February,1995 |
Connecticut Journalism
Award.
Bobby Davis '93 Aids Withdrawal
Of U.N. Troops from Somalia
By Melba Riley
Working closely with Central's head counselor, Mr. Richard Shepherd, military recruiters have perennially found good men and women from Bridgeport to serve our country in the armed forces.
Navy Airman Apprentice Bobby S. Davis, the 20-year-old son of Joseph and Maria Davis and a 1993 Central graduate, was part of the U.S. naval force providing cover for the final withdrawal of U.N. troops in Somalia during Operation United Shield. For more than two years, these U.N. forces have been protecting humanitarian relief efforts amid the chaos of Somalia's internal unrest.
Davis, an airman, is aboard the Japan-based amphibious assault ships; USS Belleau Wood. The Belleau Wood, plus three San Diego-based amphibious ships; USS Fort Fisher, USS Essex, and USS Ogden, carried about 2,700 Marines from Camp Pendleton, California, and Okinawa, Japan, serving as the protective force for the last U.N. soldiers leaving Mogadishu.
"I was glad to be part of this humanitarian effort," said Davis. Since August 1992, with the U.S. naval involvement in the Somalia humanitarian effort, hundreds of thousands of lives have been saved. The U.S. support of Operation United Shield was part of a long standing commitment to the United Nations.
Shepherd believes the military is a good option for students not interested in college. "The uniform gives them an identity. They learn discipline and are better equipped to succeed in the work place when they get out," explained Shepherd.
