1 00:00:01,620 --> 00:00:04,190 Son of a career naval officer . He was 2 00:00:04,199 --> 00:00:06,829 a doctor and uh he inspired my will to 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,062 serve to come into the Marine Corps . I 4 00:00:09,062 --> 00:00:11,284 graduated from West Virginia University 5 00:00:11,284 --> 00:00:14,590 1996 played baseball there . And uh I 6 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:16,711 decided that I wanted to serve in the 7 00:00:16,711 --> 00:00:18,711 Marine Corps . So I went to O CS in 8 00:00:18,711 --> 00:00:21,190 1999 . I had an uncle that served as a 9 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,719 career Marine Corps officer . He served 10 00:00:23,729 --> 00:00:25,729 in Vietnam and I didn't really know 11 00:00:25,729 --> 00:00:27,785 much about his service in the Marine 12 00:00:27,785 --> 00:00:29,951 Corps until I was in high school . And 13 00:00:29,951 --> 00:00:32,459 I started researching awards and those 14 00:00:32,470 --> 00:00:34,581 kind of things . And I found out that 15 00:00:34,581 --> 00:00:36,303 he had served with distinction 16 00:00:36,303 --> 00:00:38,303 throughout the Vietnam war and then 17 00:00:38,303 --> 00:00:40,414 wrapped up his career and retired out 18 00:00:40,414 --> 00:00:42,526 of Paris Island in the mid eighties . 19 00:00:42,526 --> 00:00:44,526 There was a pretty significant lull 20 00:00:44,526 --> 00:00:46,414 between there and the time that I 21 00:00:46,414 --> 00:00:48,819 served . But I always had aspired to be 22 00:00:48,830 --> 00:00:50,719 a marine because in my mind , the 23 00:00:50,719 --> 00:00:52,830 Marines were the best and I wanted to 24 00:00:52,830 --> 00:00:55,052 be part of that service . I always said 25 00:00:55,052 --> 00:00:57,386 I would stay until I stopped having fun . 26 00:00:57,386 --> 00:00:59,441 And there was always a challenge and 27 00:00:59,441 --> 00:01:01,219 each new job brings a different 28 00:01:01,219 --> 00:01:03,441 challenge . And I think everywhere I've 29 00:01:03,441 --> 00:01:05,663 been , I've , I've enjoyed serving with 30 00:01:05,663 --> 00:01:08,139 the Marines and I really enjoyed being 31 00:01:08,150 --> 00:01:10,150 part of the best team . And I think 32 00:01:10,150 --> 00:01:12,317 that's , that's what's made me want to 33 00:01:12,317 --> 00:01:15,010 remain a marine . I would say I'm proud 34 00:01:15,019 --> 00:01:16,963 of the fact that I've been able to 35 00:01:16,963 --> 00:01:19,169 serve as long as I have . And I've 36 00:01:19,180 --> 00:01:21,236 served in some really unique billets 37 00:01:21,236 --> 00:01:23,599 and had some really amazing experiences 38 00:01:23,610 --> 00:01:25,777 when I was stationed at the Pentagon . 39 00:01:25,989 --> 00:01:28,769 We met a lot of the community that came 40 00:01:28,779 --> 00:01:30,890 up for the DC fly in . And that's a , 41 00:01:30,890 --> 00:01:33,001 that's a unique event simply that the 42 00:01:33,001 --> 00:01:35,223 community takes its leaders . They come 43 00:01:35,223 --> 00:01:37,449 up and talk to , you know , the deputy 44 00:01:37,769 --> 00:01:40,139 for installation and logistics and then 45 00:01:40,150 --> 00:01:42,150 they spend the afternoon with their 46 00:01:42,150 --> 00:01:44,261 representatives over on the hill . So 47 00:01:44,261 --> 00:01:46,428 that was my first meeting of the folks 48 00:01:46,428 --> 00:01:48,428 down here . We definitely have just 49 00:01:48,428 --> 00:01:50,650 been embraced by the community from the 50 00:01:50,650 --> 00:01:52,817 start at the Change of Command all the 51 00:01:52,817 --> 00:01:52,690 way through the city's fourth of July 52 00:01:52,699 --> 00:01:55,129 celebration and then on into the salty 53 00:01:55,139 --> 00:01:57,230 sandbagger and every engagement with 54 00:01:57,239 --> 00:01:59,128 the local community has been very 55 00:01:59,128 --> 00:02:01,730 positive so far . Albany is obviously 56 00:02:01,739 --> 00:02:05,169 much smaller on a scale when I compare 57 00:02:05,180 --> 00:02:07,402 it to the other installations that I've 58 00:02:07,402 --> 00:02:09,624 been . And I would say the mission here 59 00:02:09,624 --> 00:02:11,736 is what makes it unique . The support 60 00:02:11,736 --> 00:02:13,639 of the tenants truly is a global 61 00:02:13,649 --> 00:02:16,770 mission log comm in specific is 62 00:02:16,779 --> 00:02:18,949 supporting global missions across the 63 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,600 world and supporting units all over the 64 00:02:21,610 --> 00:02:23,610 Marine Corps So I think that's what 65 00:02:23,610 --> 00:02:25,721 makes it unique and that's what makes 66 00:02:25,721 --> 00:02:27,832 Albany special for the Marine Corps . 67 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,527 So I think my predecessors have done a 68 00:02:30,527 --> 00:02:32,749 tremendous job on the first part of the 69 00:02:32,749 --> 00:02:34,971 mission which is , you know , providing 70 00:02:34,971 --> 00:02:36,916 the infrastructure , utilities and 71 00:02:36,916 --> 00:02:38,860 spaces that supports those tenants 72 00:02:38,860 --> 00:02:40,749 global missions . And I think the 73 00:02:40,749 --> 00:02:40,669 second part of our mission is to 74 00:02:40,679 --> 00:02:42,901 improve the quality of life for all the 75 00:02:42,901 --> 00:02:44,957 marine sailors and families that are 76 00:02:44,957 --> 00:02:47,179 stationed here . And I want to focus on 77 00:02:47,179 --> 00:02:49,123 that . The unique thing about most 78 00:02:49,123 --> 00:02:51,123 construction projects in the Marine 79 00:02:51,123 --> 00:02:53,346 Corps is that you never get to see them 80 00:02:53,346 --> 00:02:55,290 from start to finish . So you will 81 00:02:55,290 --> 00:02:57,401 always end up , you know , continuing 82 00:02:57,401 --> 00:02:59,623 on your predecessor's work and building 83 00:02:59,623 --> 00:03:01,735 on what they've started . And I think 84 00:03:01,735 --> 00:03:03,901 the Net Zero is a perfect example that 85 00:03:03,901 --> 00:03:06,068 started back over a decade ago . A lot 86 00:03:06,068 --> 00:03:08,290 of a lot of commanders and their staffs 87 00:03:08,290 --> 00:03:10,290 have worked diligently to make that 88 00:03:10,290 --> 00:03:12,346 happen . Becoming the first Net zero 89 00:03:12,346 --> 00:03:14,012 installation in Dod is a huge 90 00:03:14,012 --> 00:03:16,220 accomplishment . And I think the small 91 00:03:16,229 --> 00:03:19,130 stature of the base itself allows us to 92 00:03:19,139 --> 00:03:21,369 experiment and take on a lot of 93 00:03:21,380 --> 00:03:23,529 innovation that bigger installations 94 00:03:23,539 --> 00:03:25,761 just can't afford to do . So I think we 95 00:03:25,761 --> 00:03:27,872 are ripe for investment and it's good 96 00:03:27,872 --> 00:03:30,089 for Dod to test prototypes down here 97 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,582 and we'll take those as far as we can . 98 00:03:32,669 --> 00:03:34,725 I think that's one of the best parts 99 00:03:34,725 --> 00:03:36,699 about Albany is that the Military 100 00:03:36,710 --> 00:03:39,043 Affairs Committee , the local community , 101 00:03:39,043 --> 00:03:41,160 having a lot of retirees , folks that 102 00:03:41,169 --> 00:03:43,225 have served and continue to serve on 103 00:03:43,225 --> 00:03:45,391 base . They really seem to embrace the 104 00:03:45,391 --> 00:03:47,280 marines here and they embrace the 105 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:48,947 marines families as well . So 106 00:03:48,947 --> 00:03:50,891 integrating within those community 107 00:03:50,891 --> 00:03:53,002 activities , and then I'd like to see 108 00:03:53,002 --> 00:03:55,113 the community come on and invest more 109 00:03:55,113 --> 00:03:57,336 in the base as well . So opening up the 110 00:03:57,336 --> 00:03:59,558 base for things like the Fourth of July 111 00:03:59,558 --> 00:04:01,780 celebration is just the beginning . I'm 112 00:04:01,780 --> 00:04:03,780 hoping that the marathon that we're 113 00:04:03,780 --> 00:04:06,002 planning to run in February will draw a 114 00:04:06,002 --> 00:04:08,058 large crowd and lots of participants 115 00:04:08,058 --> 00:04:07,970 from the local area and across the 116 00:04:07,979 --> 00:04:09,979 state . And we hope to make that an 117 00:04:09,979 --> 00:04:12,035 annual event that will be a big deal 118 00:04:12,035 --> 00:04:13,979 for the area . I think most of the 119 00:04:13,979 --> 00:04:15,868 things to make us successful , we 120 00:04:15,868 --> 00:04:18,035 probably learned in kindergarten , but 121 00:04:18,035 --> 00:04:20,090 we should always trust those leaders 122 00:04:20,090 --> 00:04:22,257 that have been before us . There is no 123 00:04:22,257 --> 00:04:24,423 exchange for experience and those that 124 00:04:24,423 --> 00:04:26,590 have been there before . So leaning on 125 00:04:26,590 --> 00:04:28,646 their experience and their knowledge 126 00:04:28,646 --> 00:04:30,590 and asking those questions , those 127 00:04:30,590 --> 00:04:32,757 tough questions when we don't have the 128 00:04:32,757 --> 00:04:34,868 answers , seeking those out and going 129 00:04:34,868 --> 00:04:36,979 to those with experience and ask what 130 00:04:36,979 --> 00:04:36,820 happened before and what's different 131 00:04:36,829 --> 00:04:37,230 today .