Mayor Taylor's journal of her trip to the Middle-East as part of her participation in the Joint Ciivilian Orientation Conference is posted here daily.

The JCOC is a United States Department of Defense program. Mayor Taylor joins about 60 public opinion leaders- both from the public and private sectors- from across the country to take part in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC). This is a week-long, multi-service orientation program on national defense issues. No public funds from the City of Tulsa is being spent on this trip. It is sponsored by the Department of Defense and participants pay for part of their own expenses.

Saturday, October 21, 2006  

“I began the day determined to be ahead of the 4:45 a.m. wake up call this day. I repacked my luggage and backpack.  I knew that once I left my luggage on Saturday morning, I wouldn’t see it again until Sunday afternoon. Luckily, the backpack I was issued is expandable! I made it to the bus with my luggage by the 5:30 am deadline and got back on my home away from home — a C-17 transport to travel about 4 hours to Africa.  

We landed in Horn of Africa, Djibouti (pronounced without the D) about noon. Djibouti is a republic with a total population of about 800,000. Sixty percent are Somali, 35% are Afar and French, Arab and other minorities make up the other 5%. Two thirds of the population lives in the capital city with the remainder being mainly nomadic herders. It has few natural resources other than the sea (which is not used for commercial fishing) and little industry. In the 19th century, France established a protectorate in the area and in 1977 the area was granted independence at Djibouti. It is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.  It is roughly the size of Massachusetts. The terrain is coastal plain and plateau separated by mountains. I thought it was a beautiful country.  It was warm but with a pleasant breeze. 

The military is based in a place that was abandoned by the French foreign legion in the 1970’s.  We received a wonderful welcome to this base where the military live in either tents (16 per tent) or CLU’s (contained living units) — think of it as a container made into an apartment.  The U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti welcomed us and talked about the need for countries to be economically sufficient. Djibouti is certainly an example of that issue. We learned about the traditional military operations there but then also flew to the other side of the country to visit a school and hospital with which the United States had supported.  We started at a school where the military was helping to build additional facilities including dorms so young women in the area could attend school.  We heard from the principal and learned with the help of the U.S. test scores for this school had reached second in the area. You would find that amazing as the school has a dirt basketball area, minimal school supplies, no internet access and none of the assets we think a school requires. The children in the playground did not have shoes but had smiles as we handed out soccer balls and sports cards (brought by one of our members who was a former professional football player). The principal thanked us for the notebooks, markers, and other school supplies.  As the goats grazed on minimal vegetation outside the school stone fence, the kids surrounded us. I took their picture and showed them on the screen of my digital camera.  They smiled in amazement. It was hard to gather our group up to move on. 

We then visited the local hospital, again put back in operation with the help of various U.S. agencies. Tuberculosis patients, mothers giving birth, and emergency medical issues are taken care of around the area from this small clinic. Two doctors and various other medical personnel staff this clinic full-time.  The military doctor that helped with the care said he had learned much from those in the area on diseases he would never encounter in the states and in turn he helped them learn basic medical skills.

We got back on the helicopter and returned to the base.  We saw one of our host’s rooms. She had an area in her tent no bigger than two twin beds that functioned as her home.  Pictures drawn by her three daughters were taped decoratively on the walls and homemade curtains provided a bit of privacy. She showed us to the showers where she said the “guys” had gotten us towels and shower shoes.  I was dirty, dusty and perhaps just a bit sweaty. After a shower and a meal, we headed back to the C-17 and home. 

There are times when you have an experience that adds to your life experiences and times when you have an experience that changes your view of life. This experience will change my view of those who enter the military and the impact they make and will continue to make on my life, my family’s life and the future of our country.

I am glad to be back in Tulsa. Back where we have an opportunity for an education, an opportunity to vote for those who we want to lead us, an opportunity to start a business, walk to the store without fear of a mortar shell falling, and an opportunity for freedom.

To each of you who have served in our military, or who have family who have served………

My sincere thanks.”

Friday, October, 20, 2006

“The last two days of the trip were amazing.  Just when I thought the depth of the experience could not be increased, we arrived late in our room in our next destination in southwest asia and found a small flag which stated it was flown in combat in Afghanistan on October 3, 2006 by a B-1B and during operation in Iraq on  October 4, 2006.  Tired, teary eyed and appreciative of our military, I got ready for a 6 am wake up call.

Friday we got a view of how the U.S. Air Force supports troops on the ground.  The Air Force in this area has a takeoff and landing every nine minutes around the clock to support troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.  The tour of the Air Force base brought everything together.  It demonstrated what I talk about a lot—teamwork and the importance of a coordinated effort by the use of technology.  The Air Force transports troops, supplies, food and fuel needed to maintain them.  The Air Force also provides intelligence and surveillance to help troops on the ground. 

The RC-135 rivet joint intelligence plane and the Jstars plane show in real time what is happening on the ground. Almost every plane into which I crawled into the cockpit, had an Oklahoman involved!  The medi-vac plane was staffed by Oklahoma Air National Guard Medical personnel who volunteer to come to the Middle East to insure emergency health care is available and who have in-depth knowledge of airplane operations as well.  One of the most amazing planes is the KC-135 Strato-tanker crews that refuel airplanes.  The plane I was on was built in 1958 but has been outfitted with up to date avionics.  Our fighter and transport planes depend on these planes and their crews to insure they have fuel to continue their missions.  We were fortunate to meet Lt. Gen. Gary North and hear him articulate his passion for the Air Force’s support of the troops. 

That evening, at a traditional middle eastern dinner, we enjoyed fresh mango juice, hummus, beef satay, lamb and wonderful chocolate dessert.  We discussed the past and future of our country and the military with some of the top military leaders, business executives, journalists and newly enlisted men.  The opportunity to have a frank discussion about the future of our country and how we each impact it with people from varying walks of life is a once in a lifetime experience for which I am grateful. 

Oklahoma State Senator Susan Paddock from Ada, Oklahoma was on the trip also and we talked about the impact of the military on Oklahoma.  From our bases that provide substantial economic development for our state to the many Oklahomans we met who are serving in our military forces around the world.”

Thursday, October 19, 2006:

"This was probably the most intense day of our trip so far. Both because of the experience and education we were provided and also because I had the honor to meet several members of our military who have volunteered to serve who are from Oklahoma. After zipping my luggage once again (we have moved locations every night) and getting downstairs by 6:00 am, we headed for the Kuwait airport and boarded a Seahawk helicopter. Having left the helicopter yesterday with hydraulic fluid on my pants, boots and backpacks, I strategically positioned myself in an area without leaks. (By the way, several veteran helicopter pilots told me the leaks are actually a good thing — then you know you have hydraulic fluid.)

We flew about 30 minutes over a beautiful flat sandy desert where camels roamed freely and few buildings could be seen. Upon arrival, the General welcomed us and assigned us to teams for a tactical maneuver in military armored Humvees led by the U.S. Army 1st Calvary Division. After being outfitted with a helmet and body armor, we took our assigned places in the vehicles. The incidents which occurred during the maneuver were not known in advance and the convoy members had to react when faced with the issues within seconds. The maneuver is intended to help keep the roads on which supplies and soldiers must travel safe. About a dozen vehicles traveled the road together, keeping contact with the company commander. Incidents that our soldiers face everyday also confronted us — what to do when a vehicle approaches the convoy, when an innocent piece of concrete explodes and causes injuries and when a vehicle is disabled. The policies and processes were carefully outlined before the maneuver so each member of the team knew the parameters upon which to make the decision. The reality of the exercise was significant enough to make your heart race, as was the heat and the weight of the body armor. Knowing the care with which the vehicles were maintained (we had seen this the previous day), the intelligence, training and dedication of the soldiers we were with and their compassion gives me great confidence for our future.

I got a chance to talk with one of our Tulsa police officers who was recently deployed in the area and flies a Blackhawk helicopter. I also had the opportunity to talk with a great young soldier from Broken Arrow. Married on April 15 a little less than two years ago, he has been deployed for most of his marriage. He plans to return to Tulsa and hopes to work as a fire fighter. He was an amazing young man who demonstrated to us the weapons these soldiers use. We talked about Tulsa and his future and his passion for military service.

I then met an officer whose wife is with one of Oklahoma's great museums — Museum of the Great Plains. And finally, I met with a young man from Moore who was stationed with two Tulsans. It was nice to give them a connection to Tulsa and frankly, to feel one myself. I am very aware that while I will leave Saturday to return to my home, their wives are home by themselves, their kids are having sporting events and birthdays, and their parents are worrying. But we all know that they are making a difference for our world — serving, at great personal sacrifice, our country, our state and our city.

This once in a lifetime experience to have even a small understanding of our military personnel’s passion for military service is remarkable. These soldiers, Airmen, Marines, sailors and Coast Guard are proud of what they do, anxious to show their exceptional training and ready to give credit to others for the impact they are making. I am sure I met some of our nation's great future military leaders today and I will sleep better for it tonight.

While I have kept contact each day with City Hall, I will be glad to get back to the office on Monday. I look forward to seeing you then. I will continue to send emails to you on the last two days of my trip, but it is likely you won't get them until Monday, so have a great weekend. Thanks for your tremendous service to our city.”

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

"I was able to meet many members of our military today and see the talents of these young men and women demonstrated--that it almost seems like 2 days! Once again, we began our day at 5 am and I have just arrived back at the hotel — a bit after midnight. I knew that one of our Tulsa Police officers was in the area and asked the General if I could try to find him. Well, he found me and we have a much too short of a minute to talk. By that time in the day, I was really dirty, had on a baseball cap and I suspect if he hadn't seen my nametag he might not have recognized me. I am hoping to find him again tomorrow so I can talk with him more in more detail. I also met two young men from Lawton Oklahoma who were shipping home in 21 days!

This morning began by boarding our C-17 transport plane again. This time the pilots let us know they would do a tactical maneuver both on take off and landing. This enormous plane, under the guidance of exceptional pilots took off the runway and went straight up and on landing, stopped almost it seemed on a dime. We arrived in Kuwait City airport in 30 minutes and boarded MH 53-Sea Stallions to visit the USS IWO JIMA.

This ship, the IWO JIMA is a multi-purpose amphibious assault ship which holds a 53E Sea Knight and the AH Super Cobra and av-8B harrier for vertical short take off landing. The flight deck is 2.2 acres. It holds 1100 sailors and 1800 marines when deployed. The ship's captain, referred to as Sheriff, was one of the most informative and passionate of our trip. He was at the Pentagon on 9/11, and has a caring and intensity in his voice when he talks about the history of the ship and the talent of his crew. The helicopters and fighter planes plus a significant amount of other equipment are only a part of the ship's vital importance to their mission. They have a 300 bed hospital which has been used during Hurricane Katrina and in Libya. Helicopters from this ship saved 3,343 people from rooftops in New Orleans. The seven jets are the eyes from the air for troops on the ground. The pride of these young men and women to be serving in the IWO JIMA was evident.

The helicopter ride was amazing and you can immediately see how necessary these "birds" are to protect our troops. They can load a couple dozen Marines and are protected by gunners at the side and back and very maneuverable. As the back stays open, ear protection was a must. A helmet with noise minimizing headphones built in and goggles for the interior wind were provided along with our green flotation gear. The 30 minute flight to the IWO JIMA was almost relaxing and it was a good thing as the day began in earnest at that point! We watched the jets take off from the ship and after intricate maneuvers, land gracefully. We then observed a troop transport vehicle — the LCAC, a military version of a hovercraft. The hovercraft is a speedy way onto the water to take troops to land maneuvers.

The Captain of the ship advised us that the average age of his team was 19-20. Each officer we talked to praised the passion and training of these young people who have volunteered their time to the military. They welcomed us to their home away from home and shared a tremendous amount of information. The partnership on the ship among the Marines and Navy was powerfully present. Marines depend on Navy personnel for doctors and corpsmen. In fact, I was informed that the only person other than Marines allowed to wear the Marine insignia is a Navy Corpsman who has served the Marines. I also understand that those serving on board the USS IWO JIMA is one of only two ship’s personnel allowed to have the American flag displayed on their ball caps as well.

Back on the MH-53 we road to a much dustier area- Camp Arifijan, named after a desert flower found in Kuwait. This is home to the 3rd Army, also known as Patton's Army. General Whitcomb briefed us on the tremendous logistics and support component they play in insuring the operation and safety of our troops. The Central Command area covers incredible scope: 77 languages, 60 continuous months of combat, 4 times zones and is 1 1/2 larger than the United States. They moved over 600,000 personnel last year.

The briefing room consisted of 27 screens and displayed the outline of what this group has faced. At dinner with the troops, I sat with a Colonel from Salt Lake City (whose graduate degree was from the University of Oklahoma) and is mobilized for a year. Her husband was mobilized at a similar time and they have 3 kids: 21, 16, and 14. He is in northern Iraq training Iraqi police officers. I asked her how she handled the long absence from her family. She explained that her two older kids are running the household and the youngest daughter is staying with a friend’s family. She tried to talk to her husband everyday but often they missed each other. Overall, she was cheery and positive and happy to be making a contribution. For their R and R, she and her husband had saved to send their kids to meet them in Germany for New Year's Eve. This will be their only time to see each other during the year they are deployed.

Seeing the equipment management group, and the drivers of the Humvees which follow the convoy to repair vehicles, brought into mind the fact that this is an incredibly self-sustaining business. Two drivers of the Humvee repair vehicles compared their roles to that of doctors for the vehicles. They must run at top efficiency in order to protect the troops. These two drivers were voluntarily in for their fourth and fifth deployment.

Some vehicles in the fleet did not have factory installed armor, so the troops have designed and added their own armor to the vehicles in a continuous improvement project. One engine was aggressively maintained in the camp's shop rather than being shipped back to the United States and being unavailable. Repairing the engine is a efficient public/private partnership between Army technicians coupled with a technician from the company.

Finally, we got a taste of what it is like to roll-over in a Humvee and how to escape. After "combat locking" the door, donning a bullet proof vest and fastening our seatbelts, we learned the proper procedure in a test roll over maneuver.

The word team came up over and over again and I suppose it is best demonstrated in the military. Everybody understands their role on the team and performs it in support of their team members. Each piece of the team is vital to the success of the mission. The same lesson applied everywhere.

To get the message to the team, the armed forces have multiple tv and radio stations, a strong brand campaign used in all of their messages and have just begun a podcast message. In its 5th month of operation, they have over 181,000 subscribers!

If you have a friend or relative serving in our armed forces, I know you understand the passion with which they serve. It is unmistakable to me. They are proud to show us their part on the team, how the team works together and their broad impact — not just our country, but our world.

I am proud of the troops I have met from Oklahoma and have a much more educated understanding of the concerns as well as the needs for our troops.

Kuwait City, of which I haven't seen much of yet, does have many commercial enterprises recognizable to us including 3 Starbucks! Kuwait was established in the 16th century from several clans that migrated to the northern shore of the Persian Gulf. Located in southwest Asia, it is one of 15 states that comprise the often-called "cradle of civilization" and contains 10 percent of the world's oil reserves.

I miss Tulsa but I must say that this journey is a life-changing and learning experience.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

“After learning that a web pallet hanging from the side of a
C-17 cargo plane can actually induce sleep, I slept until the plane did its mid-air refueling. We slowed to a specific speed and the refueling plane flew within 15 feet of ours, dropped the boom from which the fuel is passed as our crew connected it.  As there are no windows except in the cockpit, other than the play-by-play from our experienced pilots, we didn’t notice anything. 

We landed at about 11am in Bahrain, a borderless island nation in the Persian Gulf. It was warm today — about 100f.  Bahrain is an Arabic word meaning “two seas”. Pearl diving, location, fertile land and fresh water has made Bahrain a center of urban settlement throughout history and is today the fastest growing economy in the Arab world. Petroleum production and processing account for well over half of the economy.

The island is ruled by King Isa al-Khalifah and a prime minister.  Bahrain hosts the United States Navy and Marine Central Command. The terrain is a low desert plain with a tremendous amount of development occurring. As it is Ramadan and the population is 82% Muslim, it seemed quiet in the streets today. 

Our first briefing when we hit the ground was from Lt. Commander Richard Burke of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard plays an important part of the U.S. military presence in the Middle East. One of our group participants is a former Ambassador and a Cuban-American appointed by President Clinton. He discussed how important the Coast Guard was in the issues in which he was involved at the White House. An interesting fact is that the Coast Guard has operated an iceberg patrol since the time the Titanic sunk. These days they do it by satellite. 

While our military itself consists of all volunteer personnel, in addition, the Coast Guard members also volunteer for duty in the Middle East specifically. They protect the oil platforms and other ships in the Central Command. While touring Coast Guard Patrol Boats — the Wrangler and the Maui, I saw the tight sleeping quarters on the boat for 22 Coast Guard members. I was very pleased to meet a young man from Broken Arrow, Mr. Stewart, a cook for the Coast Guard. We then participated in a simulation of how the Coast Guard boards a non-responsive ship. The training staff, which trains our military and the soldiers of other countries as well, taught us how to melt metal to open doors, kick doors open, and rappel containers to check the contents. After that, our very tired group headed back to the bus and gladly received our hotel keys so we could have a quick shower before dinner. 

What a nice surprise at dinner as I met Jessica Collins, whose family is in Tulsa. Jessica knew she wanted to be a Marine since the 5th grade and completed her degree at the University of Tulsa partially while serving on active duty. She is now stationed in Tampa with the Central Command but was stationed in Bahrain for a training exercise. She plans to return to school to earn her Masters degree. I am hopeful (as I bet her mother is also) that we can encourage her to return to Tulsa!”

Monday, October 16, 2006

“After repacking my JCOC issued backpack to insure I had a change of clothes, computer, jacket and a few comfort items, I read about the military branches we would be visiting. The 5:15 am (EST) wake up call had me pulling on my red Oklahoma centennial shirt to start the day with a briefing at the Pentagon at 6:15 am. The Army/Navy Pentagon mess hall served us a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and pancakes plus some much needed coffee.  Seated to my right was the Secretary of the Army who served as a former chief operating officer of Westinghouse.  We discussed the challenges of moving from the private to public sector and the new Army campaign — "Army Strong”.  I also discovered that one of my college friend’s husband was serving as his undersecretary.  Certainly it is a very small world.   

Secretary Rumsfeld joined us for a briefing to discuss the challenges he faces and answered questions from the group for almost 20 minutes. Discussion centered around the many facets it takes to insure stability in a country including military, economic, and education. We then proceeded to the Pentagon briefing room for a meeting with Rear Admiral David Dorsett and Admiral Edmund Giambastiani who is Vice Chair, Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

After the Pentagon briefing we proceeded to Andrews Air Force Base.  An overview of the command area, which will be our destination was given by Vice Admiral David Nichols, from Central Command in Tampa.  He reviewed the countries included in the Central Command, their current government, military challenges and the broad efforts of the military.  He was frank and open in his discussion and his answers to our questions and concerns. 

After having what we were advised would be our last hot meal for 30 hours, we boarded an Air Force bus and headed for our C-17. The inside of a C-17 is perhaps best described with pictures. It looks like a warehouse inside with exposed wiring. It can be adapted for use as a medi-vac and was used for that purpose during hurricane Katrina.  Over 200 people at a time were placed in the C-17 to airlift them to safety from the flood.  They installed vip seats for our arrival (regular airplane seats) and about 22 “beds” which are webbed pallets, three high on the side of the plane for sleeping. The normal seats- which resemble an airplane jump-seat, are folded up on the side but our military escorts seems able to sleep in them just fine—with the lights on full blast. The rear of the plane opens so that any and all army equipment can be driven onto the plane for transport. Up a narrow flight of stairs at the front is the flight deck. The plane requires 2 pilots and a loadmaster.  I visited the cockpit just after we had passed over Newfoundland in a flight which will take us over England and on to our first destination.

Coolers on the plane are filled with water and soft drinks and snacks for the long flight over. JCOC staff advised that we take advantage of earplugs and it is an excellent idea. The plane has no windows and the four engines and no insulation make it just a bit loud. 

The flight crew is from Charleston. Three of the pilots were Air Force Academy grads and one from University of Virginia.  Clearly these men and women have a passion for the air force and a passion for our country. As I write, we haven’t even stepped foot in another country, yet I have learned volumes about what issues our country and our world faces in terms of security and global peacekeeping. One clear theme in all the discussions we have had is that the information age has definitely changed the way the military operates because it has changed the way in which those in other militaries operate. What hasn’t changed is the passion and the reason our men and women choose to serve our country - to protect our freedom.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

“The first day of the trip began with a morning flight to Washington D.C. As I prepared for this international trip on Saturday, I spent part of the evening packing and also part of the evening celebrating the 25th anniversary of the language immersion program in Tulsa at Eisenhower International School. Some of the kids who began the program 25 years ago attended to honor the visionary teachers, principals, parents and superintendent who started the program. I greeted them with hello in Spanish, French, Italian and Russian and proclaimed Saturday Language Immersion Day in Tulsa.

I packed until almost 10 pm with a quick break for pizza — figured I might not have any for a week! My packing instructions were 2 bags only (they didn't say what size...:-) with clothes that can take dirt and grime and very comfortable walking shoes. Thanks to the help of my husband making just a few last minute runs to the store — I made it to D.C. today about 2 pm. I checked in, received my issue of combat boots and padded socks and met a few of the leaders on our trip as well as other participants.

I was nominated by Tinker Air Force Base for the trip and each of the participants was nominated by one of the branches of the military. Our group will visit all the branches — Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. Today we were briefed on the history and size of each branch and how they cooperate, then were divided into 4 teams — I am in the blue team headed by a major in the Air Force. My team members are from California to New York and include executives, a 28 year veteran of the NYC Fire Service, and a former OAS ambassador. We have been reminded many times that this will be an educational experience with very little time for sleep! One concern is that after tomorrow, we won't have access to our luggage until Tuesday afternoon — so I am currently re-thinking my packing…

Starting tomorrow we will travel over 16,000 miles during this trip and visit 5 countries. We will travel on a C-17 military transport plane — one of which takes off every 90 seconds to airlift troops and supplies. Ours has seats and 24 bunks which are three high for us to sleep on during the 16 hour plus flight. Tomorrow will be a 30 hour day — I could use a few more of those in Tulsa!

We will be hosted by the Central Command — which is one of the five geographically defined unified commands in the Department of Defense. It covers 27 countries in northeast Africa, southwest and central Asia and the island nation of Seychelles.

Spending a week with this group of exceptional people will be a great learning experience and a positive way to spread the word about Tulsa...add to that traveling to 5 countries to understand the challenges our military personnel experience in protecting our freedom — this will indeed be a unique and humbling week."

Friday, October 13, 2006

I want to brief you on a United States Department of Defense program I will be participating in over the next week. I will join some 60 public opinion leaders — both from the public and private sectors — from across the country to take part in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC). This is a week-long, multi-service orientation program on national defense issues.

The first part of the exercise includes a briefing by senior officials at the Pentagon to discuss national defense matters from a strategic perspective. We will also observe activities and operations of each branch of the military on bases overseas. I am very honored to be a part of this experience and have the opportunity to see first hand the work being done by our military personnel — both in the defense of our country and in building strong communities throughout the world. For security reasons, we are not given an itinerary until the conference begins, but past destinations have included Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Singapore, Korea and Japan.

This is a great opportunity to learn and get to know people in the military who will, if a disaster hits this area, be prepared to respond. It will also give me an opportunity to observe their methods of operation and communication from a strategic standpoint and also from a humanitarian standpoint.

I also know that this trip will give me an even greater appreciation for incredible men and women serving our country around the world in the U.S. Armed Forces. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you when I return.

Photo Gallery

Fast Facts:
There are 237,234 service members actively serving in the military. Of these, 2,873 are Oklahomans.

There is an 8 hour time difference between Tulsa and the Middle East.