LTC Joseph Shusko, USMC - Marine Corp Night This Evening is Open to All
LTC Joseph Shusko, USMC
A special evening to pay tribute to a special branch of our armed services.
The UNITED STATES MARINE CORP, with special guest and speaker Lt. Colonel Joe Shusko.
An author and motivation speaker, Lt. Col Shusko will be coming to us from Quantico, VA Marine Base.
This evening will bring together former marines from WWII to today's active duty marines,
as we all enjoy a night to honor the Corp and the men and women that serve!
Joseph Shusko is an RGI Associate and instructor.
He is a decorated veteran who served the United States Marine Corps for over 30 years.
He is also an accomplished aviator who spent the majority of his career flying helicopters.
While serving as a White House Liaison Officer (WHLO) at HMX-1, he was designated a Presidential Helicopter Pilot under the Reagan Administration.
In August of 2003 he assumed command of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence.
He is now serving as the Deputy Director, Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence overseeing the Corps' Martial Arts Program.
He is a Stafford Sheriff Department volunteer Officer.
He has taught "Values" throughout the United States and abroad.
He has been instructing and participating in martial arts and physical fitness since the early 1970's.
Lieutenant Colonel Shusko was born in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.
He is a 1977 graduate of Rider University.
He is also a graduate of the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.
Lieutenant Colonel Shusko became a Marine on 20 November 1975 through the Platoon Leaders Class Program.
Commissioned in 1977, he completed The Basic School and attended flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola Florida.
Designated a Naval Aviator in 1980, Lieutenant Colonel Shusko transferred to Marine Corps Air Station,
New River, North Carolina to assume the duties with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 263.
In addition to serving as a squadron pilot, he also performed the duties as the squadron’s Assistant Aviation Maintenance Officer (AAMO).
During this tour Lieutenant Colonel Shusko deployed twice to the Mediterranean Sea and was involved with peacekeeping operations in Beirut, Lebanon.
In 1984, Lieutenant Colonel Shusko was selected for duty with Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1).
While serving as a White House Liaison Officer (WHLO) at HMX-1, he was designated a Presidential Helicopter Pilot under the Reagan Administration.
Upon completion of this tour and following the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School,
Lieutenant Colonel Shusko transferred to the Sixth Marine Regiment,
Second Marine Division where he assumed the duties as the Regimental Air Officer.
In 1990, Lieutenant Colonel Shusko returned to an operational squadron, HMM-266.
During that tour he was the squadron’s Air Intelligence Officer and then the Aviation Maintenance Officer (AMO)
participating in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
He also deployed to the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable.
In 1992, Lieutenant Colonel Shusko was transferred to Command and Staff College in Quantico, Virginia.
In 1993, Lieutenant Colonel Shusko was assigned to the staff at the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School as the senior aviator.
In 1995, he was transferred to Headquarters, United States European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart, Germany,
where he worked as the Team Chief flying aboard the Airborne Command Post (ABNCP) within the Operations Directorate of EUCOM.
During this tour he deployed as a Liaison Officer with the United Nations Protection Forces and later Operation Joint Endeavor in
Bosnia, Herzegovina.
In 1999, Lieutenant Colonel Shusko was transferred to Programs and Resources (P&R) Division of Headquarters Marine Corps
where he served as the Aviation Analysis Officer.
It was during this tour that he was selected to be the Executive Officer for The Basic School, Quantico Virginia.
In 2001, Lieutenant Colonel Shusko assumed command of The Basic School.
In August of 2003 he assumed command of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence.
He is now serving as the Deputy Director, Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence overseeing the Corps Martial Arts Program.
His personal decorations include:
the Legion of Merit;
the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (Second Award);
the Meritorious Service Medal (Third Award);
the Air Medal with Strike/Flight Number 1;
the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal.
He is also authorized to wear the Presidential Service Badge.
Lieutenant Colonel Shusko is married to his high school sweetheart, Karen “Kadie” Derby and they have three children.
Kristján Hallgrímur Kristjánsson - An Icelanders Adventure
Kristján Hallgrímur Kristjánsson
Kristján Hallgrímur Kristjánsson, member #1141, will show photos, videos and talk about his life in Iceland and traveling to other countries,
e.g. visits to clubs which are affiliated with our club.
He was born in Reykjavik and then moved to a small fishing village, which was famous in the “Herring adventure”.
The village was often isolated in the winters because of snow and icebergs.
He then moved to Heimaey island on the south cost of Iceland, but had to escape from there because of a volcanic eruption in 1973.
He went back while the eruption was still going on to take part in the salvage operation where the main dangers were poisonous gases.
He gratuated with a B.S in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Northern Michigan University and then
became a police officer in the Reykjavik police, detective at the State Criminal Police and detective chief inspector at the
National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police.
He became the leader for a voluntary underwater search and rescue team and instructor for such divers in Iceland,
beside diving with other police officers. He took part in the international voluntary police security work as a sector coordinator at the
Olympic games in Atlanta, Georgia, 1996.
Kristján has the website
www.interestingworld.info
with his photos, videos, information e.g. about countries.
He has also written articles in newspapers and magazines about, scuba diving, law enforcement, organized crime, illegal drugs,
accident prevention and how to react if a car goes into the water. He was the chairman for the first-aid instructors association and
member of Red Cross first-aid council.
Elected by the Alţingi, the Icelandic Parliament, to be a member of the Alcohol Prevention Council and later in
Election Administration e.g. for parliamentary and presidential elections in Reykjavík South.
He has been to: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Botswana, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Brunei,
China (including Hong Kong), Chile, Canada, Check republic, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, England, Faeroe Island, Finland, France,
Germany, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italia, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia,
Malta, Monaco, Nepal, N-Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Peru, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa,
Spain, Scotland, Sweden, Swiss, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, USA and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
On March 12, 2008, Jay Foonberg attended the 63rd Anniversary Ceremonies commemorating the battle of Iwo Jima.
What started as an historical visit soon became a deeply emotional experience.
Jay will share his adventure of what he saw on the beaches to Mt. Suribachi,
exploring the caves dug into the mountain,
and the stories shared by the veterans who fought there.
Jay will pay tribute to the valor and sacrifice made by the service men of the United States Marine Corps and Navy.
The Battle of Iwo Jima began on February 19, 1945 and lasted until March 26, 1945.
Also known as Operation Detachment,
this was a major battle in which the United States Armed Forces fought for and
captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Empire.
The American invasion had the goal of capturing the entire island, including its three airfields.
This month-long battle included some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the War in the Pacific of World War II.
According to the official Navy Department Library website,
"The 36-day (Iwo Jima) assault resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 dead."
One third of all Marines killed in WWII died at Iwo Jima.
Ed Anderson - Equestrian Night Over 47,000 Miles on Horseback
Ed Anderson and Primo
On Sunday, August 17, 2008 Ed and Primo, a registered Arabian endurance horse, arrived at McKenzie Pass near Sisters, Oregon,
to complete their 1350-mile thru-journey of the Pacific Crest Trail.
They started from the border of Mexico on April 19 and traveled through state parks, county parks, a national park,
several wilderness areas and national forests, BLM lands, and across easements through private lands.
Ed will join us on this evening and give an account of what he saw and what it was like to solo-ride his horse on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Interesting World
