memorial's board of directors.
Splaine joined the Coast Guard at 18 and went on to become the first woman warrant officer in the Coast Guard.
"I loved being in the Guard, and every time I come to the Memorial I am filled with pride and honor," Splaine said. "This ceremony is wonderful. Every woman veteran, no matter where you are from, should try and come to the memorial."
The Women's Memorial is the only major national memorial honoring women veterans, including active duty, Reserve, Guard and U.S. Public Health Service uniformed women and women in the Coast Guard auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol. The memorial also honors women who served overseas during conflicts in direct support of the armed forces, in organizations such as the Red Cross, USO and Special Services, and members of the U.S. Public Health Service Cadet Nurse Corps.
The Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., the non-profit organization established to build the Memorial, continues to raise funds needed to operate and maintain the Memorial Education Center. Ground was broken June 22, 1995, for the memorial and it officially opened to the public Oct. 20, 1997. The memorial includes the Hall of Honor, with exhibits and artifacts of women's military service, a 196-seat theater, a gift shop and the computerized Register.
The ceremony ended with Army Master Sgt. Tammy Leverone playing "Taps" at sundown while standing on the terrace atop the Memorial.
Committee Expressed Concern Over Military
By Erik Milster
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -House Armed Services Committee members expressed concern Wednesday that the U.S. military is not retaining and recruiting enough troops to do its job.
Top officials from all four branches of the armed services, testifying at a committee hearing, acknowledged that they share some of those concerns.
"People are more important than machines and sometimes can wear far more easily," committee chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) said in his opening statement. "So far, the retention numbers for our active forces remain high, in some cases exceeding expectations. But, we haven't met our targets in some portions of the reserve, and Guard. Retention and recruitment has always been an early indicator that the force may be overstressed. So we need to pay close attention to these numbers."
Gen. Michael W. Hagee, the Marine Corps Commandant, expressed concern that the amount of time his forces are deployed has gone up compared to their time off. "We are an expeditionary force accustomed to deployments," he said. "However, in the past two years we have gone from a deployment rotation of three-to-one (6 months out,18 months back) to our current one-to-one rotation (7 months out, 7 months back). This means that if you are in the operation forces you are either deployed or getting ready to relieve a unit that is deployed." Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Marines have activated more than 95 percent of its Selected Marine Corps Reserve units, he said.
Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army Chief of Staff, noted that while the Army is not entirely happy with its current rotation, allowing more frequent rotations would "cause a lack of continuity among troops." He also noted that the Army is in the process of restructuring and trying to become more stable and predictable in its rotations. Schoomaker also emphasized the importance of focusing not only on soldiers' needs but also on their families' comfort back home. All four military witnesses agreed that recruitment and retention are going to become more difficult.
Of the 2,307,000 service personnel in the U.S. military, almost 400,000 are deployed abroad in roughly 120 countries, including 141,500 in Iraq, according to committee staff.
Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) questioned witnesses about the swapping of body armor between soldiers arriving in the Middle East and leaving for home. "How do you ensure that incoming troops will have the equipment they need?" Meehan asked. Schoomaker replied, "Well, there is no need to swap suits between troops because we have produced over 400,000 new sets of individual body armor; now we are challenged with armored vehicles."
Meehan also touched on the current armor protection on Humvees, one of the most essential ground vehicles for the Army and Marine Corps. The current armor on many Humvees has been a major concern for Congress and the military, and they have been working to upgrade the vehicles with heavier-duty armor. The military hopes to have all its Humvees upgraded by next March.
According to Meehan, current production of new Humvees is at full strength, but production should have started sooner and thus prevented accidents that have occurred because of under-equipped Humvees. Meehan said he was also unhappy that the military is not keeping track of soldiers who are injured because of inadequate Humvee armor. "There have been seven soldiers from Massachusetts that have been wounded due to insufficient protection," he said.
The Marine Corps' Hagee agreed that "the demanding wear and tear on material - in addition to combat losses -- is a significant concern." Hagee said that over 30 percent of Marine Corps ground equipment and 25 percent of the corps' aviation inventory are deployed in combat and are "experiencing significant use in one of the harshest climates on the planet."
Meehan also complained at the hearing that "medical evaluations for returning troops consists of little more than a fill-in-the-blank form" and asked what was being done "to properly screen returning soldiers for post-traumatic stress syndrome."
Schoomaker responded, "We are certainly making people aware of what their symptoms are and who they can contact for help."
After the hearing, Meehan said: "We are not adequately checking soldiers for post-traumatic stress syndrome when they return home. Checking off boxes of yes and no questions is not going to cut it."
Rep. Sylvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), noting that "there has been talk of more deployment," asked Schoomaker, "Will we have enough troops if we need them?"
The Army chief of staff responded, "If we need more troops we ought to get them."
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Bradley Nears $1 Million in Donations
By Erik Milster
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 - Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., has received close to $1 million in donations during his first re-election campaign for Congress, according to the latest filing with the Federal Election Commission.
As of Oct. 13 the Bradley campaign had raised nearly equal amounts of money from individual contributors and political action committees (PACs). Bradley received $519,489 from individuals and $449,372 from PACs and has $173,876 cash on hand.
Bradley, in a telephone interview Thursday, said he was pleased with the amount of money his campaign has raised over the last two years.
"We didn't have a specific goal," Bradley said. "We were dedicated to running a grassroots campaign and raising enough money to maintain effective advertising. I believe we have done both of those."
Throughout his first campaign for Congress in 2002 as well as this year's re-election campaign, Bradley said he focused most of his attention on receiving donations from individual supporters rather than from PACs.
"I have done an awful lot of work with people from New Hampshire to connect with them," Bradley said. "PAC contributions are what they are, and I appreciate the donations because they are in the interests of New Hampshire residents."
While every candidate running for Congress counts on individual contributions, not everyone also accepts money from PACs. In fact, accepting PAC contributions has become controversial in some races.
Some members of Congress, such as Rep. Martin Meehan , D-Mass., have campaigned without accepting PAC contributions. Meehan relies solely on individual contributions to fund his campaigns., "Congressman Meehan has not accepted PAC money in his races for Congress," his press secretary, Matt Vogel, said Thursday. "He prefers to rely on individual, grassroots contributors rather than contributions from interest groups."
Bradley said he respects other candidates' wishes to not accept PAC money, but he sees it as just one more outlet to help acknowledge the interests of constituents and supporters. "While I focus most of my energy on individuals, I see nothing wrong with accepting PAC money," he said.
The goal of PACs is to raise and spend money to elect candidates. Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological groups. A PAC organized by a specific company, for example, allows employees to pool contributions, aside from their own individual contributions, to be distributed by the PAC.
A PAC can give up to $5,000 a year to a candidate. Individual contributions are limited to $2,000 per candidate per election, for a total of $4,000 for both the primary and general election, but individuals may give as much as $5,000 a year to PACs.
Bradley's Democratic opponent, Justin Nadeau, also has accepted PAC money. Nadeau has raised $184,130 from individuals and $59,873 in PAC contributions. The campaign, which received a $369,500 loan from the candidate, had $19,330 on hand as of Oct. 13..
Nadeau, like Bradley, is pleased with both his individual and PAC contributions. Nadeau spokesman Steve Marachane said Nadeau "does not just accept money from any PAC. He is willing to accept money from groups that share similar values."
Companies in the defense industry have been the top contributors to Bradley's campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that examines campaign finance data.
BAE Systems North America Inc., one of the largest employers in New Hampshire and a major Defense Department contractor, was one of the key donors to Bradley as well as to Rep. Charles Bass, R-N.H., who is running for re-election in the second district. The company's PAC gave the maximum $10,000 to Bradley's 2004 campaign, and its employees and their family members raised that total to more than $24,650 in individual contributions, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
In addition, the BAE PAC contributed $5,000 this year to help retire Bradley's debt from his 2002 campaign.
Bradley is on the House Armed Services Committee as well as the Veterans' Affairs and Small Business Committees. Bradley said, "If re-elected I will continue to work for New Hampshire residents who work in the defense industry. That will not change."
Bradley is currently in New Hampshire finishing his final days of campaigning. Congress is set to reconvene Nov. 16 to deal with appropriation bills and the intelligence bill.
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Book Festival Opens on Mall
By Erik Milster
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9-- More than 70,000 people gathered on the National Mall Saturday to take part in the fourth annual National Book Festival hosted by First Lady Laura Bush.
The festival, organized by the Library of Congress, featured more than 70 award- winning authors, illustrators and poets, including several from Massachusetts. Children's book authors Marc Brown and Patricia McLachlan and mystery writer Robert B. Parker were among the Bay State participants.
Authors were stationed in pavilions based on the genre of their work. As the event began at 10 a.m., Parker, Brown and six other authors appeared in their respective tents to talk to audience members and answer questions. Even before the authors kicked off the festival, hundreds of eager people had begun arriving on the Mall, some two hours early.
Fans filled just about every seat in the Mysteries & Thrillers Tent to listen to Parker, who entered doing an impression of Richard Nixon. He discussed a wide range of topics, including his upcoming projects and his creative process.
"I wake up every morning, and write 10 pages. I do that 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year," Parker said. "Once I finish a project, I move on to another. It is actually quite mechanical."
Parker, who was born and raised in Massachusetts and who lives in the Boston area, is most famous for his novels based on his Spencer character. Parker began writing Spencer novels in 1971 while teaching at Northeastern University and they have gone on to inspire the ABC television series "Spenser: For Hire" and two television movies.
Parker, who was acknowledged as the Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 2002, joked about not going to Nova Scotia to see the filming of his next TV movie.
"I think I'll sit this one out and end my streak of cameo apperances," Parker said. "I just don't think I want to travel to Nova Scotia in November."
Brown, who has created more than 100 picture books for children, delighted a much younger audience than Parker's in the Children's Tent. Around 300 children and parents turned out for Brown's morning appearance. A resident of Hingham and Marthas Vineyard, Brown is best known as the creator of Arthur the Aardvark whose cartoon TV show has won five Emmy Awards.
Brown asked kids to name their favorite character and he proceeded to draw each one on a large poster board while describing where he found the inspiration for each character.
"Arthur's sister D.W. is a mold of my three sisters," Brown said. "It was interesting living with three sisters and all of them come out in her personality and actions."
This year's festival was the first for MacLachlan. The Williamsburg author has penned many critically acclaimed books for children of all ages, most notably "Sarah, Plain and Tall." Aside from appearing in the Childrens Tent and the book signing area during the afternoon, MacLachlan visited the Massachusetts Pavilion to talk with residents of the Bay State in attendance.
The Pavilion of States was one of the most popular attractions at the festival. Representatives from all 50 states distributed materials and talked about reading and literacy promotion programs in their home states. Visitors also could find out about home-state authors.
Robert Maier, director of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, was just one of the volunteers representing the Bay State. He expressed joy in the number of of people who were visiting the state's pavilion. "It is great to see people from Massachusetts stopping by the tent to learn more about authors and programs back home," Maier said.
He explained that each state has played an important role in organizing and supporting the book festival over the last four years. "It really takes the efforts of all the states to make this happen and everyone has done an amazing job this year," Maier said.
Child Health Care Funding Legislation Not Acted On
By Erik Milster
WASHINTON, Sept. 30 -- Congress failed this week to pass legislation that would keep more than $1 billion in children's health care funds from being returned to the Treasury's general fund.
Congress had until Thursday at midnight, the end of fiscal year 2004, to vote on similar House and Senate bills that would have allocated the money to the State Children's Health Insurance Program..
The program, variously referred to as CHIP and SCHIP, was established in 1997 to reduce the number of uninsured children across the nation. Since 1998, the number of such children declined from 11 million to 8.4 million in 2003, and currently more than 4 million children are enrolled in the program, according to a press release from the Department of Health and Human Services..
Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) on Monday urged members of Congress and the Bush Administration to pass the legislation before the Thursday deadline. Meehan said in a telephone interview that if the funds were returned to the general fund, 17 states, including Massachusetts, would have insufficient federal funds for the programs for the next three years.
"Thousands of children, including 16,000 kids in Massachusetts, could lose their health coverage," Meehan said in a letter to President Bush, which Meehan's office released. "This comes at a time when more working families are going without health insurance and the cost of health care is at an all-time high."
Massachusetts' share of the $1 billion was about $23 million, Meehan said.
In a Wednesday interview, Meehan expressed disappointment at statistics from the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy showing that as of March 2003, the area of Lawrence and Lowell had the highest rate of uninsured children in Massachusetts. The statewide rate was 3.2 percent, while the Lawrence/Lowell area was almost 8 percent.
"We need to pass this legislation now, it cannot wait," Meehan said. "Without health care, kids are twice as likely to have to go to the hospital, and taxpayers have to pay for that."
Meehan was not alone in his fight for the legislation. Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W. Va.), who introduced the Senate version of the legislation, sent a letter Monday to party leaders urging them to act on the pair of bills.
"I call on the Republican majority leader and the Bush Administration to preserve the $1 billion in CHIP money so that we can continue to make basic health care available to America's neediest children," Rockefeller said in his letter, which his office released.
According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Bill Pierce, "There is plenty of money for the SCHIP and we have the authority to distribute it."
Pierce said there is $660 million that Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson is ready to distribute, and there will most likely be leftover funds. A department news release said the $1 billion was to have gone toward enrolling more children in the program.
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Massachusetts Youth of the Year Travels to Washington
By Erik Milster
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Eighteen-year-old Noelia Bare of Lawrence joined four other young persons from across the nation in Washington this week as finalists for the National Youth of the Year Award presented by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Bare, a six-year member of the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, was invited to Washington as winner of the Northeast Regional Youth of the Year award. Bare, who arrived Sunday for her first visit in the nation's capital, said, "Being down in Washington is unlike anything I have ever imagined." Before the national winner was announced at a Congressional Breakfast Wednesday morning, Bare was introduced by Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.), who described Bare's accomplishments and dedication to the Boys and Girls Club as well as her academic achievements.
Meehan noted that "most importantly she is a mentor and a friend to the younger members of the club, who she calls her little sisters."
The breakfast was held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill with about 300 persons in attendance. At one point during the breakfast, Bare and the other regional winners joined longtime Today Show weather reporter Willard Scott as he reported live from the event. Scott joked with the youngsters, who each wore red baseball hats with the Today Show logo on the front.
Raisa Velez, the associate director of the Girls Club of Lowell and Bare's chaperone, said that while she hoped Bare would win the national award, Bare is already a winner in everyone's eyes back home.
"We couldn't sleep last night; it is just so amazing to be here," Velez said. "Noelia has done so much for the Club that it is great to see her generosity being honored."
The National Youth of the Year award ultimately went to Thomas Rancour of Michigan, the Midwest regional winner.
Bare said she would have loved to win, but she is not bitter. "It is sad that I didn't win but of course it isn't the end of the world," she said. "I am just so proud to be part of this special event. Also, all of the finalists will get a chance to speak at Boys and Girls clubs across the nation throughout the year."
This was the 53 rd year the Boys and Girls Clubs of America have given out the national award. Previously two youngsters from the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club have won the honor, the most by any club.
Each of the finalists spoke at a ceremonial dinner Tuesday night to thank everyone who has helped the Boys and Girls Clubs, including the Coca Cola Company, Reader's Digest and All State Insurance. Bare told listeners how she enjoys the challenges being a part of the club has presented to her and explained her activities, which included being president of the Keystone Club where she provided leadership and planned community projects and being the founder, feature writer and editor for the Club newsletter, which reaches 2,000 people .
Bare also joked about her actives at the club. "I love to dance, and the club is a great place to dance."
Prior to this week, none of the finalists had met each other, however once they met friendships were instantly formed, Bare said. "From the moment we met, we all felt a connection," she said. "It's like we knew each other for years and it was so easy to form bonds because we share similar goals of helping others."
After the breakfast, Bare explored Washington. When asked, who was the most interesting person she met in Washington, Bare could not name just one. "Everyone I have met here has been great," She said.
After leaving Washington, Bare will return to Merrimack College in North Andover where she is in her first semester, pursuing a degree in English. Even though she now in college, Bare still plans to be involved at the Boys and Girls Club. She is involved in a tutor program at Merrimack where they go to the Boys and Girls club and help girls aged three to five.
During the summer, Bare told the Eagle Tribune that one reason she chose Merrimack College was its proximity to the Club. "Just because I am in college doesn't mean I should stop caring," she said. "I want to still help out in any way that I can."
