Mike Bowers:  

I had never flown on an airplane, rode on a train or left the borders of North Carolina (Virginia doesn't count), before I put Scotland Neck in the rear-view mirror of a Greyhound bus three months after graduation. My first-ever airplane flight was to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for basic training. I wasn't impressed with the Alamo and didn't get a chance to see any long horns or cowboys, but it was the start of a new life. More than 35 years later, I write this from my home in Germany. I retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service and since then have continued serving my country as a government employee. I am blessed to have good health and a family that includes three wonderful children. My 'Great Way of Life' in the Air Force began for earnest during my first assignment in Oklahoma. They told me that there was a woman behind every tree at Altus Air Force Base. They forgot to tell me there were no trees (Just a little joke, so don't crack yourself up). They also neglected to tell me the city rested in the heart of 'Tornado Alley,' and there would be dust storms rolling in from the Plains that would turn day into night. I lived through it all and began my current profession as a Public Affairs Specialist. In the military, public affairs involve journalism, public and media relations. I cut my teeth on the newspaper staff for years, rising to the position of editor. I was recognized for my sports writing and won several journalism awards. My job also enabled me to see up close the world's largest airplane at the time - the C-5 Galaxy - and watch the boom operator of a KC-135 aerial tanker refuel jet fighters and B-52 bombers miles in the sky. I also accompanied a crew that transported paratroopers who jumped into the dark sky over the swamps in Panama. That trip included excursions to Puerto Rico and Germany. Right away, I knew there was something special about Germany. Back to Altus - privately, I discovered a real love for basketball, with my unit winning titles each of my five years there. I also earned a spot on the base team that enabled me to travel throughout the country. The locals would always say, 'Go overseas to Germany where you'll find the real competition.' That's exactly what I did. In 1982, I landed in Frankfurt, Germany. My Air Force career was flourishing, as well as my basketball game. Through basketball, I travelled all over Germany and throughout Europe. In those days, being overseas was serious business, as the Russians threatened to come through the pass at any time. Germany also had its share of internal terrorist groups. Such a group planted a bomb outside my office building, with the explosion killing 2 and wounding 20 others. Luckily, I wasn't around at the time. Four years later, I transferred to Riverside, California. I experienced my first earthquake, strolled down Venice Beach where some of the women had bigger muscles than mine, watched a Pacific Ocean sunset, marveled at the stars of the desert sky at night, and took a trip South of the Border. I began a serious interest in racquetball, which earned me a sponsorship. Although it 'It Never Rains in Southern California' and the girls are all pretty, Deutschland called. Off I was again to Germany. This time, my sports-writing abilities earned me a spot at the prestigious European Stars and Stripes as sports journalist. It was...Expand for more