Career military officer shares thoughts on today’s threats

 

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Charles Wilhelm presented to the club Nov. 5.

A retired U.S. Marine Corps general whose 37-year career took him all over the world defending the United States shared his perspective on the most dangerous threats we face as a nation today.

General Charles E. Wilhelm told members of the Rotary Club of Carrollton at Tuesday’s weekly meeting that China and Russia are top concerns, followed, in order, by North Korea, Iran and extremist terrorists organizations.

Wilhelm noted that up until recent years, the U.S. was able to capitalize on the “gap” between the U.S. resources and technologies and those of other countries, but that it is not the case today.

“As good as we are, we have some challenges,” he said. “The road is getting steeper.” He cited examples of China’s and Russia’s growth in developing innovations that can interrupt signals between the most sophisticated cyber weapons and that cybersecurity is as big of a concern in the military as it is in business and industry.

“Make no mistake, there is no doubt Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election,” he said, noting that in his current role as a researcher for organizations that contract with the military he is privy to certain classified documents.

Wilhelm also talked about the state of the military in general. Conscription, a term most most people know as the military draft, was abandoned decades ago following the Vietnam War, leaving a military base of career volunteers who are highly trained – but it can be expensive.

“Military service in other countries doesn’t follow this model,” he said. U.S. military spending represents 36 percent of the world’s total spending on defense, Wilhelm said, and when adding China and Russia into the mix it only brings the total up to 50 percent. This means the two countries he says are the biggest threats to the nation, combined, spend less than half of what is in the U.S. defense budget.

Wilhelm said the past two decades with a laser focus on Iraq and Afghanistan was unfortunate for the country as a whole because it took the U.S. attention off other countries that are a more significant threat.

“We spent 90 percent of our strategic efforts there,” he said. “Not only was it a financial cost but an opportunity cost.”

Wilhelm said “Russia is good at illusions” and China “is rocking along.” He noted oriental – or eastern – culture is different from occidental – or western – culture.

“They think of time differently than we do,” he said. “They look at strategies over the long haul,” noting that the U.S. and other western countries are more concerned about producing results in the short term.

“We are the checker players and they are the chess players,” he said.

Wilhelm also discussed the state of military personnel today. Of current 17 to 24-year-olds, only 29 percent are eligible to be qualified potential recruits. He cites problems with morality, obesity and low aptitude scores for this reason. But of the ones who are qualified, and who do serve, the next challenge is keeping them.

“They are products of the digital age and can be valuable assets,” he said, especially in cybersecurity where there is a great need. “The problem is after the military spends all that money on training and developing top-notch people to fill these roles, the private sector steals them away by adding extra zeros on their salaries.”

Tuesday’s program served as the club’s annual tribute for Veterans Day. While Wilhelm talked about today’s military issues and concerns, he also wanted to make one point that tied best to the national observance.

“I like to remind myself the young men and women who are in the military may fight the war, but they had no control over starting it,” he said. “But we as citizens all had a part in it.” He then implored citizens to be diligent about electing quality public officials who are making good decisions, who will put the Constitution of the United States first.

“People are temporary,” he said. “Institutions are permanent.”

‘Share the Warmth’ is a signature community service

Donations solicited for Nov. 9 event

Record-setting heat means most of us are still wearing our summer clothes, but now that it is October, we can be hopeful things will begin to cool down. But cold weather causes its own challenges, especially for families who don’t have the means to buy warm clothing.

For about a decade now, the Rotary Club of Carrollton has been hosting an event called “Share the Warmth,” soliciting warm clothing donations to then turn around and donate to needy families. This year’s event again will be held at First Baptist Church in Downtown Carrollton on Saturday, Nov. 9, in the Fellowship Hall. Doors open at 10:00 and will close when the clothing runs out or at noon, whichever comes first.

The day before the event, volunteers sort through the donations and group them by type and size, filling tabletops with mounds of warm, snuggly clothing, from pants to sweatshirts to jackets to sweaters to shoes to socks. Other items are needed beyond clothing – blankets, sleeping bags, “anything that can keep people warm,” said organizer Bunny Godard.

Rotarian Godard, a past president of the club, has spearheaded this event for years and notes how she is always amazed at the generosity of our community, but equally amazed at the overall need. Each year, adult clothing is donated in abundance, but also each year, children’s clothing runs out after the first hour.

“We are always in need of children’s clothing and I make a special appeal to get more,” said Godard. “Because of this, any monetary donations we receive is used to buy new children’s clothing. The need is great.”

Monetary donations can be made out to the Rotary Club of Carrollton, P.O. Box 948, Carrollton, GA 30117. Godard also said if anyone would like a tax letter, he/she can send a request to the same P.O. Box and to let her know what they donated.

Clothing is entirely free to clients on a first-come, first-served basis.

Donations are accepted now through Nov. 7 and can be dropped off at four convenient Carrollton locations: The Times-Georgian, 901 Hay’s Mill Rd.; Carrollton Club Apartments, 1130 Cedar St.; Jill Duncan State Farm Insurance, 1654 Maple St., and Gradick Communications, 102 Parkwood Circle.

“Even though we’ve been sponsoring this community service for years, every year there is still a need,” said Godard. “We appreciate donors who take the time to go through their closets, drop off their donations, and help us help our community.”

Dickey: UWG athletes are students first

UWG Athletic Director Daryl Dickey

To Daryl Dickey, athletics is all about academics.

The pride in the University of West Georgia athletic director’s voice was evident when he updated members of the Rotary Club of Carrollton about the status of UWG student-athletes last Tuesday at Sunset Hills Country Club.

“We are the leader of the Tier II institutions in this state,” he said. “When athletes come here, they are students first. When they show what they can do in the classroom, then they earn the right to be an athlete.”

Dickey said over the past decade the university has been diligent about tracking – and keeping – athletes strong in the classroom. The entire roster of men and women athletes has an average GPA of 2.91, but Dickey said most of the student-athletes are well above that mark, with the women’s and men’s golf teams boasting the highest averages of 3.61 and 3.57, on a 4.0 scale, respectively.

“We have a lot to be proud of our student-athletes academically,” he said, noting that more than 50 percent, 168 total, have a 3.0 or better GPA and 147 have been named to the Gulf South Conference Honor Roll.

And for the first time in school history, two UWG athletes were awarded the highest Gulf South honors for their efforts. Women’s golfer Franziska Bremm and baseball player Cade Marlowe were named winners of the 2018-19 GSC Commissioner’s Trophy, the conference’s most prestigious honor, that recognizes the most outstanding male and female athlete. The criteria extend beyond outstanding athletic prowess; included are leadership qualities, school and community service, academic success, character and sportsmanship.

Dickey said both are biology majors, with Marlowe touting a 3.87 GPA and Bremm a 3.77.

But the success of these student-athletes are not just noticed in the classroom, said Dickey.

“Eleven of the 13 sports teams made it to the post season this year, a record for our program” he said. “Over the past five years each sport has averaged 10 wins per season.”

Peralta: U.S. trade, immigration top priorities for Mexico

Dr. J. Salvador Peralta

With the political strife concerning the relationship between the United States and Mexico continuing to swirl around, the bottom line, at least from Mexico’s perspective, is maintaining the all-important bilateral partnership between the two countries, according to Dr. J. Salvador Peralta, an associate professor of political science at the University of West Georgia.

Peralta’s expertise on the subject is featured in the annual Great Decisions lecture series sponsored locally by the League of Women Voters of Carrollton-Carroll County, the Rotary Club of Carrollton and the University of West Georgia Thomas B. Murphy Center for Public Service. Peralta visited our club Tuesday to share some of his findings and explain why the U.S./Mexico relationship matters.

“There are four key areas of concern for Mexico – in this order – trade, migration, development and security,” said Peralta, noting that development and security are greatly overshadowed by the other two.

Peralta said trade between the U.S. and Mexico should be important to Americans as well, as Mexico is the second largest country in the world for U.S. exports and the trade relationship between the two countries in 2017 reached $625 billion.

As for immigration, Peralta cited the relationship between the Mexican economy and emigration from that country. More Mexicans left their homeland during the mid-1990s and around 2000, which directly correlates with runaway inflation recorded during the same periods. For the past several years, the Mexican economy has improved, and immigration to the U.S. is at the lowest level in years.

“Flat inflation in Mexico is good for the United States,” said Peralta. “A stable economy minimizes the volume of undocumented workers.”

Smith: Hartsfield-Jackson a major economic player in Georgia

DR. KOFI SMITH

The leader of the company charged with operating the Atlanta airport shared the organization’s vision and purpose of what it takes to remain at the forefront in an increasingly competitive industry.

Dr. Kofi Smith, president and CEO of Atlanta Airlines Terminal Company, said Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a city within itself, producing thousands of jobs that generate more than $4.3 billion in annual payroll. Add to that the 100 million passengers the airport serves annually, and it becomes easy to see the economic impact not only on Atlanta, but the entire state when these trickle-down dollars are factored in.

AATC is privately held and operates and maintains the 7.2 million square feet that makes up the Central Passenger Terminal Complex (CPTC) at the airport. The company oversees 40-plus contracts and more than 1,100 contract partners. Membership includes American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Smith also shared details about ATLNext, the airport’s development program. ATLNext consists of a series of projects over the next 20 years designed to boost capacity, renew and replace existing facilities, and enhance ATL’s aesthetic appeal.

Smith said a sixth runway is part of the plan, top-floor pedestrian bridges to move people above the streets, and a four-star hotel on a 13-acre mixed use development site. Parking is also a major focus and plans include two new parking decks. Smith asked the audience why they thought parking would be a top consideration.

“Parking is the number one revenue generator of non-aviation income,” said Smith, answering his own question. “When you park off site, we aren’t getting that revenue.”

Smith said, however, that just building bigger parking decks is not the prudent solution.

“When we know these parking decks are going to cost a billion dollars, we have to be mindful of what the future holds,” he said, noting cultural shifts that include ride sharing and the potential use of autonomous vehicles require deliberate study of the best way to maximize the effectiveness of new construction.

Smith also noted technology in general needs to be improved upon, not just from an efficiency standpoint, but from a customer service stance.

“Even though we are the busiest and most efficient airport in the world, we are further behind in technology when compared to our counterparts across the pond,” said Smith, referring to airports in Europe.

To learn more about AATC, visit http://www.aatc.org.

Smith: Local economy still strong, but slowing

Dr. Joey Smith

Dr. Joey Smith gave a somewhat rosy review of the state of the West Georgia Region economy to our Rotary Club Tuesday – wages are up, healthcare jobs top the service sector pay scale, and manufacturing job salaries are closing in on healthcare. But he did note some trends to keep a close eye on – for one, housing appears to be moving from a seller’s market to a buyer’s one.

“Right now, housing prices are up since the recession and homes are on the market for only 56 days, including the month it normally takes to close,” he said. “Time to sell is now.”

Agriculture remains strong in the region and brings a benefit not every other economic segment can match, said Smith.

“This is important because farmers spend almost 100 percent of their income locally,” he said.

The prediction that car manufacturing and sales would level off and start to decline appears to be coming to fruition, said Smith. He noted a bump in vehicle manufacturing and sales right after the recession was expected and occurred at the beginning of economic recovery because people held on to their cars until their personal economies improved. The market is now saturated with newer vehicles, which impacts the immediate future of this industry.

“A car manufactured today typically will last 12 to 20 years,” said Smith, who also predicted a drop in production that will impact manufacturers and support industries in the West Georgia Region.

Then, the chair of the University of West Georgia’s Economics Department used a term that doesn’t mean a whole lot to the lay listener, but sounds ominous none of the less.

“The yield curve is approaching zero,” he said. “When it is below zero, bad things can happen. Well, not always bad but likely a recession is in the future.”

Learn more about the state of our region in the UWG Center for Business and Economic Research’s quarterly economic update.

Buice brings professional theater company to Carrollton

Taylor Buice

Successful thespian and Carrollton native Taylor Buice visited our club this week to share his dreams – and his plans to fulfill them – through a professional theater company located in his hometown.

Taylor Buice, a 1998 Carrollton High School alum, spent several years following his graduation from Shorter College as an actor in New York and other places but, he admits, the intensity and competition led to a total burnout and return home to pursue other career options.

But his dad, Kevin Buice, knew Taylor’s passion for performing was deep-seated and genetically unavoidable. His father – Taylor’s grandfather – was the renowned Wallace Buice, who retired from then West Georgia College as a popular performing arts teacher and mentor, inspiring hundreds students to pursue the same dream. Kevin Buice encouraged his son to get back on stage and Taylor has never regretted it.

Following several acting opportunities in metro Atlanta with smaller professional theaters, Taylor channeled his love of performing arts to work on bringing the quality of these smaller companies to Carrollton.

Taylor named his company the Wallace Buice Theatre Company in honor of his late grandfather. He shared this news with his grandmother, Betty Buice.

“I asked her what she thought and she replied, ‘I guess he’s up there in heaven saying well, it’s about time!”

Taylor said while he is an advocate of community theater, bringing a professional theater with paid actors to Carrollton will ramp up the quality.

“I have the skills and experience to bring top talent to our community,” said Taylor. “I want to put Carrollton on the map as home of one of the best regional theater companies in the Southeast.”

Schneider: Critical thinking critical to national security

Bob Schneider

A veteran who began serving his country 66 years ago transitioned from the Army two years later to continue service in the National Security Agency for more than three decades. But even after retirement after a long and illustrious career, Bob Schneider was lured back in his 80s in 2013.

Now really retired this time, Schneider shared some of his thoughts on the country and its security as the guest speaker of the Rotary Club of Carrollton’s special Veterans Day program Nov. 13. He also shared his advice on finding the right leaders for today’s United States.

Schneider traveled to Carrollton from his home in Virginia Beach, Va., to join Rotary in honoring local veterans.

“You are now a member of an elite brotherhood and sisterhood for your service in defending our country in a time of need,” Schneider told members of the audience who stood up when the call was made for all veterans to stand to be recognized.

Schneider acknowledged that if most people knew what the real threats were to our country, they would keep them up at night. But he also assured the crowd that highly intelligent people are working around the clock to support the military with exceptional intelligence to counteract our enemies.

“We keep track of other countries,” he said. “But they also keep track of us.”

Schneider said the need for quality intelligence is great. He noted more Americans 35 and younger are favoring socialism over capitalism, a worrisome trend.

“And Communism still has the goal of taking over our country,” said Schneider.

Schneider said “critical thinking is essential” in creating success in intelligence use. “You can’t tell the difference between truth or fiction without it.”

In moving forward with the country’s leadership efforts, Schneider said it is critical for Americans to truly assess what whey want in their leaders.

“We need to examine what our core beliefs and principles are,” he said. “Then find candidates who have similar principles and put them in Washington, D.C. That is the only way we’re ever going to be able to drain the swamp.”

Schneider said he also favors term limits.

“That is how we will get back to the country Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers envisioned,” he said.

New NICU keeps preterm babies at home

Dr. Ade Aderibigbe

Dr. Ade Aderibigbe, Tanner Medical Center’s NICU physician, updated our club on the new Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit that opened a month ago and why this level of care is a big advantage to the west Georgia area.

Aderibigbe noted previously, preterm babies born at Tanner would have to be taken to Columbus or Atlanta in order to get proper treatment. Now, as a Level 3 facility, Tanner will be able to accommodate most complications that arise for a premature baby. For extreme cases, transport to a Level 4 NICU would be the next step.

“It’s not just about working for the survival of a baby,” he said. “It’s about saving them with minimal impact.”

Aderibigbe said babies are considered preterm when they are born before 37 weeks and/or with birth weights below five and a half pounds. He said in the U.S., there are about a half a million babies born every year who are preterm.

Aderibigbe said the Tanner NICU truly functions in a team environment.

“There is no such thing as ‘I’ but ‘we,’” he said. “We all truly understand it is a team effort.”

Dr. Aderibigbe with club President Galen Hobbs

‘Rockonomics’ engages students to learn economics

Kim Holder, who teaches economics at the University of West Georgia, offered an informative update to our club Oct. 16 on the uniqueness of “Rockonomics,” a program she developed to teach the fundamentals of economics to college students. Rockonomics engages students by requiring them to produce music videos about what many consider a boring subject. The popularity of Rockonomics led to a music video competition at the collegiate level that has produced 400 economics videos so far, and now a high school competition is under way.

“Rockonomics is Weird Al Yankovic meets School House Rock,” she said.