USO Educational Tour
Posted on April 16, 2010 - Filed Under Nigel Barker Today, Personal Picts, Travel Shoots
Whether or not you agree with the “War on Terror,” the men and women who risk their lives to protect us deserve our respect and gratitude. My father was a Royal Marine, and I grew up hearing all sorts of stories from his time in the Marines. “Once a Royal Marine always a Royal Marine,” was my father’s mantra. In fact, I had contemplated a naval scholarship to study medicine when I was 18. Of course, my life took a very different direction! That said, I was delighted when the USO, which stands for the United Service Organization, asked if I would like to visit the various military bases in Hawaii! More than that, they asked if I would do an educational tour of the military schools in Honolulu in addition to visiting a couple of their bases. I jumped at the opportunity, and little did I know what was in store for me.
Nicole, who was to be my trusty guide for the whirlwind 3-day trip, met me at the airport…
DAY 1
Day one was spent at Hickam Air Force base, and my first assignment was talking to combat photographers and the military press. It’s so easy to forget that photography is used in so many different scenarios. The military uses photography to not only document the war, but also to tell the human story of a soldier’s life. As much as the combat photographers wanted to hear about my exploits, I was beyond fascinated with their tales. One man told me how a photo that he could take had the power to potentially either send the troops home or in fact inflame a situation if misread. I have always believed in the power of photography, and when we think of most of the pinnacle moments in history, an image a photojournalist or combat photographer has taken comes to mind – Like Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal’s Pulitzer Prize-winning image of the second flag going up on Mount Suribachi. Something I didn’t know, was that Hickam Air Force base was also attacked right before the infamous Pearl Harbor massacre. In fact, they have preserved the building with bullet holes, some even deep inside the building from bullets fired from Japanese fighters that flew as low as 20 feet above the ground while spraying the barracks, making those even indoors unsafe! We had lunch at the Enlisted Club, where I heard amazing stories of life and death on the battlefield from many brave photographers. Cohen Young, specifically, shared his story that earned him his bronze star, which was breathtaking. After lunch, I was given a full historical tour of the base, which was only trumped by the privilege of going on a C17 simulator! Yes, that’s right! I got to fly a C17 transport plane…(be it only a simulator – And when I say only, I mean a 25 million dollar simulator that is a full replica of the jumbo plane’s cockpit with animation through all the windows. Think Xbox on steroids……..!)
DAY 2
Day two was down to business! My main reason for traveling to Hawaii was to visit schools and meet with students. I tried to be as prepared as possible, but of course, every school worked in its own unique way. To be honest, I haven’t had so much fun in ages. Just going with the flow and adapting was inspiring for me. My first school was Radford High School, where I was immediately greeted by students who bestowed me with lays (beautiful flower garlands worn around the neck), which is the traditional way of welcoming people in Hawaii. At Radford, I was received by a fairly large group of high school students, most of which took photography classes… although I think one or two were just bystanders. My aim was to discuss my personal journey in photography and how by allowing yourself to be creative in whatever field, we all have the power to be role models. The crux of my talk was about how despite the exciting life I seem to live, the truly most important and fulfilling part of it is working with charitable foundations and organizations. Having my own two children, Jack and Jasmine, I wanted more than anything to be an example for them. As they say, “action speaks louder than words.” Thus, through photography and film making, I have found that I can parlay serious subject matter to a huge audience and hopefully win over hearts and minds with the imagery and messages. Currently, I act as a spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States on behalf of their Protect Seals Campaign, I am a board member of the Edeyo Foundation in Haiti, I serve as an Ambassador for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and I am Wish Granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. My aim is to encourage young photographers to realize how powerful of a tool a camera can be and to wield it wisely. I also tried to impart some basic philosophy that works for me: Think outside the box, be able to critique your own work and ultimately be happy with what you produce so that your confidence can grow and empower you. The point is to know that you gave it your best shot and put your personal mark on it, even if you can do it better the next time or improve upon it.
Our next stop was Leilehua High School, where although I had a far smaller audience, it was refreshing to really talk one-on-one with many of the students. I brought my full professional Sony A900 system for the kids to play with, which proved to be a massive success. I tried to ensure the students that despite the fabulous equipment I had, what truly made you a memorable photographer was being your own unique self. When telling a story in your own way, whether you’re loved or hated, it is important to be yourself as an artist. That being said, they all loved the Sony A900….. The end of each school visit was punctuated by the odd autograph signing and photo op!
DAY 3
It’s day three now, and we headed for Aliamanu Middle School, where I was greeted by the military and the school TV network interviewed me! Each group of students I met with had their own questions, and they all enjoyed looking at the slide show of how-to and final images I played on either my laptop or projector (depending on the school set up). We decided to skip lunch and instead headed to Hickam Air Force Base for an impromptu tour of the actual airstrip and planes. I wish my 4-year-old son could have been with me, because he would have loved it. Despite the lack of advance warning, we were able to get guided tours of an array of fighter jets and transport planes. The service men and officers were beyond welcoming, proudly showing me every inch and feature on board their planes. Now, it doesn’t matter how old you are, but hanging out with real life heroes and getting to see these extraordinary planes up close and personally would bring out the child in all of us (it certainly brought out the little boy in me).
Next stop: Moanalua High School, where we were greeted with lays and a very large audience. Finally, my computer equipment was compatible with their EQ, and I was able to play my prepared slide show from start to finish. It was an interesting experience for me to go from school to school with the same message never knowing whether my presentation would even be possible. But going with the flow is such a part of life. I certainly wasn’t going to let some small hiccup hold me back. I love children, and now more than ever, have a greater appreciation for teachers.
The final stop on my visit was to the Marine Corp base. As I mentioned, my father was a Marine – or more to the point, always will be a Marine. Even though I never had any military experience, through my father and life in general, I have had a huge respect for our troops in every service, division or rank. Not to be out done by the Air Force, the Marines treated my party to a simulated tour through Iraq on an armed Humvee simulator!!! Wow. Now I haven’t shot a gun since I was a kid, but firing a M16 machine gun off the top of an armored vehicle is pretty heart stopping. As expensive as these simulators are, they do help prepare our troops for situations they would otherwise be unprepared for. You can’t put a price on a life!
I certainly had a trip to remember. I knew it would be good, but I had no idea that it would be me getting an education rather than giving the education. The USO is a fabulous organization that believes in looking after our troops and their families. I share in that belief.
To learn more about the USO visit www.uso.org
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2 Responses to “USO Educational Tour”
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Aloha!
I am one of the maintenance folks at the C-17 Simulator Site, and also a fellow Sony shooter. (a850 and a300)
I was out cold (sick) that day, but I wanted to say thanks for coming out to our site – and most of all, for supporting our fine men and women in uniform! I’ll forward a link of this page to our facility manager and simcert pilot instructor since they’ve got pics here. (The two smiling guys right above your flight certificate)
Hi Nigel Barker! I’m a big fan of yours!
I go to Aliamanu Middle School. Anyways, ever since I saw how you take pictures on ANTM.. I fell in love with your photography! That’s what made me want to take pictures more because it was so inspirational!
P.S. Email me as soon as possible!