rapidfire
Never Stop Serving C
oast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Mike McGrail is proof volunteer service has its perks. As a military social aide, McGrail participated
in the 2014 World Series Champion San Francis- co Giants’ visit to the White House. “Willie Mays accompanied the team, and I was his escort for the day. A really big thrill!” McGrail says. McGrail has pursued a remarkable
volunteer path. He currently volun- teers as a mentor at the Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, similar to a role he performed earlier for Baltimore Public Schools, and in 2016, he was one of a select cohort of mentors for the U.S. Sen- ate Youth Program. Tell me about the Senate Youth Pro- gram and your involvement. It’s an annual one-week experience for outstanding high school students interested in public ser- vice. The Hearst Foundations underwrite expenses, including $10,000 undergraduate scholarships. Two student leaders from each state, [Washington, D.C.], and overseas DoD schools spend a week in Washington meeting with senators, cabinet members, a Supreme Court justice, and federal agency directors. I mentored eight students. Mentors are junior
officers — old enough to have experience to share but also young enough to relate. What’s been your approach to volunteering? I try to pick meaningful opportunities. The Sen-
ate Youth Program was meaningful because you have the opportunity to mentor some of the best high schoolers. Many will be future public servants, including military [servicemem- bers]. Having that direct impact is key. You’re a U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduate with substantial experience in maritime policy and drug enforce- ment. What pulled you in those di- rections? I grew up in Massachusetts, a coastal state, so maritime [policy] has always appealed. I also was born in
Colombia; my twin sister and I were adopted as infants. The opportunity to impact drug trafficking drew me to the Coast Guard over other services. My whole Coast Guard career has involved counter-drug [enforcement]. How does your MOAA membership tie in? Being a military officer is a vocation and way of life for me. MOAA advocates for our profession, including veterans who built the profession to where it is today. We’re all part of a long line of leaders that MOAA supports.
— David Sears Attention! Check out these military-related entertainment offerings.
BOOK VETERANS VOICES: REMARK- ABLE STORIES OF HEROISM, SACRIFICE, AND HONOR (National
Geographic) Veterans Voices features vivid pho- tography and firsthand ac- counts from veterans who have served in the past 70 years. Notable veterans
who share their personal stories include the first African-American female combat pilot, Vernice Armour, and martial art- ist, actor, and former air- man Chuck Norris.
FILM WHEN TO DIE: STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF CIVIL
26 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2016
WAR REENACTING (Old Glory Productions) A fea- ture-length documentary that examines the legacy of the Civil War through the
eyes of reenactors, When to Die is an in-depth look into the phenomenon of Civil War reenacting and how it reinforces and challenges larger cultural trends.
BOOK DIRGE FOR THE DEAD OF VERDUN (Needle Press) Origi- nally published in 1924 as Henry Montherlant’s World War I memoir and recently translated and rereleased, this book delves into post- traumatic stress and the author’s feelings and expe- riences after battle. MO
PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
