Rodrigo Jose Samodal

LDS 102

Charles Powell

April 4, 2016

Job Fair Reflection

This spring semester, I decided to attend the job fairs that took place in spring semester of 2016. Out of the 4 job fairs that were offered for different fields, I attended the health service and business job fairs. Although these job/internship fairs are mainly intended for upper classmen looking for employment, I still decided to go. Although I knew there were some opportunities for me, I mainly wanted to see what it is like and learn what I could to prepare myself for when I will be using the information for a more practical use.

I knew that the event was a professional event, so formal/professional attire would be required. Thankfully, I know how to dress appropriately and how to present myself. I put on my suit and tie, printed out multiple copies of my updated resume, packed some pens and notebooks, and headed over to the SAC ballrooms for the job fair.

Once I got to the job fair, I filled out a quick survey, received my guide, and headed in. It was a bit overwhelming at first, as I was surrounded by dozens of professional employers and upperclassmen. I had no idea where to begin. So I started with the career center itself. I found some interesting internships at the career center that I definitely will consider for future years. I also took some time to speak to representatives from a few companies such as “Big Brother Big Sister” and “Target” about future internships. I spent the full amount of time making as many positive connections and working on my networking skills.

Although I did not find many opportunities for myself, being a first year student, the experience was still beneficial. I learned about what to expect for future job fairs and what I will need to prepare for. I have the experience under my belt now and I am looking forward to utilizing the job fair better and finding future internships and employment.

Rodrigo Jose Samodal

LDS 102

Charles Powell

April 18, 2016

American Sniper

Leadership is an important characteristic and quality, especially in the military. In life and death situations, exceptional leadership qualities can make a difference in a battle, and even the war. The film “American Sniper,” which is based on real life events, portrays the exemplary leadership qualities of Chris Kyle, a US Navy SEAL sniper. This film is based of his memoir and his tours and combat in the Iraq war.

Chris Kyle is considered the deadliest marksman in US military history, with 255 kills in his military tours in Iraq. This is evidence of the success of his military career. From the success of his combat record, he eventually earned the rank of Chief Petty Officer, and was involved in a mission to kill “The Butcher,” an al-Qaeda leader. He also is involved with a shootout with an enemy sniper named “Mustafa” who provides a problem for US military forces as they are consistently attacked by him.

On Kyle’s fourth tour in Iraq, he is assigned to find and kill Mustafa. He is in command of a sniper team inside enemy territory, and takes a long distance shot at Mustafa, killing him, but revealing their location. They are then subjected to attack by a large number of enemy insurgents, and a huge firefight ensues. Kyle is able to help lead his team in the fight and survive, however the team soon runs low on ammunition and are almost out of options. But the team is able to escape in the cover of a sandstorm, and Kyle helps the team escape, almost at the cost of his own life and being left behind. That is a great leadership characteristic, when Kyle did his best to fight for his comrades. I highly respect Kyle’s sense of duty and loyalty to his comrades in the line of duty, and to me that is characteristic of a great leader, and Kyle is a prime example of a great leader.

Citation

American Sniper. Dir. Clint Eastwood. Prod. Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar,

Bradley Cooper, and Peter Morgan. By Jason Hall. Perf. Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller. Digital Campus. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Rodrigo Jose Samodal

LDS 102

Charles Powell

April 10, 2016

Lone Survivor

Teamwork is a key element to success. It is especially vital in the military and the fight for survival. Every group or squad of soldiers is comprised of different individuals with unique talents and characteristics, but they all share one common goal. How well these soldiers function as a unit will determine how successful they all are. But every group is different nonetheless.

In the film “Lone Survivor,” a Navy SEAL Team led by Marcus Luttrell is dispatched to initiate counter-insurgent action against Taliban leader Ahmad Shah in Afghanistan. They’re mission was to find and kill Shah, which required being inserted into the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. However, they’re communication difficulties provided a major problem for the mission, and after being discovered by a group of herders, they are compromised. Soon after, they are found by a large group of Taliban forces. After managing to fight off a few initial soldiers, the Navy SEAL team finds themselves largely outnumbered and overwhelmed, and each soldier sustains serious injuries. However, they continue to fight, protecting one another while fighting to survive. These men care and fight together to survive. They are brothers together.

The Navy SEAL team in lone “Survivor” is very similar to the Army Rangers in “Saving Private Ryan.” Both groups were given a single mission to complete, and each soldier had specific tasks and each had unique characteristics and personalities. In whole, both groups of soldiers did what they had to do to fight for their mission and for their lives, but the individual relationships between members of each group differed. The Navy SEAL team had a much more deep-seated relationship with one another than the Army Ranger team. The Navy SEAL team members have been fighting together for years, just as the Army Ranger team has as well, but the Navy SEALs were much closer in their personal lives and bonds. The Army Rangers fought together, but knew little about one another aside from the stories they have shared over their years together. The Army Rangers team had tensions within the squad, which eventually surmounted to conflict. The Navy SEALs also met conflict with one another, but were able to put all of it aside and pull together.

Teamwork is essential for success in any group. All members of the group must contribute to the group effort to achieve the goal. And the relationship between the members of the group affect how well the group works together. The Navy SEAL team in the film “Lone Survivor” had stronger interpersonal connections than the Army Ranger team in the film “Saving Private Ryan” and did not find as much conflict within the group. They had a stronger bond as brothers and fought with and for one another.

Citation

Lone Survivor. Dir. Peter Berg. Prod. Peter Berg, Sarah Aubrey, Randall Emmet            Herrick, Barry Spikings, Akiva Goldsman, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, and Vitaly Grigoriants. By Peter Berg. Perf. Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Eric Bana. Lone Survivor. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.

Rodrigo Jose Samodal

LDS 102

Charles Powell

April 4, 2016

Black Hawk Down

In the heat of combat in the military, it is the number one rule that no soldier gets left behind. This is common knowledge every soldier knows in his heart in the US military. Soldiers fight mainly for their fellow brothers fighting alongside them. Military commanders often do their best to formulate a well calculated plan that will get their soldiers in and out safely. However, sometimes the effort needed to treat and care for the wounded in the heat of battle can often result in more casualties. This paradox often puts many soldiers in difficult situations, as portrayed in the film “Black Hawk Down.”

As tensions rose in the African country of Somalia, the central government is overthrown by the militant leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid, the country plunges into civil war. The United Nations authorized military operations to fight the militia. The US Army Rangers, Delta Force counter-terrorist operators, and the 160^th SOAR aviators are deployed to capture Aidid. They are deployed on a mission to capture Aidid’s top advisors Omar Salad Elmi and Abdi Hassan Awale Qeybdiid.

However, after the mission begins, PFC Todd Blackburn falls from his helicopter and is critically injured. Now part of the convoy is dispatched to return him to base. However, amidst the fighting and the hundreds of Somalian militia standing in their way, more casualties follow, and one Black Hawk, Super Six One, is shot down by an PG and crashed within militia territory. The pilots are killed and the rest of the crew is critically injured. The rest of the deployed Army Rangers are prevented from reaching the crash site due to militia road blocks and heavy firefighting. The mission soon becomes a relief effort to evacuate the wounded soldiers, with casualties rising with every effort to get these men to safety.

With more and more soldiers becoming wounded, and the mission becoming a rescue mission for these soldiers, the Army Rangers find themselves in a desperate situation. They need to fight to stay alive while also treating and caring for their wounded as they await rescue. Major General William F. Garrison desperately wanted to withdraw the men back to the safe zone and made it the main objective to bring his men home. The mission ended up becoming a failure, as the Army Rangers never captured their intended targets, and instead suffered casualties. 19 American soldiers were killed and over 1,000 Somalian militia and civilians were killed.

In the US military, no man gets left behind. Soldiers fight for their fellow comrades, and fight to protect each other and their country. They treat and take care of their wounded and bring them back to safety. However sometimes this effort is costly, and often can result in even more casualties and deaths. This situation does bring some tension within military commanders and soldiers on the field. Everyone wants to come home safely, but there will always be a risk in the effort to do so. In the US army, however, the risk is worth it, as every soldier lives for his comrades and no man will be left behind.

Citation

Black Hawk Down. Dir. Ridley Scott. Prod. Jerry Bruckheimer and Ridley Scott. Screenplay by Ken Nolan. By Mark Bowden. Perf. Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Ewen Bremner, Sam Shepard. Black Hawk Down. Digital Campus, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2016.