Why we Celebrate Memorial Day

Transcript

Welcome to Facebook live viewers We appreciate you joining us again today. My name is Brad Botes. I'm an attorney. I'm with the Bond & Botes law offices and we represent folks throughout the state of Alabama throughout the state of Mississippi and we help people with financial problems and we know a lot of people after this last year are having financial challenges. please we just want want you to know if need help be proactive reach out for help all of our offices. Are providing absolutely free initial consultations right now with an attorney no cost, but reach out and be proactive and we'll be glad to help you this week's Facebook live. We're doing something special III felt like we needed to do something to do a better job of recognizing Memorial Day and the meaning of Memorial Day. a lot of us spent this last weekend. Doing things we should do celebrating our freedom when we were out with family, we spent time on the lakes on the beaches we did. we enjoyed our long weekend but I hope that all of us also took some time to focus on the true meaning of Memorial Day and why we recognize Memorial Day in our country and that is very specifically to pay tribute to the men and women who made the. Sacrificed who gave their lives. while serving our great country and I'm absolutely thrilled today to have very recently retired our Colonel Lori Rasmussen Colonel Rasmussen. most recently served as. I want to make sure I get this right. Colonel. you served you led Detachment twelve. of the Academy of Military Science Officer Training School in Montgomery here in Alabama and and the academy. Of the air force's preeminent Officer commissioning squad, and I'm saying it annually produces over 800 new officers for the air Force for the Air National Guard and for the Air Force Reserve Colonel Rasmussen Thank you so much for joining us today. well, thank you for having me sir. I really appreciate it. I'm as I said to you earlier when we had a chance to talk, it's such an honor to hang out with great folks who are taking time out to honor our nation's fallen. I really appreciate your law firm's initiative to try to pay the correct respect to Memorial Day. It means. Not only to me, but certainly the local military community and the military community at large. You know every time I meet a active member of the military service or a retired member. I tried to say thank you. for your service, but I don't feel like it's enough for the sacrifices you make so again. Thank you so much for what you and the other. people have served and are serving our military do for us to help us preserve our freedoms the freedoms that we were able to celebrate this past weekend. Are available to us because of the sacrifices made by all of you. so you're appreciated. so Colonel Rasmussen you and I have this is the first time we've had a chance to talk directly, but I know that you share a friendship with two of my favorite law partners, Gail Donaldson and Mary Poole and and they have said just wonderful things about you. but but if you would. I talked about your most recent role with the Air Force, but give us a little bit of background on you and your service while in the air Force, yes, so I. We've had so many different assignments so actually that the assignment you just mentioned was my last second assignment here at Maxwell Air Force Base, so you guys will hear as I describe my career I've spent and requested several assignments back to Montgomery because my very first assignment here was so rewarding so we'll get into that. but I started out from a big family with not a lot of military members in my immediate family. I was the only one in my immediate family who served, but I really wanted to go to. In Colorado, believe it or not and I'm one of five kids so I just wanted a way I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and Colorado was a dream for me and I was like you know what I made it easier on my family if I applied to the Air Force Academy, which would have given me 100% scholarship so with very little background or even I certainly didn't growing up growing up, saying I wanted to be a pilot or any of those things. but right before my. New Year I just did my own research came across the Air Force Academy and decided to give it a try. so I applied. and believe it or not. I did not get accepted The first I'm from a very academic focused family, so I applied to sixteen different colleges so academic you know, making my you know being aggressive and having my initiatives to determine my own destiny is certainly something I got from my mom and dad and I my buddy actually got into the Air Force Academy from the state of Delaware he. The number one choice. and shortly literally 2 weeks before basic training he got scared and I got his slot and I literally chipped off the basic training 14 days later, so my college choice change like three times, I was going to go to wake Forest. I was going to go to university Colorado Boulder and then it ended up being the Air Force Academy, so I shipped off to the academy and pretty much didn't look back so my parents were really shocked that I. had so much. I was determined to kind of go and quite frankly, I wanted to see if I could make it through because it was really tough for four straight years and it was funny. I want to go to go to school in Colorado so bad and you're kind of in a semi. we'll call it a prison like environment, but it's certainly not your regular college experience. so I didn't get to explore Colorado nearly to the degree that I thought I would, but I made some of the best friends most incredible relationships with some of our nation's most talented people was awesome so went to the zoo. That's what we call it the zoo and I graduated in nineteen 1996 from there, I had earned a pilot training slot and I went to del Rio, Texas, and I was like to describe Del Rio, Texas is think of the end of the earth and go another 3 hours That was my very first air force assignment, and that was a culture shock. literally there was like a runway a grocery store and pretty much not much else a lot of dry desert and good good sunny airspace. and that's why I guess the air Force decided to put a pilot training base there so it's been about a year there from that **** I went on to fly a reconnaissance aircraft out of Omaha, Nebraska flew missions all over the world and that actually the RC 135. and throughout this whole time I had been dating my boyfriend at the time that we met at the end of our freshman year at the Air Force Academy, I actually had a huge black eye when he met me. and wait a second that is an explanation We just need to actually you know what I can tell you my really good friend Blake Bell case I even remember everything about him We were on the assault course in basic training. Which was like an obstacle course and kind of like those tough motor races that we have today that people actually pay to do, but I was low crawling in the dirt in the sand right behind him and he accidentally got his combat boot and kicked me right in the eye right in the face. Oh boy. so I went through the second half of basic training like all swollen up and looking tough. I think my parents were like, Oh my gosh, what happened to our baby girl. right at the end of basic training is where I met Reid, my husband and we're really great. And we dated all the way through the academy and then so he was he was he was at the academy and also then yes sir, we are the same year but he flew a ten fighter aircraft and I went to fly the reconnaissance aircraft so we knew after we graduated, we were not going to be stationed together anytime soon, but we're still married to this day. III didn't mean to interrupt you there, but I think it's important to your story that you met your husband while at the Air Force Academy and you both served long careers in the military now as Reid retired, also, he did and I actually great, you kind of give me another chance. I just had my he retired last year and I had my my retirement ceremony was last week and I hope you know you're thinking when you're talking in public. Did I do a good enough job and this is just an awesome human being we. Supported each other all the way through our careers and you know someday some assignments. he was in a tougher assignments. Some assignments I was in the tougher assignment and we kind of just made it work. We've spent 9 years in our career living apart. and somehow managed to have three kids and everybody always said that at the end of a career, if you're still married to the same spouse and your kids are still talking to you. That is the sign of a successful career. so I I'm grateful for those two things they're still intact. That's that's awesome. So. we're talking about Memorial Day today If my math is right, you would have entered the Air Force Academy just after desert storm would that be about right? Yeah. That's right in 1992 is when I graduated high school and shipped off to basic training at the Air Force Academy. Yes it the desert storm have any impact on your decision, one way or another. I can say it did not from a perspective of I had no. I had no doubts I just wanted the adventure I would I was honestly the best way to describe it is I wanted to see if I was up for the challenge of making it through basic training, then making it through the Air Force Academy, then making it through flight school like it was about challenging myself and trying to serve and be a part of something larger than myself. I am I actually grew up in a suburb of Wilmington, Delaware Hos in Delaware and you know you've you're ready to fly. you're when you're eighteen, you're young, you don't know any better II didn't appreciate a hometown enough and I was like how can I? Get away and go see the world and that's what drew me personally to the to military and the fact that you know we've done such good things. you know, I think the men and women of our of our nation's military are such hardworking dedicated human beings. I'm I really have been blessed with the caliber of people I've gotten to work with and that makes me that made me want to stay in my own personal reasons for why I joined, but then the reasons why I decided to stay and make it a career. certainly the caliber of people. Got to work with and some of the missions we've got to accomplish are not your day, You know most of my friends from high school are all still in hokes in Delaware, which is an amazing town, but I was just itching for something with a little more adventure. And you're right when you're eighteen, I probably you don't have in your mind. What type of risks am I taking what type of potential sacrifices? I'm making, But what about what about your parents? They're baby girls heading off halfway across the country to enter the military was it was it a tough thing for them? It's funny you hit on this because literally I praised my mom and dad because literally I praised them last week during my retirement ceremony, my seventeen. Old son has expressed an interest in joining the air Force and now I'm getting asked to do what my mom and dad got asked to do and I quite frankly, I don't know if I'm going to handle it as bravely as my parents did. because I realized they did do exactly what you said they took me to the Philadelphia airport put me on an airplane and we're like okay. I guess I'll get to talk to my daughter in 8 weeks and literally there was no communication for 8 weeks and that was I look back and that must have been incredibly difficult and if I'm going to get asked to do the same thing, I'm I mean obviously I'll try to. As brave as I can, but it certainly makes me appreciate my parents' sacrifice more than I'd understood when I was eighteen, you know I remember I got the opportunity to do free fall jumping out of airplanes and parachuting and I remember the first time I jumped and my parents were probably like stressed beyond but they never let it show and they were right there when that first phone call when I told them, I did it successfully. They were like my biggest cheerleader. So I mean, even though I'm nervous about my son doing it, I have to hide it better so I'm going to try to be strong like my mom and dad, but I would say my parents. could not have been a better supporting mom and dad through someone in the military career. It was they're they've been incredible, but they're not upset that I'm retired either. They're I think they're like but now they're like we have to spend foster the military too. Okay, but you know they're great. I mean they kind of erode every ride all the highs all the lows. My mom and dad were there for it All you know I've. I've had this conversation with my wife as you have your own children and you watch what they go through and what they can put you through. it makes you love your own parents even more and appreciate the sacrifices they made. I think I've mentioned that my niece will be. attending at the Air Force Academy in the fall and she's so enthused and she's such a wonderful young lady. but you're right. It's it's a big commitment being made and. A mother of a son you've been able to see it from both perspectives now. III try to make foster make the most educated decision he can. And then he said to me, he's like I want to go into the family business. What can I say right right? well that that means that y'all have been excellent parents if he wants to follow your footsteps and that says a lot about you and your husband. says. But. alright, so let's get to the subject of today's episode and that's to recognize the tremendous sacrifices that have been made by so many who have given it all. In service to our country, but it's not just those service members. It's also their family members as we've just discussed the sacrifices that are made. you you have seen the sacrifices for every perspective both as somebody entering the military as somebody that served and now somebody who may have a child going into the military Tell us Colonel What Memorial Day means to you. It certainly means something different than it did before I joined the military. I always thought I respected the holiday enough, but I'm sure as a young kid, I was focused on everything you said, which was the time the time the barbecues and that is all still valid. but now it takes on a different meaning as I have lost a lot of friends and classmates. you know throughout the last 25 years of service so recently my class at the Air Force Academy on Class of 1996 we just celebrate. Our twenty-fifth anniversary of our graduation day and a recent post was out and it showed all of my classmates who passed away and you know some of them were certainly you know not duty related but a large percentage of them were whether it's training accidents whether it was operational missions and I think. we have no idea I don't even know truly the sacrifices I that the families and the suffering that a lot of these people have gone through when they lose. A spouse, a father, a mother a daughter a son it's devastating and. I've you know a really dear friend of mine from the Air Force Academy Lieutenant Colonel Moreno. He was one of my first friends at the Air Force Academy and he passed away several years ago in an f fifteen crash and every year you know I think about every single person that I've met who gave the ultimate sacrifice and service to our nation and quite frankly it. Me feel. Lucky and and not going to be really respectful of what their families are going through and and how they may be suffering on Day. So it's a solemn day but as my husband said he goes well Lori do you think any of the guys and gals that passed away? would not want us to have a beer on and a barbecue or go to the beach on Memorial Day and I said and the people we know, I'm like no, we didn't have to have a toast in honor of our of our dear friends that we lost so it is certainly a hard day but it you do feel more humbled. And all the blessings that we have because of people that we're willing to say you know, send me I'm willing to take the risk. I'm willing to lay down my life to defend the constitution and defend our freedoms and it's certainly it's a hard day every year. it really is and I want to make a point here. of letting our viewers know. how they can help the surviving family members of those who who gave their lives in service to our country. and. Know that there are several different organizations that are out there to help family members. In fact, we've made a point of putting the website links at the bottom of our screen and if those of you out there want to do something special on behalf of those who sacrificed for each bus, Laura can you tell us something about these organizations? I think one that you feel particularly fine about is the American Gold Star families absolutely this organization I've had. Who's who directly benefited from they are a gold star family. What a Gold star family means is they've lost an immediate family member in the line of duty and it's pretty amazing. So I'll talk about my friend. Lieutenant Colonel Morris Fontenot. his wife was my roommate pretty much for all 4 years at the academy. They have two girls his daughter. is now in her senior year at the Air Force Academy. so she'll be the main senior Training your freshman niece by the. But to see. how this organization has supported their family, I think certainly my friend, Kara can talk to a much more. you know in much more detail than I can, but I know between scholarships and just everything from spouse or retreats where they kind of give the surviving spouses time away and fully all expense paid kind of mental health breaks if you will to kind of have a network in a community with. Other spouses that I have also lost a loved one in combat lots of lots of retreats as well for the children of deceased airmen and or deceased soldiers. It's pretty powerful stuff and again there's there is a lot that America's gold star families does for the families of the nation's fallen. so I definitely if anybody out there wants to get engaged wants to contribute. I highly recommend you check out those websites a blue star family. that was another one. It Is for folks who have served in combat and maybe they may not have lost their life, but they could be suffering physical ailments. They could be suffering from Ptsd and again. these are organizations that can help find resources and connect those service members to some of those available resources that can that can mitigate their suffering. So great, you know could not say enough good things about them and again for all of your viewing public. anything you can do. it's greatly appreciated most military families you. Keep quiet and we don't like to ask for help kind of ask for help only amongst the other military families because they know what you're going through. So you know if you know a military family, you know somebody who's family if you know may have suffered a terrible tragedy, I think going out there and engaging with them and just kind of getting to know them and letting them talk about their lost loved one things like that. it's a little little efforts, little little things that go a long way to to like you, said Sir say thank you and recognize her son or daughter's contribution. I just I want to echo what you just said to our viewers, folks, we probably all know somebody. a family member, a friend friend of a family member that gave their life and service to our country. I certainly do I lost my 18 year old at the time cousin George George botes, who was a marine at the age of eighteen in Vietnam. His parents were never the same after that it's back in the 60s. What we all like to say thank you. Thank you for your service, Colonel and to members that have served but this is an opportunity to do just a little bit more. as Colonel, Rasmussen said. Members of the military are proud they don't ask for help but reach out go to one of the websites at the bottom of our screen. and you know see what you can do to help whether it's financial or otherwise please please. pay honor. To those that made the greatest sacrifice of all for each of us. II wanted to talk a little bit about the history of Memorial Day. It was originally known as Decoration Day. What was originally celebrated after the Civil War II, It was originally only for. those that gave their lives during the civil war. It was an informal thing at first people just put flowers on graves. It was as we say it was decoration day and then our. Decided to make it appropriately a national holiday. was renamed Memorial Day. and I think it was in the 1960s that actually the date of the holiday was changed to the last Monday of May every year. so all of us could enjoy freedoms and celebrate a three-day weekend every year during Memorial Day. is there anything more from somebody that has served in the military that we should know about the history of Memorial Day, maybe the traditions. Are recognized. well, I think I think you hit on the history perfectly well, I would say that from the traditional. it's interesting as a military Member, II think most people don't know the true the high operations tempo that we have we as a military have been keeping up certainly since 911. and how that makes us kind of look at Memorial Day so first off you know less than 1% of our nation has served in the military so you. I'm going to talk a little bit about Montgomery in the local community and my civilian friends here in Montgomery have really kind of welcomed me and my family in to be part of the community and make us feel like this is home and I can say that's not like that every place. The air force sent me Sometimes you know people are very hesitant to want to reach out to a military member because they know they may have to move in two or 3 years and so you know people are just not as aware of what is actually being done by the members of our military every single day. I can tell you that operation tempo. continues to just do more with less we deploy more. I actually retired out of the air National guard our air National guard our Air Force Reserve members have deployed in record numbers Certainly Science post 911 trying to help out the active duty members of our military with a constant deployment tasks. executing our missions worldwide and that's tempo. it doesn't stop it never stop even when I. Was non deployed and I was here in the United States so a lot of people we are so grateful for a moment in honor of our fallen comrades to just say let's take a break. let's enjoy Fellowship with one another because sometimes you can't even think straight. you're just in the grind. It's like what is the term we say all the time or I always used to say to my friends in Washington, DC. I know who I'm in the trenches with because every day I mean 7 days a week you're getting those phone calls emails, whatever it may be and you need a moment. to just kind of. Catch your breath and enjoy each other and the people you work with on a on a daily basis, and I will say that happens the cool part in a lot of the flying squadrons around the air force and certainly Maxwell Air Force base they do a great job of. almost forcing the time out if you will to really, I think our American culture is always go and then it's heightened a thousand times more in the military so it forces you to take that moment and certainly at the individual flying squadrons at the unit level. They do everything from getting the groups together, saying prayers. It's a special time, but it's a solemn time as well. So. I don't know the longer I stayed in the military. I want to you know I feel like my class my classmates from the Air Force Academy, more and more names were getting added to the list of young people gone too soon and again it just makes me look at the holiday every year. I get a little older I get even a little more appreciative as each year goes on. Hey, we we all just need to remember certainly a memorial day but throughout the year. those who make sacrifices on behalf of all of us and certainly those who made the ultimate sacrifice that gave their lives in service to our country. Lori I want to take a quick break here and recap on what we've discussed and I am sorry Carl should not. Refer to you by your first name out of respect for you and your service Colonel. I want to take a quick break and then after that we've had some questions come in from some folks and people if you do have questions for Colonel Rasmussen, please go ahead and submit them and we'll try to answer some of those questions after we recap here just a reminder of viewers. My name is Brad Bods. I'm joined today by Colonel Lori Rasmussen. I recently retired from the United States Air Force and this is. Bobo Weekly Facebook Live where we try to bring to our viewers items that are important to our community today we are we are talking about Memorial Day and the special meaning it should have for each us as we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. for each of us who gave their lives in service to our country as a member of the military, I do want to remind you that the bond & botes law offices are located throughout Alabama and Mississippi, and we're here to help people with. Financial problems since COVID started up, we are offering. absolutely free initial consultations. We'll do them by phone or video. we'll do them from the safety of your home or office, but I encourage people I know there's a lot of anxiety out there right now we talked in our episode last week about the fact that mortgage forbearance is and landlord tenant forbearance says Eviction forbearance is are coming to an end soon and there's a lot of anxiety. Out there so get out in front of these problems be proactive reach out to one of us again We're offering absolutely free initial consultations with an attorney. the episode last week about mortgage modifications that is available on our firm's website and our Facebook page and in this episode also, if you know a veteran if you know somebody interested in the military if you just want to bring home what Memorial Day is all about to somebody. That you know, please refer them back to this video, which will be available again on the Facebook page and on our firm's website. I think there are a lot of people that need to hear what Colonel Rasmussen has had to share with us today about the meaning of Memorial Day and the sacrifices made by the members of our military. so again if we can help you please reach out to us. Colonel Rasmussen we have had some questions come in some are directly related to Memorial Day. Some I think more about military service in general. but I want to give you a chance to answer some of these if you're willing I will so I have a viewer here that says I'm considering and listing in a branch of the military. which one would you recommend. I think I know what your answer is going to be here. Air Force Navy Army or Marines and so I'm partial of course, I'm going to say the air force, but I would say this I think. you know, I think a lot of young people out there today don't know what is available out there and what each service. provides. Right, I mean a lot of young kids today don't even know what our service components are. They don't know we have a Navy and Air Force and Marine Corps, a coast guard. they don't know so first, I would tell the young person who asked that question first do some research right look at no kidding the mentions of each of the services. What does the army do what does the air force? Do you know and go through it? I think when you're young and eighteen like I was, I was just thinking of flying airplanes going around the world and a free way to pay for college. And I certainly didn't think I mean I was aching at the time I wasn't thinking about making airports a full career the way I did so I look into. jobs. You know how how was the service going to take care of a family? We have a saying in the air force we were we recruit an individual, but we retain a family so you know, II would encourage whoever asked that question to do the research on what kind of services are provided to you know where are the? Where the army posts that the naval Naval State Naval Air Station is located where the air force bases because you do want to maximize you know for me, schools matter right wherever I was going to get stationed by the air force, I would need to double check what this what my school choices were for my kids, but I wasn't thinking about those types of thing when I was eighteen. and you don't even know one of the thing I would say is when you're approaching this major life decision you don't have to sign up for twenty. Years right, you can just use your military time to help you mature help you get educational benefits help you develop your leadership skills and develop a skill and you can get out whatever your minimum enlistment is in the air force. It's usually a period of 6 years and then you can go and do whatever you want and you may have a great thing on your resume so I personally chose the air force because I thought. the I didn't like the idea of living on a boat in the Navy. And the army. quite frankly, I think I was more drawn to the idea of the technology available in the air force and flying airplanes, which is what led me to the airport, But I have plenty of friends who love being soldiers and you know deploying with a group of guys and gals and so many amazing women that I know my friends get ready to send her daughter off. She starts basic training. She's your niece's age. Brad and so she she's going to West Point right so each service has its pros and cons, and you just have to do the research to determine what is most. you know what do you weigh more than the? But I'm going to finish out by saying go air force. so you know and this is this is a question for me and it's to touch upon a comment you made earlier, you said that only 1% or less than 1% of people in this country served in the military and II regret. I was close to joining the military when I was very young and made a decision not to I don't want to get into the politics of the issue, but what are your thoughts on? Military service I think it's interesting Right II can answer that I may have a different answer as a military member as they do as a parent. So I understand the complexities of the of the whole discussion I do think I'll look at my South Korean counterparts in South Korea. they do have a mandatory service period of 2 years for I can't remember if it's women two, it may be for the women as well, but I certainly know it was for males that they did a two-year commitment. And I think it doesn't necessarily have to be serving in the military. I just think if we had an obligation for all of us to serve in some capacity in a federal agency, it doesn't have to be military. I just think it's good for all citizens to have a vested stake in our nation's future and I think it makes young people kind of learn a little bit of grit a little bit of teamwork. I think you know you see where. You really are developing what I like to call a servant's Mindset II tried to leave my air force career in a way that I was a servant leader, which means you know, I'm trying to take care of my troops like leadership is a responsibility, not something I you know, not a free parking spot up close right the leader should be working harder than they should be leading by example, and I learn those skills when I was young at the Air Force Academy and built on them throughout my career. so I do think having. Our youth have a vested stake in the nation if they did some kind of obligatory or maybe not for 2 years. Maybe that sounds too long maybe a year. but I think it helps. I do think it gives people a perspective as they then maybe proceed into the private sector. but then the second half of that from the perspective of an officer, Do you want young soldiers that are there because they want to be or do you want soldiers there that have been drafted? Absolutely and you know we've been blessed that you know they got rid of the draft was what I want to say 1973 and we've been blessed that we've been able to still you know recruit young people who are willing to expand their horizons. I think. that may not always be the case there may be days where you know, I said earlier that you're serving in the military is a family business and I don't know I think less and less military families are. encouraging. Young people to serve as well, you know because it does take a toll on kind of certainly like a family with three or four generations of military members. My god that's is a lot to ask of one family right so. you know it. it is we're lucky right now I I'd say right now we've you know the air force is able to make it's recruiting numbers. We've been able to do so for several years, but I don't know if that will always be the case, but you don't want these folks. I mean they did they did see what you're talking about when they had the drafts. It would be folks who got in trouble or you know. Made some bad decisions and then they just took the professionalism of the force in you know, worked its way down instead of making it more professional and no kidding a fighting force that we need to fight today's war right. It's interesting. There are a lot of a lot of perspectives on that, but I encourage this young person that asks to do as Colonel Rasmussen suggested and to explore all of your options and do the research. It's going to be a life-altering decision and sometimes when we're. We jump into things too quickly. and do the research. alright well, here's another interesting question you talked about the opportunities. Do you get to live in another country if you enlist in the military, absolutely depends, it's not a guarantee so it goes to you know we always like to say and I'm only going to speak to the air force now the needs of the air force come first and so how our young airmen compete and perform in their various jobs. So what it's called is an ASC Air Force Specialty code. so you could be a maintenance a maintenance personnel and Have enlisted an officer positions for aircraft maintenance. you could be an enlisted personnel where you're helping with all of the support functions to help our airmen get to be able to deploy it just depends on your specific career field within the air Force and where those where there's a need at some of our basis. but absolutely as enlisted member, we have folks all over Europe all over Asia really cool places you know, I always say the Navy has pretty awesome assignments and so does the air force? I don't know. Much about the army, but you know and but there are opportunities to go overseas and it would be great, you know but I always say this you have to be prepared for every amazing assignment. there could be an equally more remote more desolate assignment to and I always found out what I've always told my young folks that I try to mentor, I had one young airman who was so upset with his assignment and I basically said, look you have two choices you're going to have a positive attitude about this or. Attitude and it could be the best assignment of your career and my friends and myself. I've had some less than ideal locations, but I always usually got to work with the best people. so when I look back at the requirements, I'm like the location may not have been great but the job or the people themselves were ended up being incredible. so you take the good with the bad. And you know I was fascinated earlier, you talked about. friends in in in South Korea. I'm sure regardless of where you are stationed you interacted with people all over the world, which had to be fascinating. It's great. Yeah. He's military life good for a marriage young children. Well, it depends on how you look at it. That's how I would. I say, so I've been married. Oh now I'm going to have to do math in public 23 years We my husband and I dated for six, so I'll make it clear to your audience. so I did 25 years post Air Force Academy graduation plus my 4 years at the Air Force Academy. so I've been I technically wore the uniform for 29 years, but I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to get the extra 4 years of credit 25 years of active service. So in that time, like I mentioned earlier, we lived my husband and I lived apart a long time and here's what I can say more and. Families today in 2021 both spouses are working with the cost of living the cost of pledges. so I don't I think it's less about the military and more about dual professionals regardless whether that's in the civilian sector or in the military sector and so if I would say I like for my wonderful husband Reid, I truly did marry my best friend and we had kind of what we thought was our goal as a couple and if we. Our eyes on that goal, which we did we could achieve it. so I'm not saying it's easy There were times where his job was super intense and then my job is super intense and our job that we left in Washington, DC both jobs of ours were super intense as kernels and it was brutal but you have to have that good communication and quite frankly you need that in a marriage period. Well, no matter what your career is so II will say a lot of people when I was a very young lieutenant kind of encouraged my husband and I to break up and that it would never work. Two pilots and we should just throw in the towel and we didn't we knew we cared about each other and he wanted to be a fighter pilot. I wanted to be a heavy pilot. I flew large aircraft and he wanted to achieve his dreams and I wanted to achieve mine and I was like well we would end up before we had kids. We would pick a city and we could afford to just go to that city and it would be incredible. so obviously it's more complicated when you have kids So I'm not I'm talking to you as an air force spouse as well. And it is hard, I mean I had amazing I like to say my village and that's part of the reason why I ended up here in Montgomery because my civilian friends, I like to call them my family, the friends that became family to me and it's hard to find regardless of what job you're in, but if you're going to have a dual professional marriage you need to find your village regardless So yes, there's some more complicating factors when you serve, but I will tell you my kids they've. Resilient kids they they're no, They have no problems making friends They are very resilient. They are very humble in terms of kind of what they expect. They kind of know that the world doesn't revolve just around them and they gotta go in and make a positive difference and difference and hopefully we've instilled in them, a servant's heart and kind of have an attitude of gratitude as much as they can and I honestly attribute all that to my time serving in the military. so for me, I'd say it. Turned out pretty well so that's been good for my kids to experience it. They have friends all across America all across the world that they stay in touch with and that's a pretty cool thing. well and your kids also had two parents that set great examples. and. demonstrated sacrifice and commitment, and I've gotta believe that that that that's that's something good for children as they're growing up to have parents like that. again. The kids her spouse, which both of you were the entire family your parents. We talked about that earlier the sacrifices they made it's a commitment made. sacrifices made by the entire family. but a lot of good can also come. from. those sacrifices. It's funny. Brad you were saying I honored my four siblings at my retirement speech because it's not easy to have a sibling. Either and you know, I think I think what's really at the heart of that individual's question. It's kind of like, is it good for family life. I think you have to know the person you're marrying in terms of what that person's strengths and weaknesses are so that you know some people have a really hard time. just getting inserted into a community and knowing nobody but I also think the military does a good job with I remember the first time I moved to Omaha, Nebraska. I knew not one person. And I was like twenty-three and then within a matter of like a month, you have a military community. that's kind of instant and that's the kind of camaraderie that I've watched with some of my friends who are military spouses and these mostly women. certainly there are a lot of male spouses. They pick up they you know they would love to have their own professional goals. Many of them still do I don't know how they make their professional careers work and still pick up and move wherever the air force sends their spouse. but these are really amazing women. And men who somehow they really are the backbone of their family and they I would say a lot of them are very proud of their military time. So I'd say get to know make sure you know your partner's strengths and weaknesses before you consider military life for the entire family. A great advice. this next question kind of ties into that. I guess it goes more to the recruitment and for the military, but what type of benefits are provided to my family if I become a soldier, Oh my gosh, I mean it well that all of the above it's there's so much okay so medical benefits educational benefits you can get us housing allowance. There's so many services I'll just talk at Maxwell Air Force base. You know we have a morale welfare recreation MWR a lot of access to military. Throughout not only the local community but throughout the country I would say the biggest ones the real benefits long term are your education benefits that you may be in a position to pass down to your kids. That is something that that post 911 GI bill has been is definitely a retention tool that helps you you're like, Okay. I'm going to invest not just for myself by serving. I'm really investing in my child's future and Barry very attractive, that is a good retention tool for our service so the medical I had so many friends on the civilian side that continue to tell me how good we have it with our military Tricare. and you know, II try not to take it for granted. I'm sure I have, but now that I'm a retiree myself. I'm grateful that I don't have to be as worried about my health care costs that I know many of my civilian counterparts are well. The GI bill, my dad served in the Navy during and just after World War two and then was able to make his way through college and support a family as a result of the GI bill. Yeah. so and we owe that and more to those that serve our country but it is good to know that there are benefits out there for both service members and the members of their family. So I want to ask this kind of broad question here we talked about your feeling about Memorial Day while you were a member of the active military, tell us about how your feelings changed about Memorial Day over the years. from your perspective when you just entered the military until now as a retiree, I certainly. Probably didn't care about Memorial Day when I was a young teenager, I don't I don't I'm I look at foster my oldest son, actually all three of our kids. One of my I have two high schoolers two boys seventeen and fifteen and they seem to get it more than I did when I was their age because I think of our military affiliation and they knew people that have passed away They knew my friends and so. I would say you're you realize just a true impact of a. The service member had while he or she was on this earth, but then you also see the sheer devastation after they're gone. We had a rough year in the air Force. You know a lot of fighter pilots. you know have you know we had a couples you know and it's. cost of doing business right We know it's an inherently dangerous business and what we do. I don't think I thought about it because I was young and I think maybe the man above designs it that way like you're when you're young, you think you are fearless. you think you are invincible and then you realize we really are all human. It makes me. Just try to be more empathetic and more compassionate to others because it doesn't not just military members, but you know any community that supports you know somebody who's struggling life is very hard and you have to try to enjoy as much of it as you can and I will tell you that I've seen such strength with some of my friends who have suffered immense loss and it just makes you take things for granted much less at least most of the time. it's. Man. you're right, I guess I guess God did give young people. that that attitude that they're invincible for a reason because we need our young folks to go out there and. and conquer the world. you just wish as a parent, You hope that realize the significance and do the things you talked about earlier really study options and look into things before they before they leave absolutely because you know you know, it's it is a serious business and when you have, you know certainly when I was an aircraft commander and I had a crew of about thirty people. People you know, I was young, I was 2526 and you realize that level of responsibility that you are responsible for these thirty-five lives on board and I that's when I started you know in my mid 20s like really like focused and you just you don't want to screw up. you don't you want to do your best for your fellow airmen and for their families and so it makes you perform at your best. It's adrenaline pumping at times, but I know I did not have a real appreciation. When I was first entering, I didn't know. Fun Yeah Young but full of energy We've had another good question. Come in here what life skills died Service in the Air force give you that you would not have received from another job. Yeah. That is a great great question. I would say number one adapting to change I have been blown away. I guess I took it for granted well so my mom and dad. kept my family home all the way they bought it when I was 4 years old and they sold it when I was forty so you know all of my siblings. we have the same teachers growing up through school. We you know we didn't have to move. We were very fortunate and it's you know some people think moving is wonderful and in a lot of ways it is I was shocked, though, just how many people have never moved they just graduated from high school and they stayed in the same spot and that's amazing. It's great for those people that's their life choices, but what the military did for me was I've lived in a lot of different parts of the US. I've traveled all across the world, so it's given me a perspective of. kind of. Where you're planted, you know having that mental toughness to kind of make the best of whatever situation you're given and that certainly was honed, you know when I was younger, I don't know if I necessarily had that, but I was you know like I said the very my very first real assignment after flight school was in Omaha, Nebraska, where I didn't know anybody and I remember being homesick and my boyfriend was in North Carolina at the time and you just gotta make lemonade out of lemons. I mean I think that's a life skill that we all need and. You know you certainly get that in the in the military without a doubt. you know that's not exactly the answer. I thought you would give I thought there would be more about technical skills. perhaps fitness skills, but boy you're right just learning how to interact with different people learning how to adapt to change That is so important we talked about earlier about how I relocated for one part of the country to another and you did the same and multiple times my. The Sun, you know, recently moved from one state to another and those skills that adapting are very important. Well, Brad, It was really mental toughness. I mean that's really a skill that sometimes I feel like our young people lack a little bit like I think we all want instant gratification or and that's certainly what our culture kind of promulgate but having the mental toughness that if you fail and you, it doesn't go perfectly that there can be another path and you're being mentally tough or persistent and resilient to kind of go after your goal I definitely. Because I always feel like the air force can train anyone to do any dog most of the time I mean they're brilliant people and certain jobs are designed for those very brilliant top 5%. But II think the air force trains its people extremely well in a specific career field, so I could train a lot of people in the military or in the civilian sector to do a certain job, but it's other soft skills that make you really comfortable and unknown environments that. cool now. I'm in a new environment. I'm a retiree talk about a different environment and you're young with with. that's. You're young and you have all of this knowledge and experience that that you bring with you today. you're you're It's just fantastic. The ultimate thing here, though, is service to our great country if there weren't people out there doing what Colonel Rasmussen did it. There aren't people out there doing what her husband did if there weren't young people willing to enlist in the service of our country today and ultimately if it hadn't been for those people that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, we would not enjoy the freedoms we enjoy today. I've been. It enough to travel the country and I know what a wonderful place we live in it. don't take what we have for granted be thankful for those who sacrificed so much for us and please pay attention to the banners at the bottom of our screen they'll be available on our Facebook pages. Also there are organizations that you can support that will help take care of the family members. Of of those that sacrificed all. that will provide both monetary and an emotional support get involved We owe so much to the members of our military get involved in and pay pay back what you can to these people. Colonel Rasmussen. I always like to finish these episodes. I'd like to give you a chance that I've tried to cover the gambit of things here we're running up against. Our I want to be respectful of your time is there anything that I may have missed that you think is important for our viewers to know about military service and or Memorial day I'll start with the first question. I think a lot of people are intimidated by. maybe they think someone in the military you certainly when they see them in uniform, maybe they're not as approachable or whatever one thing I'd really like your viewers to know is that the military is a reflection of our society. so these are men and. And you take away their uniform. They're just like you and me now you know like they're just trying to live their best life and contribute where they can so if you see somebody. you know or some, you know you find out maybe a child is in school with your child and that child's parents may be military, you know trying to. welcome them and incorporate them more into the community that community feel is so critical because II didn't realize you know so many of us whether you're military or not you know we don't. To live in your family so when you don't have your family close by at local community becomes that much more important, so I would say when you see a military person, ask them ask them about their life, ask them about their choices. It doesn't have to be Yes III guess I took it for granted. We're in the uniform and I would show up to my kids baseball games. whatever in my in my fatigues or whatever, and I could see how that would be slightly intimidating but just normal people like reflection of society and we'd love to get to know and be embedded in the community. To make that assignment feel just a little piece of home while we're there. so that's for that and then Memorial Day. I'll just say we're all very blessed to live in the United States certainly grateful. to have served and to have worked. I said it earlier, I'll say it again with the best People II. don't know if I'll ever be as lucky again to work with the caliber of people I did while I served, but there's a great cohesion and a great camaraderie amongst military members and one somebody has. In the line of duty, it is it has effects and devastation and we just need to be there as much as we can for the extended family and the local coworkers who had to suffer that loss in any small thing like you said sir going to these websites trying to find a way to get engaged and try to help. it's it's pays dividends and we kind of follow it. We owe it as a nation to our fallen soldiers. Hey man Colonel **** And I want to thank you for spending some time with us today. I want to encourage our viewers. if you know somebody that's considering a military career if you know somebody that just needs to understand the sacrifices made by members of our military, please refer them back to this Facebook live. Colonel Rasmussen I want to thank you again. I want to thank your husband both of you for your service. I want to thank your parents and your siblings and your kids for the sacrifices they've made for all of us. The members of our military out there, God bless all of you. Thank you for what you do for us and for the family members of those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. We are so thankful to you. We love you and we want to support you and. I intend to do more going forward. on behalf of Colonel Rasmussen on behalf of all Otis please be proactive please reach out for help if you need it, please help. Our brothers and sisters who are serving in the military and their families Colonel Rasmussen Thank you. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you sir. Thanks for your support. Thank you for your local audience. It's great. so keep up the great work and Y'all have a great week