Profiles

We have the day off today, and this post is from Starbucks.

This post is to introduce you some fellow Navy Reserve shipmates with whom I am training at Ft. Jackson to prepare for service in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a privilege to work with such talented people, and they are destined to make major contributions to our efforts overseas.

LT Gus Perez: Gus is a fellow Public Affairs Officer and we have known each other for several years. He's a Reservist who lives in San Diego and works for Ernst and Young on the civilian side. We share many interests, and he is a good friend.

LT David Parr: David lives in Adams Morgan (another DC friend!). He went to Texas A&M and is heading to Afghanistan. He will be at Bagram Airfield, about 30 miles from Kabul, but we probably won't see each other due to the danger of travel in Afghanistan. David and I plan to grab coffee at Tryst on 18th Street to compare "war stories"when we return next year.

LT Brian Walsh: Brian, a Naval Academy graduate, could be a stand-up comedian. He's hilariously funny, and we've enjoyed spending time together. He, too, is headed to Afghanistan. Brian is an avid reader with a keen intellect, and we spent today together reading the New York Times. He lives in Annapolis and is someone I'll look forward to seeing when we return from our missions.

LT Timothy French: Tim is a graduate of the Naval Academy and Georgetown Law. He is a member of the Navy's Judge Advocate General (JAG) corps and is going to Iraq to handle detainee operations. His wife is an attorney for the International Red Cross in Geneva.

It is an honor to serve in this community with men and women of outstanding talent and character. They truly are the best and the brightest.