Fort McHenry Bicentennial, Hampton Dairy Days

The Bicentennial Celebration has had great press coverage and from those I've spoken with, even employees working the incident were able to benefit from the festive spirit. No major visitor injuries or incidents, no staff harmed, and an all-around good time for the public. It sounds like answered prayers for the staff at the fort who have been planning the event since November.

Takeover of British Marine Band

Working the fort while the Blue Angels performed was thrilling for several reasons; the staff's built-up anticipation of the celebration was matched by the crowd's, who spilled in from all over the country and various parts of the world. When the aircrafts finally came in, they slowly appeared during extended intervals of time that taunt the patient spectator. The planes begin by building up the momentum of the show in numbers and with death-defying stunts. Four blue-colored planes shake the earth beneath you and are so loud that they are deafening. In perfect unison, they excel towards the sky and look as if they've vanished, but its not long before they plummet towards the ground. Sometimes they come so close you'll feel the tension of the audience who questions whether they'll stop, as they cut angles and then symmetrically disperse in multiple directions. Just in time.

The smoke from the planes leave shapes reminiscent of the loops of a roller coaster. I met up with my father after the event and he was excited to show me the images of the planes he took. He pointed out one of the Blue Angels and said the plane left a "nine" in the sky over Baltimore. The next day when the Blue Angels performed again, I saw what looked like the tentacles of an octopus in one of their last stunts when I inquired the image prints these planes left behind.

Free Trade!

During the event I worked several different areas of the events: visitor center, buses, checkpoint, ADA checkpoint, gates and the parking lot. People felt so honored to be there that I was being thanked at every turn. Thanked for wearing a uniform that serves their country. I thanked them back because they're part of the whole equation.

 I was also assisting administration with documentation on the last day of the "Star-Spangled Sailabration." I photographed the set-up and activities for the ceremony addressing American-British relations, past and present. 

Family admires my band

News women startled by cannon fire

Obama addresses the fort

Soldiers guard 200 years of peace

Working Hard

The days following the celebration feel much more subdued, especially during Dairy Days at Hampton, where goats and cows were brought in for interpretation programs on dairy making. It was hard work sampling home-made ice cream, playing with calves, four week old kids and the visitor's children, but I'll accept the challenge whenever it arises. The ways Hampton and Fort McHenry compliment one another go unmatched.

Fort McHenry: Calm Before the Storm

               This week I have been shadowing officers on the prowl. We surveyed fort McHenry by foot, bike and vehicle and I witnessed traffic stops. I’ve adapted to the “routine” day; this means I’m aware that I’ll never know exactly how the day with unravel, no matter what is planned. There’s always someone I haven’t met, or something I haven’t done or learned.

                For example, yesterday I learned about diplomatic immunity. While one of the Rangers was checking for expired registration, he pointed out a license plate with the word “DIPLOMAT” printed across the top and began to explain that diplomats from other countries have immunities that exempt them from lawsuits or prosecution from the host country they visit. US diplomats also receive special privileges in other countries that cooperate with international law.

Not 30 minutes later I was radioed to respond to a MVC in the front parking lot. When I arrived, I was addressed by Ranger Rick with a stern look who said, inaudibly to the people in the collision, “Go over there and tell Bill that it’s a diplomat…”. It was a minor collision with no injuries and minimal damage, but addressing a MVC with a diplomat has a more complex process of guidelines than those of your average fender-bender.

                 After speaking to Bill, I photographed the collision for an incident report and noted to myself how coincidental the timing of the collision was, after just having spoken about “if that guy were to get into an accident…”

                Today was an initiation into the other jobs that Rangers have: the jobs that people don’t write books like Ranger Confidential or Blood Lessons about. Today I’ve typed away in the administrative office, changed broken locks, made maintenance inspections on government vehicles (in excellent condition), and assisted with yesterday’s incident report.   These are quieter tasks than training and patrolling but are still necessary to the function of the division.

                All FOMC staff know that this week is just the calm before the storm that is the “Star-Spangled Sailabration.” Next week, as boats arrive and the Blue Angels practice and perform, visitors and staff will navigate around thousands of people, hundreds of buses, and closed roads. I hope for the best and (with ICS, NEMA, EMS training and the nature of law enforcement) am prepared for the worst. I look forward to seeing many of you next weekend!

Fort McHenry Update

Introduction to the Fort McHenry and Hampton House Experience

As I live, work hard, play and learn on the birthplace of American National Identity, I think often of preserving cultural image and history by protecting its resources and the people who visit. 

The first week my partner Jeff and I were sponges that absorbed information about Fort McHenry's history, the divisions of the park, the duties of the staff, and the plans surrounding the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, which I look forward to seeing many Prorangers and Rangers at.

History, history, history! Fort McHenry is renowned for America's defense against the British navy during the Battle of 1812 but also served as a prison, a training post and a general hospital established by the U.S. Army before the fort became a National Park. 

We were also told about the Historic Hampton House, another park we frequent. Hampton House was described by one ranger as "Heaven," and from an outside glance, this claim rings very true. Though its appearance is glamorous, its history as one of the largest slaveholding estates in Maryland suggests that Hampton's past was less than perfect. In the Hampton House, history lessons of early American life, industrialization, art and architecture, and the consequences of wealth accumulated from a prejudiced foundation await visitors. 

It was only day two that we were role-playing suspects for one of the seasonal ranger's cuffing tactics drill. A few days later, we were off to the range for some shotgun and rifle familiarization.

Shooting a shotgun for the first time is kind of like trying to balance a ceramic plate on the end of a heavy metal pole, except that it shoots metal slugs. It is a skill of balance and endurance, which like any other, is eased with steady, relaxed breathing. One of the ranger's, who was also the firearms instructor, simplified the tactics of shooting when he pointed to the camera I was snapping pictures on. He explained how the two disciplines were similar and it is no coincidence why you "shoot" a camera, just as you shoot a gun. Sometimes a gun and a camera are shot for the same reason; to protect something or someone.

The second week was as new and interesting as the first. The long hours of online NEMA and Wildland Fire training proved valuable when training at Prince William Forest for the first Proranger round-up since we left Philadelphia for our parks. It was an intense day of pack-testing, fire safety, fireline and hose drills. We left drenched in sweat and exhausted - just as we should. Most importantly, I remember those I spoke to left with a sense of accomplishment.

We also worked with Maintenance, "Maintenance" is really a broad term that encompasses many things, like all other divisions. These days I learned about historic preservation projects, grounds keeping, and various other tasks. Jeff and I constructed a parking lot that will be used for the upcoming Bicentennial events. Maybe you will park in our carefully labored white lines of justice.

This week, which is passing at an incredible rate, has surfaced defense drills and work with Resource Management. Resource Management is another division with many hats to wear and incorporates natural and cultural resources, such as museum exhibits and anything horticulture-related, from pulling weeds to designing landscape architectural. 

On Monday our Chief Ranger, Glen Clark, went over baton exercises and voice command. The success of the baton drill was broken down into three categories; "speed, tactics and violence". The next day (today), the intensity of the baton drills was tamed by the sight of fawn, brand-new to the world, who was nestled into one of the elaborate garden beds of the Hampton House. Experiences in the National Park Service are indeed diverse.