1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:10,350 --> 00:00:12,461 Highlights of my career . Well , I've 3 00:00:12,461 --> 00:00:15,300 almost been in 30 years . Uh April 2025 4 00:00:15,310 --> 00:00:18,430 next 30 highlights of my career was uh 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,496 probably going to Saudi Arabia three 6 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:22,819 different times . Uh First time was in 7 00:00:22,829 --> 00:00:25,162 tense . Second time was in hard bullets . 8 00:00:25,162 --> 00:00:27,440 And the third time I was back in tense , 9 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:29,440 I really thought I lost a bet , you 10 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,551 know , having to go back a third time 11 00:00:31,551 --> 00:00:33,551 and uh being back in tents , that's 12 00:00:33,551 --> 00:00:36,189 probably my favorite . And uh I would 13 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,319 say my most challenging assignment 14 00:00:38,330 --> 00:00:40,650 where I learned the most was Insik 15 00:00:40,900 --> 00:00:43,290 Airbase Turkey . Uh I went over there 16 00:00:43,299 --> 00:00:47,119 in 2015 , early 2015 and uh uh in 17 00:00:47,130 --> 00:00:49,074 2016 , we went through the ordered 18 00:00:49,074 --> 00:00:51,130 departure where I had to take my son 19 00:00:51,130 --> 00:00:53,569 home and then we went through the coup 20 00:00:53,970 --> 00:00:56,200 uh where uh you know , President 21 00:00:56,209 --> 00:00:59,000 Erdogan's military tried to overthrow 22 00:00:59,009 --> 00:01:02,909 him . And uh so that particular 23 00:01:02,919 --> 00:01:06,040 year 2016 was challenging . Uh But I 24 00:01:06,050 --> 00:01:08,949 learned the value of adversity is the 25 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,070 garden for relationships . I probably 26 00:01:11,070 --> 00:01:13,126 have more good friendships that came 27 00:01:13,126 --> 00:01:15,292 out of that particular assignment than 28 00:01:15,292 --> 00:01:17,403 any assignment I ever had . And I was 29 00:01:17,403 --> 00:01:18,681 only there 19 months , 30 00:01:24,709 --> 00:01:28,680 I needed to humble myself and become a 31 00:01:28,690 --> 00:01:32,099 better family member than a 32 00:01:32,110 --> 00:01:36,050 military member . IA A , I've 33 00:01:36,059 --> 00:01:38,680 always prided myself on being a really 34 00:01:38,690 --> 00:01:41,610 good military member . Um Our 35 00:01:41,620 --> 00:01:43,398 institution provides us lots of 36 00:01:43,398 --> 00:01:45,509 training and lots of opportunities to 37 00:01:45,509 --> 00:01:48,040 get better at wearing our military 38 00:01:48,099 --> 00:01:51,790 uniform . But it doesn't really make 39 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,410 you a better human at times . If you're 40 00:01:54,419 --> 00:01:56,639 resistant , you can be a good military 41 00:01:56,650 --> 00:01:59,970 member but not so much a family member . 42 00:02:00,370 --> 00:02:03,550 And so my biggest life lesson after uh , 43 00:02:03,559 --> 00:02:06,489 dorking that up a few times is uh 44 00:02:06,500 --> 00:02:08,611 learning to be a better family member 45 00:02:08,611 --> 00:02:10,611 than a military member . And , um , 46 00:02:11,250 --> 00:02:13,194 over the last 10 years , I've been 47 00:02:13,194 --> 00:02:15,194 doing a lot better job at that . So 48 00:02:15,250 --> 00:02:17,583 taking time to learn to be a good human , 49 00:02:17,583 --> 00:02:20,169 putting human back in humanity , being 50 00:02:20,179 --> 00:02:22,929 kind and cautious and conservative and , 51 00:02:23,169 --> 00:02:25,949 and polite and cordial . Um , and , and 52 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:27,793 being learning to be sincere and 53 00:02:27,793 --> 00:02:31,110 habitually sincere has probably been my 54 00:02:31,119 --> 00:02:33,789 biggest life lesson being a better 55 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,750 family member than a military member .