Operation Insight

Beginning in 1973, America went to an all-volunteer military service. An all-volunteer military isn't without challenges. Today, the branches of services are struggling to find able-bodied recruits. According to the CDC, an estimated 70% of young Americans are unfit for military service. Historically, family life has not always worked for military families, and roughly 20% of the military are women. Others say the combination of low unemployment and the ease of finding private sector jobs means fewer young people join the service. The Marines are likely the only branch of service to make their quota in 2022. Tonight's guest is Marine Recruiter Sergeant Ben Demoulin.

The City of St. Louis and the nearby counties of St. Louis and St. Charles became known as the "Gateway to the West" because it was an ideal spot for tradesmen, adventurers, and traders to transact because it’s connected to the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers. The story of O'Fallon, MO features many of the same storylines. American Revolutionary War veterans were the early settlers, and many are buried nearby. During the War of 1812, there were several forts, including nearby Fort Zumwalt, built to defend the settlers against Indian attacks. During the Civil War, the metropolitan area was very conflicted and had both Northern and Southern sympathizers. Our guest is Pat Swinger. While Pat knows O'Fallon and St. Charles best, the same struggles were experienced throughout the area.

Sailing on a U.S. nuclear submarine is a trip into a cramped, timeless, and windowless undersea world. Today's submarines will often spend up to ninety percent of their time underwater, making night and day indistinguishable. While on patrol, the crew is largely cut off from the outside world, including their families, for long periods of time. There are regular launch drills that challenge the physical and psychological stamina of the crew. More so than on a surface ship, the submarine commander and officers face additional challenges because of the stress, tight living, and working environment. Here tonight, CDR Lagemann will share his story about life aboard, commanding a nuclear submarine.

The many missions of Chief Petty Officer James "Jim" Feltz aboard the Gleaves-class destroyer, USS Plunkett, culminated in a heated battle. Jim's quick thinking and disobedience of orders saved his life and the lives of others. Listen as Host Jason Galvan reads the story of James Feltz.

Tonight, we bring you the heroic story of B-24 Crewman SGT Robert Garvey. After flying 29 missions with his regular crew, he was "volunteered" to be a substitute gunner with another crew. During this mission, Robert was forced to bail out when his plane was damaged and was going to crash after being jumped by German planes. Once on the ground, Robert was hit multiple times by enemy fire, then captured and became a POW. This story is one of courage, resilience, and the American spirit!

Misty Blum's husband, Michael, served his country as a Marine for twenty years, including four tours of duty in Iraq. While U.S. servicemen and women were deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, veterans were fighting their own war at home. Every day, twenty-two veterans lose their battle to post-traumatic stress on American soil. That is one veteran every sixty-five minutes. For most combat veterans, the toughest battle begins when they come home. Misty's husband, Michael, lost his battle on September 15, 2013. While he will never be listed as a casualty of war, he is a casualty caused by the war. Misty has become a writer and advocate dedicated to veteran PTSD suicide prevention and awareness. Misty hopes that telling her story will help others.

After earning a degree in criminal justice, serving as an O'Fallon Police Officer and a deputy in Lincoln County, Sierra Koester is now a private practice counselor who specializes in counseling survivors of trauma. She is EMDR trained, which is a proven approach to help survivors of trauma. Men and women in service positions are still at risk when they are not in harm's way. Even when the uniform is hung up and the boots tucked away, there is still a possibility of silent but deadly dangers such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other mental health issues. Sometimes the signs and symptoms appear silent, but sometimes they are hiding in plain sight. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms in yourself and others and know where to turn for help.

Note: Sierra Koester practices under the supervision of Dona Schaefer.

On the Wall of Honor at the St. Charles County Veterans Museum, there are 116 dog tags representing servicemembers from our county killed in action since World War I through the present day. The museum features their stories. Tonight, we are going to share some of those stories. By keeping their stories alive, we honor them and are reminded that freedom isn't free. All of their stories are also featured on our website.

Wright Construction Services, Inc. celebrated its sixteenth year in business in February 2021. Wright Construction is licensed in twenty-two states and is the largest general contractor in St. Charles County.  What makes Wright Construction special is its quality work and community involvement.

In 2019, Wright Construction hosted its inaugural 22 Strong Walk. The number 22 is significant to Wright's event because it represents the 22 veterans who lose their lives to suicide every day. Their goal is to support our community of veterans and bring awareness to charities dedicated to aiding and assisting veterans. Virtual walkers joined the event from eighteen states across the country, and over 100 people participated in St. Charles in 2021.  This September, Wright will host its fourth annual event. The goal of each of these events is to raise awareness and funds for organizations dedicated to eliminating veteran suicide.

Wright Construction has a strong “Giving Back Program” in our community. For more information about Wright Construction and its Giving Back efforts, click on the link below.

https://www.wrightconstruct.com/giving-back/

LTC Steve Brown served in the Air Force from 1968 to 1991, twenty-three years as a pilot. Steve had a very distinguished career in the Air Force. As a new pilot, he paid his dues flying a Caribou carrying everything from ammunition, supplies, troops, to livestock in Vietnam. He graduated to the B-52’s flying bombing missions during Operation Linebacker II. Negotiations for peace talks had bogged down, so President Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi. Operation Linebacker II was important because it forced the communists back into serious peace negotiations. After Vietnam, as the Cold War intensified, Steve sat on the tarmac on alert in the cockpit of his B-52 armed with nuclear weapons. From the B-52s, Steve joined a very elite group of pilots flying the U-2 reconnaissance plane. Dressed in an astronaut suit, armed only with a camera, Steve would fly over Cold War hotspots, secretly capturing images.