May God bless our military

OPINION:

My head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as we took off in the F-16 fighter aircraft. Easing into the turns, I could feel my compression suit thrusting the blood from my legs all the way to my head. What a rush. 

As Commander in Chief of the Wisconsin National Guard, I wanted to visit each of our units. One of them is the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard, which is based at Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin. My pilot that day was Colonel Bart Van Roo. He has more than 3,100 flying hours in the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, AT-38A Talon II, Northrop T-38A Talon, and Cessna T-37B Tweet. It was truly an honor flying with Colonel Van Roo. 

During my first year in office, we had protests and riots. About 100,000 people occupied the state Capitol and square. It was a crazy time to be in Madison, Wisconsin. My wife thought I was crazy, but I jumped at the chance to fly with the 115th Fighter Wing. It literally took my mind off everything else going on in my life. 

Years later, I traveled to South Korea to visit troops deployed from Wisconsin. Colonel Van Roo was the Commander of the 8th Fighter Wing, 176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, at Kunsan Air Base in Korea. A day earlier, North Korea had fired a missile that landed just off the shores of Japan. It was during a time of heightened tensions with the dictatorial regime.

During my special briefing at the airbase, I learned that pilots from Wisconsin would be called to fly into North Korea if the conflict escalated to hostilities. It was a vivid reminder of my earlier time in the cockpit of an F-16. The training they received flying over closed airspace in Wisconsin was preparation for this moment in time. 

If North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un decided to strike the South, our fighters would be part of the counterattack. The briefing identified the risks of flying over the demilitarized zone.  North Korea’s air defense network includes surface-to-air missiles as well as many mobile and fixed anti-aircraft guns. In addition, interceptor aircraft fly combat air patrol missions in the area. During a conflict, the United States would likely lose some of our own aircraft and pilots - including airmen from Wisconsin. At that realization, the briefing became very sobering to me.  

These are the types of sacrifices the service members make for our country on a routine basis all around the world. We are proud of them and grateful for their service. 

Today, Colonel Van Roo is the commander of the 115th Fighter Wing. As the Wisconsin National Guard notes, he is “responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of nearly 1,200 active-guard and traditional forces serving the dual mission of state and federal responsibility falling under the Governor of Wisconsin and the President of the United States of America. The 115th Fighter Wing operates the F- 16 Fighting Falcon as its primary weapon system, as well as the RC- 26B aircraft in the global Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance mission.” He is a true American hero. 

During my time as Governor of Wisconsin, I was honored to visit other members of the Wisconsin National Guard at their base of operations, called up to help with national disasters and civil unrest, and as part of federal deployments around the world. I also visited members of the Reserves in similar circumstances, in Wisconsin and around the world. 

It was my honor to travel to the Middle East, Afghanistan, Germany, Cuba, Kosovo, and South Korea to spend time with our men and women in uniform. I remember how upbeat the team from Wisconsin in Kuwait was, despite the extreme heat and dense sand. They were working in adverse conditions but doing an excellent job. 

I was so upset at President Joe Biden for the tragic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan because I had seen our operations at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and at Bagram Airfield. There was no logical reason for us to do what was done there in August of 2021. 

Just before Christmas in 2016, Maj. Gen. Donald P. Dunbar, Command Sgt. Maj. Rafael Conde, and I traveled to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Cuba to visit with 32nd Military Police Company soldiers deployed there. The MPs guard some of the evil people in the world, as notorious terrorists are imprisoned there. 

With each of those visits, my level of respect and gratitude for our service members grew even stronger. On Monday, I saw many of them at the Armed Forces Week dinner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We should always be grateful to the men and women who serve, and their families, but this week is particularly special. The next time you see a member of the military, thank them for protecting our country, freedom, and liberty. May God bless them all. 

• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.