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Battlefields Buses From to WRITTEN BY LT. COL. JOSEPH HOUGH L


ast year, I found myself with a unique opportu- nity to apply some


of the leadership skills and experiences I learned through the military into my role as director of transportation for the Buncombe County school system, which operates the seventh-largest school bus fleet in North Carolina. I have been a National Guard


soldier for 25 years, and since 9/11 I have been deployed three times, including tours to both Iraq and Afghanistan. During


my most recent deployment in Afghanistan, I was the executive officer for the 105th Engineering Battalion that conducted route clearance operations throughout southern Afghanistan. My duties, primarily, were to manage the logistics and administrative func- tions of 1,200 soldiers and 290 pieces of engineering equipment. After returning from my


most recent deployment, I used my knowledge of managing a fleet of engineering equip- ment with my administrative background through the school system to manage a district


fleet that has more than 290 school buses that travel 16,600 miles daily and transport nearly 17,000 students. In my civilian job, I have


worked as an assistant principal for A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, N.C., for the last 10 years. My duties during that time ranged from managing books, testing, safety, discipline, and various other administrative functions In the year since taking over the reins as transportation director, I found unique compar- isons for the two distinct career roles from both a military and


civilian perspective. Transportation operations are successful with regular and effi- cient fleet maintenance, reliance and focus on safety measures, calculated design and construc- tion of these vehicles and, finally, using these principles to develop effective training for future actions. Both the military and the public school system address these same considerations in order to develop a successful transportation plan that ensures all parties move from Point A to Point B in the most efficient and safe manner possible.


AS MEMORIAL DAY APPROACHES, SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE MANAGING A U.S. NATIONAL GUARD FLEET IN WARTIME


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