CORAL GABLES HIGH SCHOOL JROTC 29 APRIL 2005 THANK YOU, DR. MARTINEZ, FOR THAT KIND INTRODUCTION. IT‟S GREAT TO BE HERE AT CORAL GABLES HIGH SCHOOL THIS MORNING.
I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. CHIEF SANTINI HAS ME SCHEDULED TO TALK FOR 30 MINUTES, BUT I‟M ONLY GOING TO SPEAK FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND THEN OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. ALTHOUGH YOU REPRESENT SEVERAL DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF MIAMI, YOU ALL HAVE ARMY JUNIOR ROTC IN COMMON - EACH OF YOU HAVE JROTC
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INSTRUCTORS WHO NOT ONLY TEACH YOU, THEY ALSO TRAIN, MENTOR, AND LEAD YOU. THOSE JROTC INSTRUCTORS ARE A BIG PART OF YOUR LIVES AND I KNOW YOU LISTEN TO EVERY WORD THEY SAY. BECAUSE ARMY JROTC INVOLVES NOT JUST THE CLASSROOM, BUT UNIFORM INSPECTIONS, DRILL, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MILITARY TRAINING, A SINGLE PHRASE, EVEN A SINGLE WORD FROM YOUR JROTC INSTRUCTOR CAN HAVE PLEASANT – OR VERY UNPLEASANT – CONSEQUENCES FOR YOU. SO, WITH APOLOGIES TO DAVID LETTERMAN, I WANT TO START THIS MORNING
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WITH THE TOP 10 THINGS YOU DON‟T WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUR JROTC INSTRUCTOR. THE NUMBER 10 THING YOU DON‟T WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUR JROTC INSTRUCTOR: “HEY, I JUST BOUGHT A BARBER KIT, WHO WANTS A FREE HAIRCUT?” NUMBER 9. “JUST TWO MORE MILES AND WE‟LL BE DONE WITH THE WARM-UP” NUMBER 8. “I THINK I STILL REMEMBER HOW TO TIE THE KNOTS FOR RAPPELLING” NUMBER 7. "IF MY TEACHING STYLE SEEMS DIFFERENT, IT‟S BECAUSE I GOT MY TEACHING CERTIFICATE AT KINKO‟S" NUMBER 6. "DR. PHIL HAS CHANGED MY LIFE"
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NUMBER 5. "WHO‟S THE FIRST VOLUNTEER FOR THE CATAPULT DEMONSTRATION?" NUMBER 4. “IF SOMEONE LOSES A FINGER, EVERYONE LOSES A FINGER.” NUMBER 3. “REVEILLE ON SATURDAY IS AT 0500 HOURS” NUMBER 2. "I'M YELLING BECAUSE I HAVE SELF-ESTEEM ISSUES" AND, THE NUMBER 1 THING YOU DON‟T WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUR JROTC INSTRUCTOR: “YOUR FINAL GRADE WILL BE DETERMINED BY HOW WELL YOU WASH MY CAR”.
I‟LL BE HONEST WITH YOU -- WHEN CHIEF SANTINI ASKED ME TO COME OVER AND TALK
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TO YOU, I WAS WORRIED THAT WE‟D HAVE A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM BECAUSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMMUNICATE IN A LANGUAGE ALL THEIR OWN. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE MY WIFE, LINDA, AND I RAISED A COUPLE OF HIGH SCHOOLERS AND - BELIEVE IT OR NOT - I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOO. WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL – AND THIS WILL REALLY TELL YOU HOW LONG AGO IT WAS-“BREAD” WAS MONEY, A “CAT” WAS A PERSON, TO “DIG” SOMEONE WAS TO UNDERSTAND HIM OR HER, AND SOMETHING “GROOVY” WAS VERY GOOD. I KNOW THAT TODAY‟S LANGUAGE HAS COMPLETELY REPLACED THE SLANG FROM 30
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YEARS AGO, WITH ONE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION. THE WORD “COOL”- TO BE LIKED, TO BE IN STYLE, TO BE ACCEPTED- STILL HAS THE SAME MEANING TODAY AND NOW, MAYBE MORE THAN EVER, THERE IS ENORMOUS PRESSURE IN HIGH SCHOOL TO BE “COOL”. THERE MAY BE SOME STUDENTS AT YOUR SCHOOLS WHO THINK THAT BEING IN JROTC, WEARING A UNIFORM, AND SUBMITTING YOURSELF TO THE AUTHORITY OF YOUR INSTRUCTORS IS NOT COOL. BUT THEY‟RE WRONG. WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE RESPECT THAT AMERICA HAS FOR HER ARMED FORCES, THE TREMENDOUS LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE AND
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RESPONSIBILITY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, I THINK YOU‟RE GOING TO FIND THAT SERVING YOUR COUNTRY IS COOL. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HAS MORE RESPECT FOR THE MILITARY THAN ANY OTHER INSTITUTION – MORE THAN THE POLICE, MORE THAN BANKS, EVEN MORE THAN THE CHURCH.1 THAT RESPECT HAS BEEN EARNED BY THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US; BY THE YOUNG LIEUTENANT IN COMBAT WHO ASKED HIS LOVED ONES ALWAYS TO PRAY, NOT THAT HE WOULD COME BACK ALIVE, BUT THAT HE WOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO HIS DUTY. BY THE SERGEANT
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WHO RISKED HIS LIFE TO SAVE A WOUNDED SOLDIER, AND BY THE COMMANDER WHO MADE MOMENTOUS DECISIONS BASED ON SHREDS OF INFORMATION WITH THOUSANDS OF LIVES AT STAKE. THAT RESPECT CONTINUES TO BE EARNED BY THE ARMED FORCES WHO PROTECT THE FREEDOM OF THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. TODAY, THOSE TROOPS – SOME OF THEM YOUR MOTHERS AND DADS, YOUR AUNTS AND UNCLES, YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ARE FIGHTING TO DELIVER THAT SAME GIFT OF FREEDOM TO THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
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Gallup “Military Still Americans’ Top-Rated Institution 1 June 2004
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SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES EQUIPS YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE EXPERIENCES AND THE SKILLS THAT WILL SERVE THEM WELL THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING TO HIRE EMPLOYEES WITH EXPERIENCE, AND THAT‟S A DILEMMA FOR MANY HIGH-SCHOOLERS. IT‟S DIFFICULT TO GET A GOOD JOB WITHOUT EXPERIENCE, AND IT‟S HARD TO GET EXPERIENCE WITHOUT A JOB. OUR TROOPS HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY THAN THEIR CIVILIAN COUNTERPARTS AND THEY GET IT SOONER. A FEW YEARS AGO, THE MARINES HAD AN ADVERTISEMENT THAT SAID, “RUN YOUR OWN
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COMPANY AT AGE 26”. THAT PHRASE CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY WORK AT A CIVILIAN COMPANY FOR DECADES BEFORE HAVING A CHANCE TO BE THE BOSS. THE COMPANY IN THE ADVERTISEMENT, OF COURSE, WAS NOT A BUSINESS BUT A COMPANY OF 140 MARINES. THAT YOUNG CAPTAIN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT ONLY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF EQUIPMENT, BUT FOR THE VERY LIVES AND WELLBEING OF EACH ONE OF THOSE 140 PEOPLE, SOMETIMES TAKING THEM THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY FROM HOME FOR TRAINING OR OPERATIONS. THAT COMPANY,
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LED BY THAT 26 YEAR OLD, REPRESENTS NOT JUST THAT SERVICE OR THE ARMED FORCES, BUT THE UNITED STATES, TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. THAT ABILITY TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS AND LEAD PEOPLE UNDER SOMETIMES STRESSFUL AND DIFFICULT CONDITIONS IS WHAT THE BUSINESS WORLD IS LOOKING FOR WHEN HIRING NEW EMPLOYEES. OUR TROOPS ARE TRAINED TO OPERATE SOME OF THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED EQUIPMENT IN THE WORLD. TAKE FOR EXAMPLE THE MARINE CORPS‟ LIGHT ARMORED VEHICLE. IT HAS A TOP SPEED OF 62 MILES AN HOUR, CAN SWIM 6 MILES AN HOUR, AND HAS A 25 MILLIMETER
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CHAIN GUN OR AN ANTI-TANK MISSILE SYSTEM THAT CAN SHOOT OVER 1 ½ MILES. THAT MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SYSTEM IS DRIVEN AND OPERATED BY A CORPORAL NOT MUCH OLDER THAN YOU. HE MUST MASTER THE VEHICLE‟S ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, AND HE DECIDES HOW TO SHOOT, MOVE, AND COMMUNICATE. A NUCLEAR POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIER IS PRODUCED AT A COST OF 4 BILLION DOLLARS. IT LAUNCHES 57 MILLION DOLLAR JETS OFF ITS DECKS. A NAVY PETTY OFFICER WHO MAY ONLY BE 19 YEARS OLD IS THE PLANE CAPTAIN OF EACH JET ON THAT CARRIER. HER NAME AND HOMETOWN ARE
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STENCILED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THAT AIRCRAFT. SHE INSPECTS EVERY ASPECT OF THE READINESS OF THAT JET AND IT DOESN‟T TAKE OFF WITHOUT HER APPROVAL. THE AIR FORCE‟S F-16 FALCON CAN FLY MORE THAN 500 MILES AT 1,500 MILES PER HOUR. A 23 YEAR OLD LIEUTENANT BRAVELY FLIES IT AND A 20 YEAR OLD AIRMAN METICULOUSLY REPAIRS IT. THE ARMY‟S M1A1 MAIN BATTLE TANK WEIGHS 70 TONS, CAN DRIVE OVER ROUGH TERRAIN AT 45 MILES AN HOUR AND ITS 120MM CANNON CAN SHOOT ON THE MOVE TO HIT TARGETS 2 AND A HALF MILES AWAY. THE ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WHO IS THE
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GUNNER ON THAT TANK CREW MUST INPUT ATMOSPHERIC DATA, POSITIVELY IDENTIFY TARGETS, DETERMINE THE DISTANCE TO THE TARGET WITH A LASER RANGE FINDER- AND CALMLY ENGAGE THAT CANNON -- ALL THE WHILE FACING ENEMY FIRE. IN A WORLD THAT IS GETTING MORE COMPLEX AND DEMANDING BY THE DAY, THE ARMED FORCES ARE A GREAT WAY TO GET THE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE YOU‟LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IT‟S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR FUTURE EMPLOYER IS LOOKING FOR, BUT A MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION MIGHT BE, “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?”
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LAST YEAR A SURVEY ASKED U.S. TEENAGERS THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: “WHAT DO YOU THINK THE OVERALL PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE IS?” THE NUMBER ONE RESPONSE MAY SURPRISE YOU. MORE THAN “BE HAPPY AND ENJOY LIFE”, MORE THAN “GET MARRIED AND HAVE A FAMILY”, MORE THAN “GET A GOOD JOB”, EVEN MORE THAN “BE A GOOD PERSON” – THE TOP RESPONSE FOR TEENAGERS WAS “TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND HELP PEOPLE”.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND HELPING PEOPLE IS AN ASPECT OF SERVICE THAT NOT ONLY ATTRACTS A LOT OF PEOPLE INTO THE
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ARMED FORCES, BUT ALSO MAKES THEM WANT TO STAY IN. WHILE THERE ARE MANY PROFESSIONS DEDICATED TO HELPING PEOPLE, I CAN‟T THINK OF ANY OTHER JOB OR PROFESSION THAT GIVES YOU MORE SATISFACTION AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAN TO BE A SOLDIER, SAILOR, AIRMAN, MARINE, OR COASTGUARDSMAN. LAST YEAR, US SOUTHERN COMMAND SPONSORED NEARLY 70 MEDICAL MISSIONS TO COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN THAT RESULTED IN FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR ALMOST 300,000 PEOPLE. THAT MEDICAL CARE MADE AN ENORMOUS
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DIFFERENCE FOR THE FOLKS IN THOSE COUNTRIES AND I GUARANTEE IT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO PROVIDED THAT ASSISTANCE. AT LEAST TWO OF OUR PRESIDENTS UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF THIS ASPECT OF SERVICE VERY WELL. PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY, WHO SERVED IN THE NAVY IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR, SAID, “ANY MAN WHO MAY BE ASKED WHAT HE DID TO MAKE HIS LIFE WORTHWHILE . . . CAN RESPOND WITH A GOOD DEAL OF PRIDE AND SATISFACTION, „I SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY‟”. PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN ONCE SAID, “SOME PEOPLE GO THROUGH LIFE
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WONDERING IF THEY MADE A DIFFERENCE, BUT MARINES DON‟T HAVE THAT PROBLEM”. THOSE QUOTES CAN BE APPLIED TO ALL THE SERVICES. OUR TROOPS CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE WORLD THAT THERE IS NO BETTER FRIEND, AND NO WORSE ENEMY, THAN THE AMERICAN SOLDIER.
WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE JOIN THE ARMED FORCES, THEY HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY‟VE NEVER HAD BEFORE. THEY FIND THEMSELVES DOING IMPORTANT THINGS FOR THE NATION AND THE WORLD. THEY FIND OUT THAT THEY ARE IN AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS BIGGER THAN THEY
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ARE – AND THEY EMBRACE AND CHERISH THAT SERVICE. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU. WE ARE NOW ENGAGED IN A WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. WE KNOW THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM WON‟T BE QUICK. AND IT WON‟T BE EASY. IT WILL REQUIRE A LONG, SUSTAINED EFFORT. MOST OF ALL, IT WILL REQUIRE THE SUPPORT OF OUR ENTIRE NATION. WHEN THE UNITED STATES ENTERED WORLD WAR II, WE HAD A POPULATION OF ABOUT 140 MILLION PEOPLE. WE PUT ALMOST 9% OF THAT POPULATION INTO UNIFORM. TODAY WE HAVE A POPULATION OF 293 MILLION PEOPLE. TODAY WE‟RE TRYING TO PUT LESS THAN ONE
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PERCENT (2.5 MILLION) OF THAT POPULATION INTO UNIFORM. THE THREAT OF TERRORISM HAS PUT US IN A NATIONAL SECURITY SITUATION THAT IS AT LEAST AS DANGEROUS, IF NOT MORE DANGEROUS, THAN WE FACED IN WORLD WAR II. THE WAR ON TERRORISM IS NOT AN ARMED FORCES CHALLENGE, IT'S A NATIONAL CHALLENGE.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE MILITARY SERVICE, YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU TO PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY IN ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT AND CHERISHED RESPONSIBILITIES – THAT OF BEING A CITIZEN. THE GREATNESS OF AMERICA IS EVIDENCED
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BY THE FACT THAT PEOPLE RISK THEIR LIVES TO GET INTO THIS COUNTRY. PEOPLE CLIMB ONTO LEAKY RAFTS AND ON INNER TUBES TO ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE FLORIDA STRAITS TO GET TO A DIFFERENT WORLD; - TO A PLACE WHERE THEY ARE FREE. BUT THE GREATNESS OF AMERICA CAN ONLY BE AS GOOD AS ITS CITIZENS. PRESIDENT DWIGHT EISENHOWER ONCE SAID, “THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH AMERICA THAT FAITH, LOVE OF FREEDOM, INTELLIGENCE, AND ENERGY OF HER CITIZENS CANNOT CURE.” I CHALLENGE EACH OF YOU TO EXERCISE YOUR CITIZENSHIP, CHERISH IT, AND ZEALOUSLY DEFEND IT.
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THERE ARE MANY TODAY WHO BELIEVE THAT YOUR GENERATION WILL FACE SIMILAR CHALLENGES IN DEFENDING OUR FREEDOM AND PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY AS THE WORLD WAR II GENERATION DID. I AM CONFIDENT YOU ARE READY FOR THE CHALLENGE! YOU MAY WELL BE THE NEXT “GREATEST GENERATION”!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION THIS MORNING. NOW I‟LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
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