bent rod
Well-known member
<div class="ExternalClass" id="MsgContainer"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><div>All:</div><div>Just wanted to fill you in on what I've been up to the last few days. Last Thursday, my boss pulled me in his office and said, "The President is coming here. You are going to be the action officer. We have a meeting with some of his folks in about 8 minutes." So I went and grabbed my notepad and headed to the conference room.</div><div>As the action officer for a VIP visit, you are in charge of arranging the schedule, making sure anyone who is involved is read in and knows what they are supposed to do, making sure such necessities as local transportation, chow, and lodging are taken care of, keeping the command group up to date, and escorting the visitor during his visit. This is the fourth one I've done (I had the Secretary of Defense earlier this year.) Usually, you find out about three weeks out; because of security reasons, I wasn't "read in" until late last week. We didn't put the word out to soldiers about the event until Saturday night, and even then didn't say who it was, only that it was a VIP (but most people could have guessed who it was by then--we aren't that secretive with anyone else.)</div><div>ANYWAY, I headed up to the meeting, and we had representatives from all kinds of groups--his Secret Service, his "handlers", Air Force 1 and Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 (his helo support back in the states) advance teams, plus reps from our MPs, aviation guys, etc. We talked throught the plan, and it was pretty cut and dried. That's one of the nice things about this visit--for most VIP visits, you as the action officer are talking to another lieutenant colonel in the states (the "trip coordinator"), and your trying to guess what your Commanding General wants, and they're trying to guess what their boss wants, and there's a lot of back and forth before you settle on a schedule. None of that with this visit--they told us the schedule, and that was the end of it (with a few minor timeline changes along the way.)</div><div>We held the event in a temporary maintenance hangar on the flight line. A crew of soldiers got it cleared out, and we had a crew of Air Force engineers go to work to build a stange, walkways, press platforms, and all the other things. Meanwhile, there was much to coordinate. Bomb sniffing dogs, the band, number of soldiers who we could fit in the venue, all the way to finding a truck to service the lavatories on Air Force 1 while it was parked here.I've attached a photo of his plane and a photo of him making his speech.</div><div>The President was scheduled to arrive at 0530. We had to have soldiers show up at 0300 (they had to be screened with metal detectors, etc.) I got down to the hangar last night at about midnight. Everything went very smoothly. The Presidnet arrived on time at 0530, was greeted by our Commanding General, the US Ambassador to Afghanistan, and several other dignitaries, and then came in and made his speech. He worked the "rope line" (actually a wooden railing) up through the crowds to the stage to make his speech, shaking hands and greeting soldiers. Then he made a short speechto the soldiers, thankingus for what we do.</div><div>During his speech,he said, "When you call home, or email, or write, and tell them about what you did today, tell them this: The Commander in Chief thanksthem for their support of you and their sacrifices." So, the President told me to tell you guys that he says "Thanks." 
</div><div>After the speech,heagain worked the rope line on the way back out of the hangar, taking a long time to greet soldiers (and, by the way, sailors, airmen, and marines), and was taken next door to a small firestation. He took a few minutes in there to do whatever it is thePresident does, then came out andboarded a helicopter and flew down to Kabul to meet with thePresident of Afghanistan.</div><div>We then released the crowd, and waitedfor his return. After a few hours, he came back, and wentas scheduled back to the fire station, where he met with some smallgroups ofsome of our special operations troops over here, along with some other designated folks. While he was gone to Kabul, Frank, the lead Secret Service agent whom Ihad been working with,asked me if I would like to meet the President. I told him of course I would, and hetold me to plan to do so at the tailend of his meetings with all of the other folks in the fire station. So right before he was due to leave, I went in the fire station and met the President of the United States. I shook his hand and introduced my self.I thanked him for his service, and he thanked me for mine, and the officialphotographer took a photo. I mumbled a line or twothat we appreciated him coming, and that was it. Itall happened really fast, but was very, very cool. The White House is supposed to send the photos over to usin a few weeks.</div><div>Most of the VIPs' staffs that we have to work suchvisits with are usually pretty easy to work with; his wasespecially so. Allof them were polite and respectful. They made a lot of requests but no demands. Anytime they asked about doing something, they asked about the operational impact of doing so--they were adamant that the visit not impact the warfighters any morethan absolutely necessary. I imaginethat a lot of it comes from knowing that they are coming to the end; this wasthe last trip for many of his staff. They were still a great bunch to work with.</div><div>So, how was your day?</div><div>Love, </div><div>Shane</div></td></tr></tbody></table>
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Air Force One.JPG </div><div style="padding-bottom: 8px">
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</div><div>After the speech,heagain worked the rope line on the way back out of the hangar, taking a long time to greet soldiers (and, by the way, sailors, airmen, and marines), and was taken next door to a small firestation. He took a few minutes in there to do whatever it is thePresident does, then came out andboarded a helicopter and flew down to Kabul to meet with thePresident of Afghanistan.</div><div>We then released the crowd, and waitedfor his return. After a few hours, he came back, and wentas scheduled back to the fire station, where he met with some smallgroups ofsome of our special operations troops over here, along with some other designated folks. While he was gone to Kabul, Frank, the lead Secret Service agent whom Ihad been working with,asked me if I would like to meet the President. I told him of course I would, and hetold me to plan to do so at the tailend of his meetings with all of the other folks in the fire station. So right before he was due to leave, I went in the fire station and met the President of the United States. I shook his hand and introduced my self.I thanked him for his service, and he thanked me for mine, and the officialphotographer took a photo. I mumbled a line or twothat we appreciated him coming, and that was it. Itall happened really fast, but was very, very cool. The White House is supposed to send the photos over to usin a few weeks.</div><div>Most of the VIPs' staffs that we have to work suchvisits with are usually pretty easy to work with; his wasespecially so. Allof them were polite and respectful. They made a lot of requests but no demands. Anytime they asked about doing something, they asked about the operational impact of doing so--they were adamant that the visit not impact the warfighters any morethan absolutely necessary. I imaginethat a lot of it comes from knowing that they are coming to the end; this wasthe last trip for many of his staff. They were still a great bunch to work with.</div><div>So, how was your day?</div><div>Love, </div><div>Shane</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id="PhotoAttachments"><div style="padding-bottom: 8px">
Air Force One.JPG </div><div style="padding-bottom: 8px">
