Paul Craft

Segment Synopsis: Craft discusses growing up in the small town of Hot Springs, Montana. He talks about his family's tradition of military service and why he chose to be a Marine.

Keywords: Hot Springs (Mont.); Military history, Modern--20th century; United States. Marine Corps; United States. Navy; Virginia Beach (Va.)

Subjects: Childhood; Military Tradition; Why the Marines

Segment Synopsis: Marine Corps boot camp was a challenging experience, valuable, but not one Craft would want to repeat. After three years Craft transferred from the Marines to the Army ROTC at the University of Montana.

Keywords: Basic training (Military education); Montana. Army National Guard; United States. Army. Combat Engineer; United States. Marine Corps--Infantry; University of Montana. Army ROTC

Subjects: Marine Boot Camp; Transferring to the Army ROTC

Segment Synopsis: Craft talks about joining the Ohio National Guard Combat Engineers and his service. He shares his memories of 9/11 and being particularly impressed with the response from young Americans.

Keywords: Ohio. Army National Guard; Ohio. National Guard. Combat Engineer Group, 416th; September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001; U.S. Army Engineer School. Combat Developments Group; U.S. Army Engineer School. Engineer Officer Basic Course Training Detachment; Walbridge (Ohio)

Subjects: Joining the Ohio National Guard; Memories of 9/11; Young America's Response

Segment Synopsis: Craft talks about his deployment to Afghanistan and what the Combat Engineer Group, 416th responsibilities were. He talks about the poverty he saw in the country, where the people he was in charge of were stationed, and some of the work they were tasked. Landmine retrieval was one of the dangerous jobs of the 416th.

Keywords: Afghanistan; Bagram Airfield (Afghanistan); Camp Marmal (Afghanistan); Forward Operating Base Asadabad (Afghanistan); Forward Operating Base Salerno (Afghanistan); Jalālābād Air Base (Afghanistan); Kandahar Airfield (Afghanistan); Land mines--detection; Ohio. National Guard. Combat Engineer Group, 416th; Polish people; Shkin Firebase (Afghanistan); Slovaks; South Koreans

Subjects: Afghanistan responsibilities; Deployment; Pre-deployment training

Segment Synopsis: Rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, and ambushes were some of the dangers Craft faced, but largely he said that they were there during a peaceful time in Afghanistan. He served as Coalition and Joint Staff CJ-7 and Deputy Commander for the 10th Mountain Division, New York. He talks about his communications back home, his monk-like existence, and General Order No.1.

Keywords: Ambushes and surprises; Austin, Lloyd J. (Lloyd James), 1953-; Grenades; Mortars; United States. Adjutant-General's Office. General orders; United States. Army. Mountain Division, 10th

Subjects: Communications; Craft's Assignments; Dangers of a Combat Engineer; Officer/Enlisted; R&R

Segment Synopsis: Craft enjoyed working with his coalition partners and being able to share in their different traditions, and found them to be very professional. He explains what it was like to return home and his post-traumatic growth.

Keywords: Camp Atterbury (Ind.); Foods and nations; Polish people; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic growth; Slovaks; South Koreans; Veteran reintegration

Subjects: Post-traumatic Stress; Reintegration; Working with soldiers of differing nationalities

Segment Synopsis: Craft spends a year commanding the Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC) in Washington D.C., tasked with protecting the Nation's Capital from airborn threats. He describes JADOC's purpose, the stress of that position, working with the Air Force, and the value of National Guard soldiers.

Keywords: Bolling Air Force Base (Washington, D.C.); Joint Air Defense Operations Center; North American Aerospace Defense Command; Ohio. National Guard. Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 174th; Radar--Military applications; United States. Central Command; United States. Central Command. Air Forces

Subjects: Air Defense Artillery; Joint Air Defense Operations Center; National Guard Value

Segment Synopsis: Craft discusses how his dual skill set has made him successful in his military and civilian careers. He returns from Washington to take the Superintendent position with Delaware City Schools, and ultimately retires from the National Guard.

Keywords: After Action Review; Individual Professional Plan; Superintendent of Schools, Delaware City Schools

Subjects: Skill building; Superintendency; Veterans Organizations

Segment Synopsis: Craft reflects on the importance of his military camaraderie and it's lasting impact on his life. He talks about how the Air Force has the best barracks, the people of the National Guard and their sacrifice, the Citizen-Soldier, and the difficulties of connectedness. He shares a memory of a cache explosion in Afghanistan where eight soldiers died, and what he learned from that situation.

Keywords: Citizen and soldier; Communications, Military; Ohio. National Guard; United States. Air Force--Barracks and quarters; United States. Army. 10th Mountain Division

Subjects: Air Force accommodations; Cache explosion; Camaraderie; Citizen Soldier; Connectedness; Sacrifice; Who are the National Guard