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thedrifter
09-18-03, 10:20 AM
Executive finds adventure at military conference


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Kim Foley of Harding Township attended a U.S. Department of Defense Conference and got a chance to ride in an M-1 tank.


HARDING TWP. - If corporate executives were asked to write essays on how they spent their summer vacation, not many could say they got to drive and fire a Bradley fighting vehicle, fly in a KC10 tanker plane as it's being refueled in mid-air, witness a simulated foreign embassy evacuation or hang out with the Supreme Allied Commander of the Marine Corps.




But it was all part and parcel of Kim Foley's whirlwind tour as a guest of the Department of Defense.

The Tempe Wick Road resident was invited by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfield to participate in the six-day Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, an annual event sponsored by the Defense Department since 1948, when it was initiated by James V. Forestal, Secretary of the Navy.

The purpose is to offer civilians a firsthand experience of what's happening in the military.

June Conference

Forty-five U.S. citizens were selected to attend the early-June conference from among hundreds of candidates nominated by military commands worldwide. Foley, who is president and CEO of Piscataway-based Foley, Incorporated, said he was nominated by a former attendee and by Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghusen, R-11.

Foley said participants had to pay for their own expenses, including transportation to and from the conference, lodging and meals, which amounted to about $2,100.

Foley Inc., which deals in heavy construction equipment, has no defense contracts, which Foley said was one of the conditions of participating in the conference.

It soon became clear to Foley, who served four years during the Vietnam War as a lieutenant in the First Marine Division, that today's military situation has changed a great deal since his own wartime experience.

"This is a very different time," he said on Thursday, July 31. "The military today has a very clear vision and a very clear mission. It's very different from what I experienced in Vietnam."

He said his military savvy was a real advantage on the trip, although not typical of past conference participants.

"Traditionally they have not liked to have people with military experience on the trip," he said.

One of the best things about the conference was spending time with a wide cross section of participants, he said, including people in a variety of industries, such as health care, entertainment, publishing and others.

Foley said his trip began in Washington, D.C., where he was briefed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Richard B. Myers and other senior military and civilian officials at Andrews Air Force Base. From there, the group was transported in a KC10 tanker to Royal Air Force Base in Mildenhall, England, where they met Gen. James L. Jones, Supreme Allied Commander of the U.S. Marine Corps in Europe.

Although the conference typically takes place in the U.S., this year's group traveled around the world, visiting key command centers engaged in the global war on terrorism.

In England, conference members witnessed a special operations air demonstration in which troops simulated taking over an enemy airfield with air support, including about 20 paratroopers dropping out of the sky.

Then, as part of a simulation of a foreign embassy evacuation, the participants were loaded into a C130 and whisked away to Germany, where they visited the First Infantry Division. It was there that Foley had an opportunity to drive an M-1 tank and fire its weapons.

"It was quite amazing," Foley said. "It was easier than driving a car. It was easy to fire, too."

The next stop was the U.S.S. LaSalle, the flagship of the Mediterranean fleet, where the Coast Guard and Navy Seals simulated a "non-compliant boarding" of a ship to conduct an inspection.

The conference also visited a Marine base in Tbilisi, Georgia, in the former Soviet Union. Foley said the base is strategically important because Marines there are training Russian forces to combat terrorism.

"This was a once in a lifetime experience," said Foley. "It gave me new insights into how our military is changing with the times. The state-of-the-art equipment and high-tech capabilities are extremely impressive."

Foley said the military operations he witnessed were being done with greater coordination than ever before, and "with great results."

"We're trying to transform the military from the Cold War status to a proactive war against terrorism," Foley said.

Foley said he was also extremely impressed with "the men and women engaged in this war."

"Their physical condition, determination and patriotism are simply amazing," he said. "I have great pride in them and a deep sense of appreciation for what they do."




©Recorder Newspapers 2003

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Sempers,

Roger
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