"Lt Col Chris Baird Join "Changing Times" With Dr Mary Byrne & Lynn Morris," is a segment from the show "Changing Times" featuring retired Lieutenant Colonel Chris Baird of the U.S. Air Force.Here is a summary of the discussion:About Lt. Col. Chris Baird and His ServiceLt. Col. Baird is a local from the Ozarks who served 21 years in the Air Force, accumulating about 2,100 hours of flying time, primarily in B-52s ([07:39]).He is described as having a long and distinguished military career and now being retired ([08:00]).Service After 9/11 and the "12 Strong" MissionThe discussion starts with the period immediately following September 11, 2001, which Baird described as a "Pearl Harbor moment" where the nation was unified ([16:46]).Ten days after the attacks, his unit, which was on tap to deploy, moved to a forward operating location at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean ([18:47]).He was part of the first night strikes of Operation Enduring Freedom on October 7, 2001, flying 15- to 18-hour missions in the uncomfortable and loud B-52 ([20:21]).The interview discusses the 2018 movie "12 Strong" (based on the book Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton), which depicts the elite U.S. Green Beret unit ODA 595 embedding in Afghanistan to join General Dostam and the Northern Alliance to liberate Mazar-i-Sharif before winter hit ([22:03]).Lt. Col. Baird's role involved leveraging U.S. air power, specifically using the newly developed Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), a GPS-guided 2,000lb bomb, to provide close air support ([23:04]).They were essentially writing the playbook for close air support in real-time, flying missions where the targets were not pre-planned but called in by the teams on the ground, sometimes "danger close" to friendlies ([24:39]).The B-52 was crucial because its ability to air refuel allowed it to extend missions for hours, providing continuous support over the target, unlike fighter jets with limited time on station ([25:37]).The Horse SoldiersThe soldiers had to ride horses due to the topography of the Afghan land ([31:46]).Mark Nutsch, the leader of ODA 595, had a rodeo background and was comfortable on horseback, but most of his team was not ([31:19]).The Northern Alliance's horses were smaller, not well-trained like American horses, and the U.S. soldiers were larger, making the experience even more challenging for the team ([32:45]).The liberation of Mazar-i-Sharif took a few weeks in November 2001 ([35:32]).The Warrior's JourneyLt. Col. Baird is now working with The Warrior's Journey (TWJ), a faith-based non-profit veteran service organization based in Springfield, Missouri, with resiliency centers in Germany and Japan ([39:15]).The Problem: The military is excellent at preparing warriors for combat but not for the transition out and the resulting "invisible wounds," such as isolation, loss of identity, and post-traumatic stress ([39:56]).The Mission: TWJ helps military members and their families navigate these challenges. They use a holistic approach, incorporating physical, emotional, and spiritual healing (faith-based) that secular programs often cannot address ([43:42]).Veteran Support: They partner with over 80 organizations and use a Connector Program to match veterans seeking help with a trained veteran who has a similar background. They will send a veteran for treatment for issues like PTSD or substance abuse programs, all expenses paid, and maintain a relationship throughout their healing journey ([45:34]).TWJ Events: Lt. Col. Baird's wife, Rachel, is the logistics manager and controller, specializing in event planning. They host a major gala in May and a large golf tournament in October as fundraisers ([46:56]).Website: You can find more information or make a donation at twj.org ([45:17]).
