Despite a casual demeanor and relaxed speaking style, recently retired Special Operations Air Force Chief, Chuck Kaczmarczyk, had a captive audience of UT students in the Hodges Library as he told story after story of about his role in special operations missions over the past 30 years.
Kaczmarczyk discussed the final evacuation of Saigon in April 1975, the rescue of American citizens from Cambodia in 1975, a complicated rescue attempt to Iran in 1980 and a recently declassified military operation in Zaire in 1980.
He explained the internal dynamics of each military operation, the complexity and importance of these Special Operations missions.
We have the ability to walk around our streets care-free, and in other countries, Israel for example, they don't have that. Chuck Kaczmarczyk The retired Air Force Chief described his enrollment in the military not in terms of patriotic duty, but instead with a laugh.
"Chicks dig guys in tight flight suits," he chuckled. But a deep commitment to serve his country was immediately apparent in the way he spoke about his work and fellow soldiers.
On Nov. 4, 1980 on an Army base in Florida, Kaczmarczyk recalled being summoned to respond to what would be later known as the Iran Hostage Crisis. He didn't return to his home for over 110 days.
After months of special training in Guam and a squabble by military politicians, he flew to the remote mountains of Iran to execute a rescue mission of the hostages being held in the American Embassy.
However, because of a poorly planned base location and equipment failure, the joint task force was ordered to abort the rescue mission.
"You can read about his stuff in history books, but he was there," one student from audience explained.
"Have you ever faced an ethical dillema in the special forces?" one student asked.
He proceeded to tell the story of a team of Navy SEALs hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan. The team was discovered by some local sheep farmers. Although the farmers could disclose the soldiers' top-secret location, they were released. Within an hour, a local militia attacked the American soldiers. The unit lost three of its four members.
"We have a long way to go. We have the ability to walk around our streets care-free, and in other countries, Israel for example, they don't have that," Kaczmarczyk said in response to the current war on terror.
Kaczmarczyk hopes to share what he's been through by speaking to students.
"The military isn't for everybody, and I just want to share my experiences in a historical sort of way."
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