Mike Causey

Teenagers: Who Needs Them?

Would you trust your life to a stranger who happens to be 17-years old? Whether you would or not, the fact is that America\'s first line of defense is teeming w...

Federal News Network Staff

April 25, 2008 4:00 am

3 min read

You know that feeling you get when you hand your 17-year old your car keys? Or when your barely-out-of-braces daughter starts checking out colleges several thousand miles away?

Parents, and children, who survive the teen years deserve a medal. Maybe a couple of medals.

Imagine a world run by teenagers.

Not a pretty thought, correct? On the other hand…

Consider for a minute that (politics aside) many of the men and women in the armed forces are just kids. Literally. And all are volunteers.

Most Americans, especially more affluent, educated folks, know little or nothing about the military. Until recently, most members of Congress were military veterans. Today there is one veteran of the Iraq war, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) serving in Congress. One.

If you wonder how our teen-aged armed forces are doing, click on your TV Sunday night. Forget about the “reality” shows and get real.

Watch the PBS special called Carrier. It is the ultimate reality show. The carrier in this case is the U.S.S. Nimitz. It is several acres of U.S. territory, and is often the first group on the scene when trouble is brewing. Often just the presence of a carrier battle group is enough to head off problems. Or solve them if necessary. Recently they’ve been off the coast of Israel and the horn of Africia. The 3-carrier battle group sailed between Taiwan and China during the recent Taiwanese elections. Just in case.

The Nimitz, and other carriers (and other ships,) is manned primarily by teen-age boys. Alongside a growing number of young women. They do everything from fly and service jet fighters to preparing meals and keeping weapons systems operating. A carrier is a small town (4,000 to 5,000 people) where everybody works more than a 40-hour week. They eat well, but their sleeping quarters are cramped, to say the least. I was on the U.S. George Washington for a couple of hours, doing nothing, and I felt tired and strained when I left. By “doing nothing” I mean I watched young people work hard at some incredibly challenging, dangerous tasks.

So if you get a chance, check out your local PBS station Sunday (in the DC area that is WETA Channel 26). I got a special viewing of the series. I’ve seen it and I will see it again. It’s that good. That inspiring. That educational. Whether you are a grizzled veteran, a pure pacifist or indifferent to foreign policy and the military, you’ll learn something. Like the fact that it’s thanks to a bunch of teenagers (our kids) who are in harm’s way, that we can do whatever we like.

For more on the series, click here.

Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Flying Babies

Albany, N.Y., letter carrier Lisa Harrell knows that timing is everything. So, someday, will the one year old girl that Lisa caught after the tot had climbed out on a window ledge and fell two stories. The letter carrier said she was making her rounds, looked up and saw the kid perched on the window. Then fall. She made a catch worthy of the best center-fielder. Then went on to deliver the mail.

Because they are out among the public, on established routes, letter carriers save hundreds of lives each year. They often make a mental note of elderly patrons who live alone and watch for mail piling up. They call in when they spot a fire, or an accident. They’ve thwarted robberies and given CPR.

Sometimes they even catch flying babies.

Nearly Useless Factoid

“Multitasking,” for the average person, means keeping three or four balls in the air. Researchers at the University of Missouri say that’s the number of thoughts the average person can keep in their “working memory” or conscious mind at one time. Now that you’re thinking about how many things you can think about, you have room for one less. Back to work!

To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com