[Vision2020] U.S. Troops Abroad Follow Election Results

[Tom Hansen]

>From the European edition of Stars and Stripes at:

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58662
 
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U.S. troops abroad follow election results 
 
U.S. troops and family members around the world woke up Wednesday with a 
new president, after Sen. Barack Obama defeated Sen. John McCain in a 
historic contest.

And like their countrymen in the States, Americans overseas voiced 
opinions about the election results that were as diverse as the men and 
women who make up the U.S. military.

At many bases in Europe, folks were following the election results into 
the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

In Stuttgart, Germany, Army Pfc. Robert Hopwood stayed up all night 
watching the news and waiting for confirmation of an Obama win.

For Hopwood, the top issue is Iraq, and the appeal of Obama is his 
commitment to a fixed deadline for withdrawal.

"I think everybody is tired of war," he said.

And while critics have derided the problems with the absentee voting 
system, at least one troop knew his vote had been counted.

"Hopefully, I singlehandedly saved the world with my absentee ballot," 
Tech. Sgt. Joe Bosacco, a member of the 167th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air 
Base, joked.

At bases in the Pacific, election results started coming in by midday 
Wednesday.

At the Dragon Hill Lodge on Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, South Korea, 
troops, civilians and kids sat glued to CNN.

"It’s exciting to be able to vote in the military," said Sgt. Lynn 
Pauli. "You get to vote for your next boss."

As news outlets declared Obama the winner, a small gathering at the Power 
Zone on Japan’s Yokota Air Base cheered and pumped their fists.

"I’ve been following it from the beginning and this is awesome," said 
Jacqui Maldonado. "This country is ready for a change."

Spc. Rodney Washington, of the 208th Finance Battalion in Stuttgart, 
Germany, said Obama will help take the country in a new direction.

Washington, who is black, said growing up that he never imagined his 
country would elect a black president during his lifetime.

"It’s incredible," he said. "It’s a proud day considering everything we’ve 
been through."

Others in Stuttgart weren’t as pleased.

"I voted straight Republican," said Robert Quinn, a food court worker at 
Stuttgart’s Panzer Kaserne. "We’re stuck with [Obama] now, so we’ll just 
have to hope for the best."

Quinn, a former Marine, said many servicemembers are concerned about the 
military pay freezes that accompanied the Clinton administration, and that 
such wage issues will pop up again in the Obama administration.

"A lot of guys are worried about that," he said. "I think most people in 
the military are for McCain, but that wasn’t enough."

At Camp Foster on Okinawa, Japan, 55-year-old Pat Beavers said the day 
would be "the most historical election" of her lifetime.

"I voted and I think we’ll all see a real change," Beavers said. "We’re 
bringing in a new guard. We can’t continue down the same road we’ve been 
going for the past four years."

Sgt. 1st Class Donovan Lazarus at Camp Casey, South Korea, said he met 
McCain several times and visited McCain’s Vietnam jail cell.

"I’d give my right arm for John McCain any day," Lazarus said. 

But his views underwent a massive shift in the past few months.

"I never thought I could go against [McCain]. I thought it was his 
destiny," Lazarus said. "But now it seems like it was Barack’s destiny to 
become president. I think he’s going to try to bring both sides together."

Following the election overseas is more poignant because Americans can 
better understand how the race affects the whole world, Petty Officer 1st 
Class Leonard Pope said Wednesday at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan.

What now?

With the historic impact of Obama’s election sinking in, troops worldwide 
differed on what his presidency will mean for the America’s future.

Charles Alexander, a retired Air Force member walking Wednesday on RAF 
Mildenhall, England, said it’s too early to tell what Obama’s impact will 
be.

"But I think the old boy walked into a hornet’s nest," Alexander said, 
citing the litany of crises including the economy and the Iraq and 
Afghanistan wars. "It’s going to be hard for him."

Also at Mildenhall on Wednesday, Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Payne said 
Obama’s administration should take a long look at how the military spends 
money.

"Cut the wasteful spending," he said. "We waste way too much money in the 
military."

At Italy’s Aviano Air Base, Staff Sgt. Karolien Thornton said she’s 
hopeful for Obama but not for the economy.

"He definitely needs to focus on the economy," she said. "I pray to God 
that he doesn’t take my money and give it to people who don’t work. I 
think it’s an awesome step for the civil rights movement, but I don’t 
agree with the politics."

At Ramstein, Airman 1st Class Michael Haid said he was a McCain man, but 
not just because of the Arizona senator’s military history.

Haid said he’s getting out of the Air Force soon and is concerned with how 
Obama’s tax plans will affect his ability to start a business. 

Pauli, the Yongsan-based soldier, was disappointed that the Iraq war had 
fallen behind the economy as a top issue.

"That’s a little unsettling," said Pauli, who works with the Army’s 
Installation Management Command at Yongsan. "War is life and death. And 
the economy is dollars and cents."

In Sasebo, Pope said military issues, including fiscal budgeting and 
farming out of jobs to civilians were his top concerns.

"When you’re forward deployed and you’re at the tip of the spear, you want 
to know how it’s going to affect your family," Pope said. 

At Camp Casey, Staff Sgt. Eric Curtiss said Obama was more likely to 
change the direction of the country and spend money more wisely. 

"I really hope we take a good look at what’s happening on Wall Street and 
what deregulation has done, both positively and negatively," he said. "And 
I hope we take a good look at Iraq and see whether we need to be there for 
the next four years."

Not everyone was feeling those good-time Obama vibes. 

Spc. Ryan Horst said he’s a big believer in the Second Amendment and is 
worried that government will swing to the far left on gun issues.

"I’m very afraid for the next four years," Horst said. "I’ve never been 
this concerned, ever…God help America."

At Mildenhall in England, Senior Airman Broderick Carroll said he fell 
asleep early Wednesday morning watching the returns but got back up at 
4:30 a.m. to see if his man had won. He did.

"I just had a smile on my face," Carroll said of Obama’s victory. "Now 
it’s time to see what he can do in office."

It’s not just a win for Obama or the Democratic Party, he said.

"It makes anybody in America know they can do anything they want if they 
put their mind to it," he said.

Max Goodlow, a civilian contractor working at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, 
said that no matter who won, they can’t be any worse than outgoing 
President Bush, who now unites most Americans’ disdain as he leaves office 
with one of the lowest presidential approval ratings in history.

"They both have different views but we just need new blood, period," he 
said. "Bush set the table for what not to do."

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Pro patria, 
 
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the 
tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." 
 
-- Adlai E. Stevenson,
Jr.

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