17th Field Artillery officer leads cadets in Bosnia

Courtesy Photo | Cadets participate in the Cultural Understanding Language Proficiency (CULP) Program in Bosnia where they conducted humanitarian service projects, hosted military-to-military briefings and training, and received education on social, cultural and historical aspects of Bosnia.  

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, UNITED STATES

08.05.2015

Story by Capt. Tania Donovan 

17th Field Artillery Brigade

JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD, Wash. – Every summer cadets from colleges across the country find themselves training on military bases with soldiers in different lines of work. For some cadets, these opportunities extend to traveling to foreign countries and immersing themselves into a cultural experience of a lifetime.

First Lt. Lauri Blair, Brigade Chemical Officer, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, had an opportunity that initially seemed awkward and strange. “I wasn’t sure what it was but I figured I would apply and find out,” said Blair. This past June, Blair, spent three weeks volunteering as a Team Leader for the Cultural Understanding Language Proficiency (CULP) Program. There, she led a squad of eight cadets from across the country in humanitarian service projects, host nation military-to-military contact and further education on the social, cultural, and historical aspects of Bosnia. The experience was a total cultural immersion.

The process to get there began with multiple forms of preparation. This included online anti-terrorism training, human rights awareness training, and plenty of medical appointments to make sure everything required was completed. Soon after the administrative preparation, cadets and cadre, like Blair, reported to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where teams were assigned and the in-country activities were planned.

Once in Bosnia, the team hit the ground running with the execution of planned projects and visits. “We met with local college students and were able to have conversations about how they feel about their country, government and even the military,” said Blair. “Their perspectives were educational and allowed us to learn about the tumultuous history and the hostile relationships between certain socio-economic groups within the country.”

When the group wasn’t in a classroom learning from students or other scholars, they were working on humanitarian and community service projects. For Blair’s team, the “River Walk Project” kept the cadets busy. The team cleared the walking path along the Usora River with assistance from local contractors.

The group worked with the support of Ambassador Maureen Cormack, U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cadets and cadre also attended a meeting with the Mayor of Tesanj, Mr. Huskic Suad, and discussed economic issues related to Tesanj and the greater Bosnian area. “There is definitely high visibility of the program and the opportunity it brings for building future relationships and partnerships with foreign countries is like no other,” said Blair.

On another day, the team was is Doboj, in northern Bosnia, and conducted weapons familiarization training with the M57 semi-automatic pistol. “We were busy, and fit as much as possible in the couple of weeks in country,” said Blair. “The team was able to conduct several firing drills and became proficient in firing this former Yugoslavian pistol.”

“Leading a team of eight cadets who had never worked together before was challenging but rewarding. Having the lead of a project of this magnitude was humbling and a valuable educational experience,” said Blair. “I’m glad I had this opportunity - it offered me a perspective on leadership that I would have not otherwise had.”

• Date Taken: 08.05.2015
• Date Posted: 08.05.2015 13:56
• Story ID: 172237
• Location: JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US