Classifieds

by Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charles Faint

So, when it was all over, China brought nothing. The EU team brought balloons. The Belgians brought cheerleaders. But the Americans brought... home the trophies. U-S-A!!! U-S-A!!!
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For a few months in late 2019, I served what turned out to be my last "deployment" in the U.S. Army. I put the word "deployment" in quotes because the mission involved me living out of a nice hotel in downtown Manila, and wearing civilian clothes to work every day. That was a far cry from the tents, dirt, heat, and incoming rocket fire I was used to in my previous overseas assignments. Our mission was the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group-Philippines (JUSMAG-P), and this was a legitimate gem of an assignment. The work was meaningful, the conditions were good, and most importantly, the team was excellent. I was one of a group of mostly junior officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force who had temporary duty as liaison officers in JUSMAG. I arrived as the "new guy" in October of 2019, coming in as an Army lieutenant colonel to a liaison element already consisting of an Army major, two Marine captains, a Marine staff sergeant, an Air Force captain, and two Navy lieutenants....