Honoring Our Heroes

Captain Lamont Dewitt Pack: Age 76

From the Brooklyn ghetto of Bedford-Stuyvesant with humble beginnings, Captain Lamont Pack at a joint Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine military recruiting office in Times Square, Manhattan, New York City, he convinced Air Force Staff Sergeant Pulaski to accept his application. He took the Air Force test, qualified for every Air Force job, took, passed, and was selected during the clarinet audition for the 21st Air Force Band at McQuire AFB, NJ. The band master Major had a slot and wanted him badly. The recruiter did not receive any points for him because he did not fall under Project 100,000 that Congress required for the Air Force and Navy to select Colored and other minority es who did not score high enough on their acceptance test. For the person who wanted to be the smartest person in the world, Captain Pack never thought Air Force entry would embark him on 26.5 years of service.

Captain Pack entered military service June 2, 1967 serving 15 years and was discharged December 10, 1970. He reenlisted December 11, 1970 and served until September 13, 1974. He then served from September 14, 1974 until he was discharged December 31, 1993 at Maxwell Air Force Base serving 11 years as a Physician Assistant (PA). His Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) included Personnel Technician, Personnel Clerk Supervisor, Operating Room Technician and Physician Assistant. He received the following decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons: Air Force Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with three oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Vietnam Service Medal with eight Service Stars, Overseas Short Tour Ribbon, Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with five oak leaf clusters, NCO PME Graduate Ribbon, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, Air Force Training Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Device with three oak leaf clusters, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Air Force Expeditionary Medal and Meritorious Service Medal and Senior Biomedical Science Corps Badge.

Captain Pack was born January 16, 1948 at Savannah, GA, to his parents, Willie Mae and James Pack. Many members of his immediate family served in the U.S. military including his grandfather, father and three male siblings. His oldest brother served in U.S. Navy, younger brother served at Pleiku, Vietnam while Lamont Pack was at Tan Son Nut, Vietnam, and the youngest in high school signed up for delayed enlistment in the U.S. Marines in 1970. He attended school at Savannah before moving north to New York City.

He grew up living in the Bedford-Stuyvesant ghetto which was occupied by 99.9% African-Americans. While there, he and his cousin who loved to fish went fishing at Prospect Park where a majority of Caucasians were, and they were accosted by a group of male Colored youths from the ghetto. He is ever grateful to the New York City Police Department which was similar to the calvary for rescuing them on two different occasions preventing their imminent death from the guns that the gangs had. Because he was an excellent student, he was accepted for attendance at Eastern District High School where he was a minority among Caucasians. He excelled in track, played bassoon in the orchestra and chamber orchestra and clarinet in the school’s band and participated in the school’s version of the G.E. College Bowl competitions where he was selected as anchor and captain of the 4-member team as well as serving as the sports reporter for the school’s newspaper, The Knight. Also, the chamber orchestra was selected to play Carl von Dittersdorff’s Symphany in C on television. It was from a part time job that he was able to buy his clarinet and tenor saxophone.

He was voted as “student most likely to succeed” as seen in the high school yearbook. He graduated from high school June 30, 1966.

Captain Pack completed several degrees while serving in the U.S. Air Force with much of this done during the evenings. He received an Associates Art Degree from the Georgia Military College in 1979 and an Associates Art Degree from the U.S. Air Force Community College in 1980. He attended Troy State University at Montgomery, AL. He earned a B.S. Degree in Physicians Associates from the University of Oklahoma in 1982, and he became an officer as a second lieutenant at his graduation. He received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Oklahoma (OU) in 1992. When asked by the OU MPA program selection staff why he wanted the MPA degree, he advised that he wanted to help the people in Public Administration in Lowndes County, Alabama, which was the poorest county in Alabama. After his military service for two years using the G.I. Bill, he studied automotive technology where he became Automotive Service Excellence Certified (ASE) in heating & auto air conditioning, engine repair, auto electric & electronics, automatic transmission, auto parts, and steering & suspension from John M. Patterson Technical College (J.P. Tech) in Montgomery, AL, in 2001 because he did not know anything about auto repair and was cheated by a dealership in Tennessee for over $1,000 for something costing about $5.00. He worked AutoZone’s night shift on Fairview Avenue while at J.P. Tech.

Captain Pack’s extensive military assignments included tours in Thailand, Vietnam and Japan since 1967. When being shipped out from Whitehall Street in NY City, he and one-half of the group were sent to Amarillo AFB, TX, instead of Lackland AFB, TX, because of a meningitis epidemic. He was not fairly allowed by the Major band master to audition for the vacant clarinet position at the Golden Spread Band of Amarillo who broke the reed and told him to play. The band master reported Lamont who refused to play even though several band members said it was not fair and were told to shut-up and mind their business. He was the wrong color.

He completed 37 days of a tough Basic Training as an HQ at Boot Camp at the Amarillo Force Base, TX, with the 3332nd Student Squadron (ATC) in Flight 212 and also completed 12 weeks of training at the personnel tech school on Burroughs 3500 Computer System in the second class where he was a student leader, and he was an honor graduate in both programs. He recalls, “In Basic Training, they punched us in the gut, hit us, kicked us in other places, and told us we could complain if desired but never used the “N” word.” The first meal was a bowl of raw eggs. On each of the next few days, we were hungry, but like Pavlov’s dog we vomited as we neared the Chow Hall. They said we have to be tough because the enemy will treat you worst if you are captured. We understood and accepted it because everyone was treated the same. While in tech school, students were told to turn in a short story on any subject at 0700 hours the next day. The next day, they told Airman Pack we asked for a short story not a novel. This was the second book that he had written. At 12 years old, he wrote a kids’ about ghetto life titled Charlery D. Roach that he read to cousins, nieces, and nephews. In the center-fold. it had a song that he had written although the book was never published. He had written music in high school when taking music theory and practice lessons in Greenwich Village. His short compositions would have been played on ABC, CBS, and NBC television stations, the only three stations available except PBS. He would be paid $50 for each, but his name would not go on his music and not get any royalties when they were played. He declined the offer. Also, in tech school he was the only student leadership trained in Frederick Taylor’s Time & Motion Study and the Scientific Method leadership philosophy while awaiting tech school to start. The Mann family invited him to its church and family meals when he was given a pass on Sundays.

His first duty station was at the 380th Combat Support Group (CSG) at Strategic Air Command (SAC), Plattsburg AFB, New York, where he worked in personnel for one year. When North Korea captured the U.S. Navy’s spy ship the USS Pueblo, he ran the mobility and deployment for B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers and personnel deployment to Guam. The 380th was there that night when the world learned of the incident the next morning. He became Airman-in-Charge, In & Out-Processing Section, Data Control Division when the five Sgts and NCOIC got orders to Southeast Asia and Vietnam. This left only Airman Pack in the office. His staff was those with one or no stripes that he quickly trained as he had been. He had less than three months to get ready for an upcoming Inspector General (I.G.) inspection and changed everything based on what he was taught in the leadership program at Amarillo AFB, TX. The I.G. gave his department an outstanding rating with laudatory comments, used his policies and procedures as best practices for other bases to follow and made the Colonel Director of Personnel promote Airman Pack to his second stripe to A1C. This was the first time in SAC’s and Air Force’s history that this department had never gotten a negative write-up. His supervisor, a 2nd Lt who got promoted to 1st Lt (whose father was a Colonel who worked in Hq. Air Force in Washington, DC), said they tried to give A1C Pack a Commendation Medal but was told First-Term Airmen did not get Commendation Medals. Yet, a First-Term airman who worked in Records Section typing and filing was and who also was being reassigned came by to show A1C Pack his Commendation Medal and wanted to see A1C Pack’s medal. When A1C Pack confronted the 1st Lt, he was advised that the First-Term Airman was an orphan is the reason why he got the medal. Again, A1C Pack was the wrong color.

He was reassigned to the 635th CSG Pacific Air Force (PACAF), Utapao Royal Thai Air Field, Thailand, in December 1968 for one year. While there, he was directed to report to the flight line to help the passengers deplane from the C-130. Bob Hope and his entertainers landed with his band and then introduced him to the rest of the entertainers including Ann Margaret and Rosey, Grier, the football player. He won Airman of the Month, given “Be Kind to Airman Pack Day” announcements over the PA systems on base and promoted to Sgt. It was here that one of the B-52s bombers blew up on take-off on a bombing mission to Vietnam causing Airman Pack’s first of many head traumas with loss of consciousness.

Captain Pack was then sent to Vietnam for 12 months to the 377 CSG (PACAF), Tan Son Nhut Air Base still working in personnel as Special Actions NCO where he experienced the dangers of combat from the Vietcong. He recalls comrades losing arms, legs and heads with bullets passing his own head. Between rockets and ground attacks, he often heard the daily radio broadcast of Hanoi Hannah. He often played his clarinet and read the Gideon Bible which had been issued to him in basic training to relieve the stress. He prayed for deliverance and recited the 23rd Psalm resulting in his experiencing a peaceful calm. In 1970 in Vietnam, the Red Cross notified him that his best friend, his grandfather, had died. For him, the war paused while he remembered his grandfather’s many walks, talks and life lessons. He said, “I thank God that I’m not dead.” More bad news, at his Bronze Star Medal pinning ceremony, the day before he was supposed to leave, he was denied the medal because he was a First-term Airman who refused to reenlist. The new squadron section commander, on three previous meetings, angrily told Sgt Pack that he messed up his record to get all eligible enlisted to reenlist. Therefore, he fabricated lies about Sgt Pack to Hq. PACAF, saying he does not show up for work, always late for work, and disliked the Air Force by getting out six months early. He refused Sgt Pack’s answer to use the G.I. Bill to attend Brooklyn College and then return to the Air Force as an Officer. Sgt Pack refused to take the promotion test to SSgt because he didn’t want getting promoted to stop his plans. Ironically that night on a newsreel, he heard President Nixon basically say that there are no jobs available in America. He then sought his supervisor to make plans to reenlist, and it was done 10 days later, and he was assigned to Thailand to fill an urgent needed position. Sgt Pack did not have any record of unfavorable information. Also, the base commander encouraged writing poems. The only one that survived got high acclaim was attached to the daily bulletin that came out monthly entitled, “It’s Your Bag, Dad.” Colonel Marek, the Base Commander gave Sgt Pack the “Tiger Award.” There was no justification for his not being given the Bronze Star.

Next, he served for one year at the 388th CSG (PACAF), Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, and was promoted to SSgt. He was named NCOIC, In & Out-Processing Section and had to get ready for the I.G. in six months. Once again, his section got an outstanding with laudatory comments, requiring other bases to follow these best practices, and the I.G. offered Sgt Pack a position on the I.G. team. This was followed by assignment at the 60th Air Base Group (MAC), McGuire AFB, New Jersey, for one year. He served as one of the 21st Air Force (MAC) Honor Guard members as additional duty. It was here that he competed in base level Tops in Blue on the clarinet winning first place trophy after playing several tunes. When he played “Poor Butterfly” one could hear a pin drop in the base theater and got a standing ovation when he ended playing his jazzy bluesy version of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.” He gave the large trophy to Personnel. Also, he attended 21st Air Force (MAC) Leadership School and was an honor graduate.

He then returned for another tour at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base for 1.5 years. At this assignment while working in Manning section of Career Control, he was the first person to move personnel in an entire Group and Wing in the Air Force via computer from one overseas base to another and have the personnel present for duty and in pay status at another base before they left. Theoretically Hq. Air Force said that this was possible but could not provide guidance on how to do it, and the Pentagon said it had to be done by a certain date. SSgt Pack found a way to do it during one night with the help of two other people in secret a day ahead of deadline. SSgt Pack was awarded the NCOIC, Officer Assignment position, replacing the Master Sergeant. It was here that he volunteered for the commando mission to help rescue Americans when the Cambodians captured the container ship SS Mayaguez.

Captain Pack returned to serve at the 60th Air Base Group (MAC), McGuire AFB, New Jersey, for one year. In Classification and Training Section, he ensured equality for all Airmen. When a female who had gone through a year of Aircraft Mechanic training and who wanted to be an aircraft Crew Chief on C-141 cargo jets but was given typing and filing office duties for a year by her Lt Col Commander, SSgt Pack rectified the problem insuring she got upgrade training, met a selection board, and attended Aircraft Crew Chief school even though she only had two-stripes on her sleeve. She was the first to be selected, accepted and graduated as female aircraft crew chief. Now her name is directly beneath the pilot’s on the jet airplane. Next, a female Load Master and Flight Engineer candidate appeared and succeeded, the first in these fields. The Flight engineer was an officer position, and the female went from enlisted airman to officer. He then switched from Personnel to the Operating Room as a surgical technician upon completing an operating room specialist course at Sheppard AFB, TX, for eight weeks and served at the base hospital at Maxwell AFB, AL, Air University Regional Hospital for three years during 1977-1980. He was promoted to TSgt and attended the SAC NCO Academy, Barksdale, LA. He was an honor graduate where General Jones was given the “Order of the Sword,” the highest enlisted personnel recognition that can be bestowed on an officer. He scrubbed on cases until 3:00 p.m. and then worked at St. Margarets Hospital from 3:30 p.m. in the evenings and all-day Saturdays and Sundays gaining experience on cases not done at Maxwell like Open Heart emergency cases with Dr. Cyrus. When he got there was usually a patient outside of 8-of-the-10 operating rooms. He scrubbed on every imaginable case, and his Call Sign was “Laparotomy,” and in both places’ surgeons complemented his anticipation, giving them what they needed before they asked for it. He was selected for MSgt, and his promotion selection number was 0001. He was the first person selected for promotion in the Air Force during that cycle. When he was promoted to MSgt, he took the required “Supervisor Leadership Management Test” and scored 98%, according to a message from Hq. Air Force. This was higher than the Air Force’s previous record of 93%. The other two MSgts in Surgery said they scored 30%+ on the test. While there, later he stopped civilian work and attended Troy State University Montgomery (TSUM) taking science courses at night. He needed five hours or two classes required in residence to get his degree from TSUM. This was allowed for another member who became an officer but left surgery angering the Lt Col supervisor. She denied MSgt Pack the opportunity to do the same at Troy State University in Troy, AL. The hospital administrator staff said the official Troy transcript showed a 4.0 GPA. The Surgeon General of the Air Force then recruited MSgt Pack for the Physician Assistant Program. While at Maxwell AFB, he was selected as a Physician Assistant (PA) student at the University of Oklahoma (OU) Physician Associate Program through the Air Force. After graduating, his three choices for rotating internship, for anywhere in America, were Maxwell, Maxwell, Maxwell – thus, giving him his first, second, and third choices. He returned to Maxwell AFB for one year of internship. After Pediatrics, his preceptor was the Chief of each rotation and his Grands Rounds consisted of him and his preceptor, and he alone had responsibility for each patient’s care. It was hard work, but he learned a lot. In General Surgery, during a “laparotomy procedure” the Chief discovered he was ambidextrous and could clamp, tie, and cut with either hand. He said that it was extraordinary and gave him his medical cassette tapes to study for the surgical boards. In OB-GYN, OU required each student to deliver three infants unassisted. Due to a hurricane, he had 10 unassisted deliveries in a three-day period and nearly sleepless nights all requiring the surgical procedure “episiotomy,” except for the first delivery.

Captain Pack’s next assignment was at the 347 Tactical Fighter Wing (TAC), Moody AFB Hospital, Moody AFB, GA, working as one of two PAs (1st Lt and 2nd Lt) Medical Officer on Duty (MOD), the Physician’s Assistant running the Emergency Room. The PAs admitted patients from the ER, freeing physicians from that task. He had two patients in house when on Friday his third day on the job, his first heart attack patient arrived around 5:30 p.m. The patient’s wife had driven her retired Air Force MSgt husband in from Florida where Army, Navy, and Air Force hospitals staff made him wait, knowing that his nitroglycerin was not preventing the chest pain. The patient coded and Captain Pack intubated the patient, cardioverted the patient, and when he got a rhythm, admitted the patient in his service under Primary Care using the new Modified Bruce Protocol that he was trained on at Maxwell AFB, AL. He followed the patient for three days and then turned the patient over to Internal Medicine for follow-on care. He was also credentialed as First Surgical Assistant, and the surgeons were impressed with his surgical knowledge and skills.

Captain Pack was then reassigned for four years to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, after serving at Moody Hospital for one year. This was an accompanied tour so that his wife could go there with him. He worked family practice and rotating 24-hour ER shifts on weekends as all providers. He was also Chief of Surgery and Chief of Dermatology. Now, a 1st Lt, when he trained with the Navy and U.S. Okinawan Marines in the Combat Advanced Trauma Life Support Course (CATLS) in the field under combat conditions, he was assigned duties as surgeon. He was promoted to Captain. Also, he and his staff taught Emergency Medical Technician (EMT 1) Course for Central Texas College. The students, 85% Marines, and the rest Navy and Air Force were eligible to sit for the EMT 1 National Certification Examination upon completion.

Next, he served at Tinker AFB, OK, working as a recruiter of health professionals as Chief, Health Professions Recruiting Division for the U.S. Air Force with a Medical and Nurse Branch for Oklahoma, half of Kansas and half of Missouri for the 3549th USAF Recruiting Squadron which was tied for last place in the nation. The Air Force Surgeon General promised to give Capt Pack an assignment to Maxwell AFB if he took this Special Duty Assignment. Recruiting Service moved his office to Overland Park Kansas in the middle of his market. The Major that he replaced did not make goal in the three years that he was in charge, but he was given an Air Force Commendation Medal. Before he went to officer recruiting school, Capt Pack held meetings and training with recruiters at Tinker AFB, OK, from the three states and trained on everything involving recruiting. He attended Officer Recruiting Service School, Lackland AFB, TX and Squadron Officer School (SOS) at Maxwell AFB, AL and was honor graduates of both schools. After nine months, the Recruiting Service General said at a meeting at Lackland AFB, TX, that he has never seen such a Herculean rise from last place to first place before. Captain Pack had promised his Commander that this time next year (at the end of the last recruiting year) that they would be first place in the nation. They had the gold badge recruiter and all the other recruiters were silver badges, and everyone was at least 150% to 175% of goal during the three years in recruiting. The 3504 Recruiting Group Commander wanted Capt Pack to be over all the squadrons in the group, but PA Pack wanted to get back to seeing patients. The commander had promised Capt Pack the Meritorious Service Medal. Captain Pack did not get anything because maybe he was the wrong color again.

Captain Pack’s final assignment was a return to Maxwell AFB, AL, where he worked in family practice, emergency medicine and as acting chief of dermatology for 12 months. He retired from military service there. At Maxwell AFB, Capt Pack participated in the interservice training with the Army at Camp Bullis, TX, in the Combat Casualty Care Course (C4) in the field under combat conditions. He was assigned duties as surgeon. This was similar to the CATLS course with the Navy and the Okinawan Marines years earlier. The difference here was that after the training they were on telephone stand-by with Maxwell’s Air Transportable Hospital to be shipped out that weekend to replace the Field Hospital from another base in Kuwait, due to Sadam Hussein of Iraq’s invasion. The advance team had been sent to Washington, DC. Fortunately, the Iraq War ended that weekend and the deployment was cancelled. While at Maxwell AFB, AL, and other bases while performing PA duties, Capt Pack served on committees as Records Review, Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Health promotions, etc.

Captain Pack convinced the Air University Regional Hospital Commander to start to improve health care by getting patients involved with providers, and technician staff by using Total Quality Management (TQM), based on his MPA Master thesis, “A Feasibility Study: Total Quality Management in a Health Care Organization,” in family practice clinic. A Dental Clinic Dentist pushed for this before PA Pack arrived, but PA Pack convinced the Commander that he was only delegating authority. The commander then started reassigning duties to junior officers that colonels previously held and gave them authority to act helped in the retentions of some of these officers. This combined physician, technician, nurses, PAs meeting into one meeting instead of separate meetings and insured each person had at least one good thing to say about someone else and allowed patients to get involved to give input in what they believed could help improve health care with anonymous written feedback which was posted. The quality of care improved throughout the hospital. Shortly afterwards, the Air Force changed its management philosophy from Management by Objective to TQM with Maxwell AFB, AL, as the headquarters. In another area, the Air University Command General appointed Capt Pack as Air University Honor Guard Commander with flights at Gunter and Maxwell Air Force Bases. In addition, AL Governor Guy Hunt appointed Captain Pack to Lt Col in the Alabama Militia in the Medical Corps.

Since his military retirement, Captain Pack worked at Lowndes County, AL, and other AL counties with the AL Department of Health. He also worked with the Baptist Health System in Montgomery as Director of Central Sterile Services and in the same position at Erlanger Health Systems in Chattanooga, TN. In health care at Baptist Medical and Erlanger Health Systems, Central Sterile Services is under Surgical Services. Surgical Services bring in 75% of the hospital’s revenue. At both places there was reorganization with a 10% budget cut, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO). Inspection was due in six months after he arrived in each location. PA Pack had to standardize policies and procedures throughout all organizations. JCAHO gave an outstanding with laudatory comments to PA Pack’s areas of responsibility at the hospitals in both states and as best practices disseminated to other hospitals policies, procedures, spreadsheets, etc. to other facilities they inspected to follow. Working at Erlanger was made more difficult because shortly after PA Pack began work, Erlanger purchased Children’s Hospital, two other city hospitals and named them Erlanger North and Erlanger East, built Plaza and purchased four other full-fledged healthcare centers with their own surgery centers and a doctor’s office located in a competitor’s hospital. His staff was now dispersed in several facilities. At Baptist and Erlanger, PA Pack encouraged certification and taught Central Sterile Services course for certification tests during duty hours on each of the three shifts, 7-3, 3-11, and 11-7, and he got little sleep during this time period. In both locations, Baptist and Erlanger, 75% of staff became nationally certified, and surgeons frequently visited Central Sterile Services to see the professionals who took care of their surgical instruments. PA Pack made a second pay scale for those who were certified with higher pay and extended pay raise years in the future. Most staff had topped-out of the current pay scale and never could get a pay raise or promotion. PA Pack purchased new sterilization equipment, negotiated surgical instruments and supplies contracts and computerized and made more efficient operation for pulling surgical case to the extent that someone off the street could pull an Open-Heart case with the hundreds of items in 15 minutes. It no longer required an operating room tech with many years of experience. He was a proponent of in-house promotions, and with the help of the housekeeping and foodservice manager, he provided opportunities for advancement for their staff. In physicians’ lounge hallway and other walls, he placed excel spreadsheets detailing how Central Sterile Services was performing in each area. Staff morale ran high and at Baptist, the first Central Sterile Services employee of the month who was picked by peers won hospital wide honors. The JCAHO inspectors at Baptist and Erlanger were impressed.

He worked with the AL State Food Stamp Office in Montgomery County, AL, Department of Human Resources. He got the application translated into Spanish. He worked with AL State Public Health Agency as the administrator in Tobacco Prevention and Control Program and then as director of Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. He obtained 501c3 grants for education, treatment, reduction and prevention of Type-2 diabetes with adults and youth. He created the H2O to Go water drinking program and led in the distribution of H2O to Go water bottles. He got flyers on prevention of diabetes printed. He worked with the city of Tuskegee, AL, in getting installation of sidewalks and walking trails to improve citizens’ health with the help of religious leaders, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama, the city mayor and Cardiovascular Health of Public Health Department. In addition, he worked with the city of Montgomery, AL, where the mayor created a Health Czar position who began organizing marathons, half-marathons and 10Ks walk-run events as well as installation of walking trails, bike paths and bike lanes. His 12 years of employment with the AL Department of Health ended July 31, 2015. He then retired from all employment.

Captain Pack and his wife, Rose, have been married 52 years, and they have two children and five grandchildren. They attend services at the chapel on Maxwell AFB. He is a member of the VFW Smith-Wayne Post 96 and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 607. He is a talented musician as he plays the bassoon, clarinet and alto and tenor saxophones. He is in the process of learning to play the bugle and the trumpet that the family gave him on Father’s Day. He is a member of the Family Karate Center at Montgomery, AL. He is involved in physical activity as indicated by receiving his fourth-degree black belt master of the United Tang Soo Do Association. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, he assisted with instilling knowledge, discipline and molding youth with character and integrity and adult students at the Family Karate Center under Grand Master Carole Smith in Montgomery.

Pack’s conclusions about his military service are: “It gave me opportunity. I wanted to study music and to play my instruments in an Air Force band at McGuire Air Force Base. God had other plans for me, and he opened other opportunities for different jobs and a way to help other people in addition to reaching people with my music. Also, God gave me tools and talents that I discovered when put to the test to reach my American Dream.” PA Pack says if you really want to know him better, read his book, “The Airman of Note, Halfway Decent.” He would like to be remembered as someone who was helpful. Finally, when asked, “How could you do all these things?” He remembered in King James Version, Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthenth me.”

THE VIEWS OF SUBMITTED EDITORIALS MAY NOT BE THE EXPRESS VIEWS OF THE ALABAMA GAZETTE.