Mentors Matters Receives Military Visit

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The July 6 edition of Mentors Matters started off business as usual. Students could be found working on their golf swing at Rollandia Golf Center. As the end of the year scramble draws closer, the kids were trying to improve their shot distance--until a visitor arrived.


A man in military fatigues walked behind the kids and watched them practice. Needless to say, the guest drew lots of curious looks.

This man was actually Capt. Ben Hauger, of the United States Air Force.

Hauger attended Mentors Matters to talk about his life in the military. Before he started, he asked the kids to raise their hands if they had any questions during any point of his talk. Not 10 seconds later, Hauger had his first inquiry.

"Do you have to wear your uniform all of the time?" one of the girls asked.

"Only during my work hours," Hauger said. "After work, I wear jeans and a t-shirt, just like you do."

He continued to tell the kids about how he grew up in a small Minnesota town and how the military had given him the opportunity to travel to countries halfway around the globe.

Hauger, who works in foreign sales in the Air Force, also told the kids about the importance of education in the armed forces. He told the crowd how it was necessary to possess a master's degree to achieve a higher rank.

"If you can get that degree before you join, it makes it much easier to move up the ranks," he said. "Otherwise, you have to find the time to go to school and be in the military."

The commissioned officer also told the kids that while the purpose of the military is to protect the country, he would probably not see any action because it's not part of his job function.

It's Hauger's job to arrange the sale of weapons, planes and other assets to U.S. allies.

"It is very rare for someone in my career path to be deployed," he said. "I'll occasionally travel to countries we do business with, but it's unlikely I'll be deployed."

Mentors Matters continues July 8 at Rollandia.