feature | community feature
The Line of Fire story abby buns | photos caroline tompkins
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he long-range, supersonic Phantom fighter jet darts across the sky as the two-man crew scans the radar, searching for the bomb site. The cramped cockpit provides just enough room for the two naval aviation officers to perform elegant maneuvers through the sky before acquiring the target and firing. The naval weapons on the naval fighter jets were controlled by radar intercept officers, such as Lt. Cmdr. Robert Van Wert. His job included operating the systems in the back of the fighter jets, controlling weapons and leading electronic warfare. Van Wert, father of East senior Catie Van Wert and retired Navy officer, was a backseater on F-4 Phantoms and F-14 Tomcats. “It was an honor to be one of the naval flight officers because there are so few people who get the chance to do it,” says Van Wert. Throughout high school, he did not know which branch would be a good fit for him, but Van Wert always knew he wanted to fly in the military. “Even though my father was a full colonel in the Army, I chose the Navy because they offered the flight program I was interested in and Marine careers that I wanted to pursue,” explains Van Wert. Van Wert’s initial interest in the military was inititiated by his father’s active involvement in the army. Interest in the military is often spurred by family members who were in the service. East senior Cameron South also discovered his interest because of family influence. “My brother was in the military, and it is a great way to serve my country,” says South, who plans to become a naval officer through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corp (NROTC). Having interviewed many people hoping to join the Navy, Navy recruiter and Lt. Cmdr. Paul
When you are getting shot at, it forces you to focus on the bigger things such as the country and the world. Mountel knows the motivations behind becoming an officer from many naval recruits. “Patriotism is probably the top reason for people wishing to join the military,” says Mountel. Despite partiotism being the prominent reason for joining the service, there are other motives. “[The Navy] is a really great way to have fun and see the world, and also work with some of the finest people and equipment this country has to offer,” says Van Wert, who entered the Navy through the NROTC at Auburn University in Alabama. After completing NROTC, Van Wert spent the remainder of his career at the naval base in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Over the length of his carrier in the military, he was given the chance to deploy on five separate aircraft carriers. The military forced him to learn how to cope with many unexpected challenges. “Throughout my five half-year deployments, the biggest realization I faced when I first joined was death. I knew people died, but actually seeing it happen to my friends really drove it home,” says Van Wert. The deployments and eye-opening experiences provided Van Wert with diverse opportunities, but Van Wert’s proudest moment was fighting in Operation Desert Storm. “I spent my career learning and training for war, so Desert Storm was my most fulfilling time in the Navy,” says Van Wert. “I was proud to be able to accomplish what I needed to for the naval aviation community.” Van Wert says his biggest difficulty while he worked on one aircraft carrier deployment during the war and four during peace time was dealing with the separation from family for six months at a time. “What really helped were letters and phone calls from family,” says Van Wert. “My wife also flew out to the Mediterranean to visit me. We saw Greece, Spain and England.” Mountel agrees that homesickness is a challenging obstacle to overcome. “The biggest problem people face is separation from family,” says Mountel. “The biggest misunderstanding about the military is that it turns you into robots that don’t think, but [people in the military] are normal people.” Though there were definitely difficult times, Van Wert says he learned life lessons that have helped him in civilian life. “When you are getting shot at, it forces you to focus on the bigger things such as the country and the world,” says Van Wert. “It makes you more mature, gives you leadership skills and people skills and challenges you head on.” n
22 | Spark | March 17, 2010
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Each issue, the Feature section is running a story covering the life of one member of each of the five branches of the military.
Lt. Cmdr. Robert Van Wert devoted his career to the United States Navy.