thedrifter
09-27-05, 07:27 AM
From stocks to jets
Air station commander traded stock floor for the cockpit
Published Tuesday September 27 2005
By GEOFF ZIEZULEWICZ
The Beaufort Gazette
Col. Robert Lanham left the stock market for the Marine Corps in the late 1970s, and his Merrill Lynch background imprinted itself on his call sign -- Bull -- a nickname that is bestowed upon aviators.
Lanham took command of Marines Corps Air Station Beaufort last month when Col. Harmon Stockwell retired.
"I had worked for Merrill Lynch, which was famous for being bullish on America," said Lanham. "When I went to flight school, and my flight instructors knew that was my background, I got the call sign 'Bull.' My wife may tell you a different story, but that's mine and I'm sticking to it."
And like his call sign, Lanham believes the stock in MCAS will continue to rise in Beaufort.
Lanham, 49, was born in India as his father did Methodist missionary work and was raised in Indiana.
But after earning a master's degree in business and spending a few years in the business world, the Corps beckoned to him.
"It was a tough time to be a stockbroker, it was the 1979 time frame," he said. "I felt like I was 26-years-old going on 50, and I had to do something different. I ran away and joined the Marine Corps."
After completing flight school, he flew the A-6 Intruder before transitioning to the F/A-18 Hornet and spending some time at the Beaufort base he now oversees.
Before taking command of the air station, Lanham worked in the Washington area and attended the National War College.
As he prepares for his wife's arrival and moving into his Laurel Bay house, Lanham said he isn't fazed with his first command position.
"Several years as a staff officer at fairly high levels does a lot to prepare you for command," he said. "In some ways, having command is easier in that people are more responsive to your authority, but it comes with its own responsibilities. It's an interesting dynamic."
The air station has changed since he was last deployed here in the 1990s, Lanham said.
Buildings have been renovated, and the aesthetics of the base has changed, he said. The post Sept. 11, 2001 era also means more security.
Lanham said that getting a new chow hall up and running in the next few years is one of his ambitions, and that he wants to keep working on staff housing as well.
"I really want to keep the standards that were set under Col. Stockwell," he said.
As Defense Department obligations expand around the globe, Lanham said procuring dollars for the air station becomes more of a challenge, and that he and his staff will adjust as needed.
The way the Pentagon does business these days, as opposed to just 10 or 15 years ago, has also changed the dynamic of running a modern installation, he said.
"We don't rely on our own Marines and sailors to do everything on the base," Lanham said. "We used to have Marines mowing the grass, but now we contract all that."
Hiring private contractors to do some work on base allows military personnel to focus on training, but it also affects a commanding officer's ability to make decisions, Lanham said.
"It does take away some of the commander's flexibility to do some things on a timeline that makes sense to him," he said.
While the base has changed, Beaufort has managed to change and still remain the same in some ways, Lanham said.
"Downtown has the same look and feel as 10 years ago, but the surrounding areas have really started to grow," he said. "A lot of folks are finding this to be an attractive place to retire."
Lanham arrived in town this summer during the Beaufort Water Festival, a time he found perfect to mix and mingle.
"It set in early that this town likes to have a good time, but it also takes its civic functions seriously," Lanham said.
The cooperation and amicability between the civilian population and the base needs to continue during his three or so years commanding the installation, he said.
"We want the community to grow and prosper, and the community wants us to stay here, so we work together and manage all that so that it provides the best environment for everybody," Lanham said. "That is a great match."
Ellie
Air station commander traded stock floor for the cockpit
Published Tuesday September 27 2005
By GEOFF ZIEZULEWICZ
The Beaufort Gazette
Col. Robert Lanham left the stock market for the Marine Corps in the late 1970s, and his Merrill Lynch background imprinted itself on his call sign -- Bull -- a nickname that is bestowed upon aviators.
Lanham took command of Marines Corps Air Station Beaufort last month when Col. Harmon Stockwell retired.
"I had worked for Merrill Lynch, which was famous for being bullish on America," said Lanham. "When I went to flight school, and my flight instructors knew that was my background, I got the call sign 'Bull.' My wife may tell you a different story, but that's mine and I'm sticking to it."
And like his call sign, Lanham believes the stock in MCAS will continue to rise in Beaufort.
Lanham, 49, was born in India as his father did Methodist missionary work and was raised in Indiana.
But after earning a master's degree in business and spending a few years in the business world, the Corps beckoned to him.
"It was a tough time to be a stockbroker, it was the 1979 time frame," he said. "I felt like I was 26-years-old going on 50, and I had to do something different. I ran away and joined the Marine Corps."
After completing flight school, he flew the A-6 Intruder before transitioning to the F/A-18 Hornet and spending some time at the Beaufort base he now oversees.
Before taking command of the air station, Lanham worked in the Washington area and attended the National War College.
As he prepares for his wife's arrival and moving into his Laurel Bay house, Lanham said he isn't fazed with his first command position.
"Several years as a staff officer at fairly high levels does a lot to prepare you for command," he said. "In some ways, having command is easier in that people are more responsive to your authority, but it comes with its own responsibilities. It's an interesting dynamic."
The air station has changed since he was last deployed here in the 1990s, Lanham said.
Buildings have been renovated, and the aesthetics of the base has changed, he said. The post Sept. 11, 2001 era also means more security.
Lanham said that getting a new chow hall up and running in the next few years is one of his ambitions, and that he wants to keep working on staff housing as well.
"I really want to keep the standards that were set under Col. Stockwell," he said.
As Defense Department obligations expand around the globe, Lanham said procuring dollars for the air station becomes more of a challenge, and that he and his staff will adjust as needed.
The way the Pentagon does business these days, as opposed to just 10 or 15 years ago, has also changed the dynamic of running a modern installation, he said.
"We don't rely on our own Marines and sailors to do everything on the base," Lanham said. "We used to have Marines mowing the grass, but now we contract all that."
Hiring private contractors to do some work on base allows military personnel to focus on training, but it also affects a commanding officer's ability to make decisions, Lanham said.
"It does take away some of the commander's flexibility to do some things on a timeline that makes sense to him," he said.
While the base has changed, Beaufort has managed to change and still remain the same in some ways, Lanham said.
"Downtown has the same look and feel as 10 years ago, but the surrounding areas have really started to grow," he said. "A lot of folks are finding this to be an attractive place to retire."
Lanham arrived in town this summer during the Beaufort Water Festival, a time he found perfect to mix and mingle.
"It set in early that this town likes to have a good time, but it also takes its civic functions seriously," Lanham said.
The cooperation and amicability between the civilian population and the base needs to continue during his three or so years commanding the installation, he said.
"We want the community to grow and prosper, and the community wants us to stay here, so we work together and manage all that so that it provides the best environment for everybody," Lanham said. "That is a great match."
Ellie