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Sen. Carper addresses UD ROTC members
3:33 p.m., March 7, 2007--U.S. Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) shared experiences from his academic, military and political careers with UD Air Force and Army ROTC personnel on Friday, March 2, in Purnell Hall. He also responded to questions from his audience on a variety of issues following his talk. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Carper has served in the U.S. Senate since 2001. Political service to the First State also includes five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, two terms as governor and three terms as state treasurer. Carper's collegiate career began when he entered Ohio State University as a U.S. Navy ROTC candidate. After graduating in 1968 with an undergraduate degree in economics, he served as a flight officer in the Navy from 1968-73. “I came from a family that did not have a lot of money, and I knew that I would need help in getting started into college,” Carper said. “During my senior year in high school there was an announcement that anyone interested in getting a Navy ROTC scholarship at Ohio State University should report to the high school guidance counselor's office. I applied and went to Ohio State on a scholarship.” During his five years of active duty following graduation, Carper said he flew P-3 submarine hunting planes depicted in the movie The Hunt for Red October. “We tracked the movements of Soviet submarines around the world. It was part of a policy called mutually assured destruction,” Carper said. “During the Vietnam War, we flew out of Thailand off the coast of Vietnam and Cambodia. I did three tours of duty and came back home in 1973.” After a summer's tour of Europe, Carper said he came to UD to pursue an MBA degree and possibly enter the political arena in the First State. “A friend of mine and I were talking about what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. I said I wanted to move to a small state where I could run for office without having to put up a lot of money,” Carper said. “We visited Delaware and UD. Although I was only on campus for 15 minutes, I knew this is where I wanted to come.” It was at UD where Carper met Jim Soles, Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Relations, and later became his campaign treasurer and fundraiser during Soles' U.S. Senate campaign in 1974. Two years later, Carper officially entered the world of Delaware politics by tossing his hat in the ring as the Democratic Party's candidate for the job of state treasurer. “I heard that no one had been chosen by the Democrats to run for state treasurer,” Carper said. “I told my girlfriend that I was going to be the candidate, and that I was going to win. I ran and I won.” After three terms as state treasurer, Carper served five terms as a U.S. Congressman and two terms as governor before taking on the formidable task of running against incumbent William V. [Bill] Roth for the U.S. Senate seat in the 2000 election. “Bill Roth decided to run for one more term, and nobody wanted to run against him,” Carper said. “It reminded me of the saying by Thomas Edison, that 'people shy away from opportunity because it usually comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.'” After thanking the members of the Air Force and Army ROTC in the audience for their commitment, Carper fielded questions on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to solutions for funding Social Security and Medicare. “There is a big issue over the [Bush] administration's 'surge' deployment of 25,000 more troops in Iraq,” Carper said. “We are likely to go along with funding the President's request for funding for Iraq for next two years, but with the understanding that there are certain things the Iraqis must do for themselves. They should know that we are not going to be there forever.” While the war in Iraq has attracted the major share of media coverage and White House attention, Carper believes that health care will emerge as the sleeper issue in the 2008 presidential election campaign. ”Social Security is fine for now, but real trouble will take place 20-to-25 years from now,” Carper said. “If we take small steps now, like naming a blue ribbon committee to recommend solutions similar to the one named by Ronald Reagan in 1983, we can fix the problem. Medicare is going to be a lot tougher to fix.” Carper also offered five rules for successful leadership, including:
When asked why he chose Navy ROTC at Ohio State after originally applying for to U.S. Air Force Academy, Carper said that the decision fulfilled his desire to be a pilot and serve his country. “I wanted to be a pilot, and I got to fly in the Navy,” Carper said. “I loved the mission. I felt like I did something good for my country.” |
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