Commentary: Military takes civic leaders on a tantalizing 3-day tour

Colorado Springs Business Journal, Jul 8, 2005 by Lon Matejczyk

Adm. Tim Keating and the folks from NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command really hit a home run last month with the Civic Leader Tour.

They played host to a group of business and civic leaders from Colorado Springs on a tour of Langley Air Force Base, Norfolk Naval Station, Naval Amphibious Base, Explosive Ordnance Training and the Naval Air Station at Oceana.

The trip started with a briefing (the first of many during the three-day event) about the structure and responsibilities of NORAD and Northcom and then a flight out of Peterson Air Force Base on a modified 737-700 with more amenities than my last flight on Northworst (not a typo).

The cockpit door stayed open during the flight and we were even allowed to go up and ask the pilots how much longer. The coolest part was when Tim Cobb and I were allowed to sit in cockpit jump seat during landing.

It was a packed several days. At Langley, we learned about the new F/A-22 Raptor. The Norfolk visit included junkets to the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower, the destroyer USS Winston Churchill and the nuclear attack submarine USS Minneapolis-St. Paul.

During our tour of Explosive Ordinance Training, Will Temby, Jessica Johnson- Simmons and Leroy Landhuis got to blow some things up. But fun and games were not the point of the tour.

The purpose of this trip was to educate community leaders about how the military bases along the Front Range are integrated in a 'system of systems' and that our military forces are ready and able to defend our homeland and defeat potential threats, said Mike Perini, director of public affairs for NORAD-Northcom.

And while the military hardware we saw was very impressive, what really struck me was the people, our nation's young sailors, airmen and soldiers and their dedication, pride and commitment to training.

I met a 41-year-old commander of a billion-dollar destroyer, who was understandably proud of his vessel, but was even more proud of his people. Leadership is something that when lacking, observant people can pick up on fairly quickly. Based on what I saw, we are in good shape with our military leadership.

The passion and dedication that the members of the military have for their chosen careers was very clear. And it just wasn't the brass; it was the young people.

I spoke with many young sailors, soldiers and airmen. And while I won't go into detail about each person's story, I can tell you that there wasn't a hint of a poor morale that some mainstream media organizations seem only too happy to report. To the contrary they were pumped, well trained and seemed to love what they do.

Having never served in the military, I was not as familiar with the culture. But, I am familiar with business, and I am telling you that we should be copying some of the things our friends in the military are doing.

Capt. Grunt Smith, commander of the Eisenhower, described his operation as a zero defect organization. Smith is in the business of launching (and recovering) million dollar planes off of a small runway in a pitching sea, often at night. So being a zero defect organization is important.

How many of us could call our businesses zero defect organizations?

Our last event was lunch at Oceana Officers Club. Afterward, we met the Super Hornet demo team and watched a demonstration by these amazing guys and their amazing aircraft. So what am I doing in newspapers? I want to join the Navy and fly the Super Hornet.

Of course, as with any of these types of tours, I made some new friends and learned about some new business ideas. As I've said before, business, like life, is all about relationships.

I've had a few memorable life experiences, including spending time as a licensed boat captain, and I will remember this tour for years to come because it really had an impact. The tour was an educational and inspirational.

A big thank you for a great job goes to Adm. Keating, Maj. Gen. Dale Meyerrose, Mike Perini, Maj. Stacey Reddish and Rachel Allison on a well-organized and efficient tour.