Mullings: An American Cyber-column By Rich Galen

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A Moment's Respite

Rich Galen

Wednesday August 18, 2004

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I got to spend a wonderful 90 minutes, yesterday, at Andrews Air Force Base. The occasion was a Change of Command ceremony for the 89th Aerial Port Squadron, handing over command from Lt. Col. Victor Parker to Lt. Col. Kenneth Backes.

Ken Backes and I served together in Iraq. He was one of a team of some 20 field grade officers who went to Baghdad to help lend a measure of leadership and stability to a number of the civilian units attached to the Coalition Provisional Authority. Ken was assigned to the group helping stand up the new Ministry of Health.

The Air Force has a rotation policy of from three to four months in a combat zone. Backes was there for seven.

Unlike many who were headquartered in the Palace in Baghdad, Ken and his colleagues were out in the Red Zone. Every day. And many nights.

Two other members of that troupe who were at Andrews yesterday were Bob Goodwin and Dave Tarantino.

Goodwin is a civilian employee of the Department of Defense - although he graduated from the Air Force Academy and did his tour as an officer following graduation. He was the chief of staff for the Health Ministry advisory office.

Tarantino is a physician and is an active-duty Naval officer, holding the rank of Commander. He served as the medical advisory officer.

Dr. Dave was the last one out. He didn't get home until this week.

Backes, Goodwin, and Tarantino are three very, very good people. Among the best. But they are mere representatives of the other hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of good people - civilians, reservists, and active duty military - who have been, and still are, defending us in places we don't like to see anything, read anything, or hear anything about.

They are not much different from anyone else. Not much different from the enlisted men and women they commanded. Not much different from the other officers with whom they served. Not much different from the civilians around whom they worked.

They went to work at the crack of dawn every day. Worked for 12 or 14 hours every day. Moved the ball forward most days and on those days when they didn't they went back and figured out how to do it better the next time.

In order to do that work, they put on full battle rattle - helmets, flak jackets, ceramic plates, and appropriate weaponry.

They went to Iraq to serve. They were successful in that service. The Iraqi Ministry of Health was the first ministry to stand up on its own - a tribute to these three guys and the others in that unit.

These three guys - and those they served with - were all on the front lines of freedom in Iraq.

No medals. No honors. No cheering crowds. No video recreations for future use. They just did their jobs day in and day out.

Lt. Col. Backes told me he was pleased that I had come to the ceremony at Andrews yesterday.

I told him I was honored to have been asked.

New Subject: There was some talk about the Kerry campaign having someone amend his now discredited claim of having spent Christmas in Cambodia in 1968 by writing a piece in the New Yorker magazine.

You might be wondering, "Why the New Yorker?"

I happened upon the current issue which contains a movie review by a New Yorker staff writer named, Louis Menard. The movie is Fahrenheit 9/11. Here's how it begins:

"Whatever you think about Michael Moore's immensely satisfying movie about the awful Bush administration and its destructive policies ..."

Any questions?

Well, I have a question: After an appearance on Fox yesterday afternoon I got an e-mail from a women which began, "Boy, you are a real A. H."

I am mystified. Why would she call me an Arnold Horshack?

On the Secret Decoder Ring Page today: Mullfotos of all the players in this drama. A Mullfoto of a sign at a parking lot in Noooo Yooork City, and another Beach Volleyball photo.

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