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Grantham Hosts Salute to the
Armed Forces Education Services Programs |
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On Wednesday, February 9, as Mardi Gras festivities wound to a close and the revelers returned to their ordinary lives, Grantham hosted a gala event at the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. |
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The event was held in conjunction with a symposium sponsored by the Council of College and Military Educators (CCME), the only national organization for professional military educators. The four-day symposium provided workshops, lectures and educational events, and Grantham was proud to offer an informal gala as a “Salute to Armed Forces Education Services Programs.” Held on the third night of the symposium, the gala was attended by nearly 200 base education officers.
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Cmdr. Alvarez signed DVDs of the 1999 film "Return with Honor," in which he is profiled along with other prisoners of war |
Gala guests came from as far away as Honduras, Kosovo and Germany, arriving in New Orleans at the height of the Mardi Gras season. At the gala, they enjoyed Louisiana delicacies such as jambalaya and oysters, were serenaded by a jazz trio, toured the D-Day museum exhibits, and had the unique opportunity to listen to the Keynote Speaker, Retired Navy Cmdr. Everett Alvarez Jr. (POW). Cmdr. Alvarez spoke about his experience as a prisoner of war, and he stressed the value of education and the importance of military base education officers.
Cmdr. Alvarez was the first American pilot shot down during the Vietnam War. His carrier-based A-4 Skyhawk was hit during retaliatory airstrikes on Vietnamese patrol boats and oil storage facilities Aug. 5, 1964, and he was captured by armed Vietnamese in a fishing vessel. By Aug. 11, he had been taken to Hanoi's notorious Hoa Lo Prison, a turn-of-the-century French-built facility with thick two-story concrete walls known in Vietnamese as the "fiery furnace." He was a prisoner of war for eight and a half years–the longest period of captivity of any American war prisoner in North Vietnam. Cmdr. Alvarez was released from the POW camp on February of 1973, along with more than 575 other POWs, and returned home.
He was featured in the 1999 film “Return With Honor.” The two-hour documentary was introduced by Tom Hanks, who said, "I am fascinated and moved by these stories of extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and heroism."
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Retired Navy Cmdr. Everett Alvarez Jr. addresses attendees at the Grantham gala |
All guests at the gala received a copy of the film, autographed by Cmdr. Alvarez.
The National D-Day Museum provided a perfect background for the gala, and attendees were able to take a break from symposium events and Mardi Gras celebrations to tour the facility. The D-Day Museum opened its doors on June 6, 2000, and is the only museum in the United States that addresses all of the amphibious invasions or "D-days" of World War II, paying tribute to the more than one million Americans who took part. The Museum stands as our country's tribute to the men and women who made the invasions in Europe, Africa, and the Pacific successful. It presents their stories to an international audience, preserves material for research and scholarship, and inspires future generations to apply the lessons learned from the most complex military operation ever staged. |
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MSgt. Richard Haberstock
“Distance education helps you learn to balance your life. This gives you the opportunity to succeed in all of your endeavors.”
Master Sergeant Richard Haberstock has spent many of his twenty years of military service traveling the globe. He’s been to Bosnia and to Kosovo and is currently assigned to duty at King Kahlid Military City, Saudi Arabia.
In Saudi Arabia, Haberstock is the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of a 16 soldier Engineer Technical Assistance Fielding Team. He assists an engineering school in course development, mentors other soldiers, and is responsible for force protection duties such as threat assessment and evacuation planning.
When Haberstock joined the Army in 1984, he says that he was looking for better opportunities in life. “I was stuck in a small rural town in Missouri,” he says. “The Army created options for me and opened up what I can do with my life. The opportunity to grow and achieve as a soldier and a leader, and to develop future leaders in today’s Army has made a major impact on my life.”
Haberstock has been with Grantham for almost two years. He attended college briefly, years ago, but dropped out. While he’s enjoyed his military career, he’s always wanted to earn a college degree.
“I tried a traditional school in Missouri back in the 70s, but I became bored with it and it didn’t fit my schedule,” he says. “College was a goal that I had early in my life and I set it aside because it didn’t seem possible. It’s amazing that technology and the Internet allows this kind of flexibility.”
Haberstock earned his Associate Degree from Grantham in May 2004, and plans to graduate in the summer of 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Haberstock is married, with two sons, David and Gehrig. “My wife Jennifer is really the support channel for the family,” he says. “She does an outstanding job of being both the mom and the dad when I have to be away. I’m lucky to have been blessed with the support from my family during my 20 years of service.”
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TSgt. Christopher Gulotta
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Being in the Air Force gives me a true sense of purpose and accomplishment. I like knowing that I, and the people before me, have fought to protect and preserve our rights. I know that if it were not for those who serve our country, we wouldn’t have rights to protect.”
Technical Sergeant Christopher Gulotta recently returned from 90 days in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
When asked to describe his deployment, he says, “In one word, it was HOT. Many days we experienced temperatures above 100 degrees. The nights were “cooler” by comparison, at around 90 degrees. In the middle of the day, you walked into air conditioning that might only drop the temperature to 90 degrees, but even that little drop was welcoming and refreshing. Living conditions were tough. We had 12 men to a tent for the first two weeks, and then we were crammed in the same tents with 20 people—both men and women. Meals were available but some times less than desirable. Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s) were rationed to 2 per day. That was all we had for the better part of 35 days.”
Despite the heat, the danger, and the lackluster cuisine, Gulotta says that he was proud to be in Saudi Arabia, and is proud to serve in the Air Force.
At home at Charleton AFB, Gulotta works in Integrated Flight Control Systems. He advises on maintenance, service and inspection of aircraft and aerospace systems, and provides system maintenance and repair. In his spare time, he enjoys playing hockey. He’s been married for seven years, and has four children and one on the way.
“It’s tough to balance my responsibilities as a parent with my other duties,” he says, “but my children come first. Sometimes I just have to accept that some of the other things won’t get done on my schedule. I attempt to isolate myself from every distraction. I open the books whenever I can get away from my other responsibilities.”
Gulotta has served in the Air Force for thirteen years.
“I joined the Air Force for several reasons,” says Gulotta. “First, I wanted to do something with my life. I had several jobs after high school, including machinist, veterinary assistant and landscaper. I wanted a stable job. I also wanted education and training. The Air Force, as you know, pays for ALL of that. Travel and seeing the world were my final motivations. In my years of service, though, I have come to see and love the many other benefits the AF has to offer such as, job security, medical and dental insurance for me and the family, steady pay raises, retirement programs, a sense of belonging-- the list goes on.”
After he graduates from Grantham, Gulotta’s next goal is to become an officer in the Air Force.
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The University Store
this month’s feature item:
Sweatshirt for $34.99
(regular price is $39.00)
Check It Out! |
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2004 Graduate James Istre (left) shows his Grantham pride on his recent trip to Japan. |
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