Posted: 7/10/02

Dettmer takes on active duty

Berk Brown
Staff Writer

It was December of 2001 when the United States Army asked Bob Dettmer to leave his job and family for active duty.

In the coming weeks, the Army will again be asking the Forest Lake Senior High teacher and wrestling coach to leave something familiar to him ñÝthe country.

Dettmer, a Chief Warrant Officer working in the Armyís Tactical Exploitation System, is scheduled for deployment to the Middle East in July as part of the on-going war against terrorism.

He returned home from Ft. Gordon ñÝlocated just outside Augusta, GA ñÝfor a week recently and will have the opportunity to attend a pair of family weddings before his scheduled deployment.

When Dettmer enlisted in the Army reserve in 1986, the potential for such duty was something the 51-year-old married father of three was aware of.

ìI thought I was at an age when itís time to slow down and watch your family grow,î Dettmer said. ìIn the same sense, life is picking up. Itís fun and exciting doing new things and doing very important things.

ì(Deployment) is part of being a part of the military. To be a part of that experienceÖa soldier wants to be a part of that.î

If Dettmerís deployment goes through as he expects, he will be in core and above-asset status, meaning he wonít be at the front lines, but his primary job will be keeping those on the front lines safe.

In working with the Tactical Exploitation System (TES), Dettmer is in electronic intelligence.

The TES was developed by the Space and Missile Defense Commandís Army Space Program Office and is one of the Armyís key surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

In the electronic intelligence part of the system, Dettmer is trained to pick up radar signals which can be identified to specific items, such as missiles and other weapons.

Such information gathered by Dettmer and his group can then be cross referenced with other forms of intelligence to exactly pin-point locations and identification of weapons and the sort. That information is then key to either having potential hazards eliminated or directing troops or aircraft around potential danger.

The system Dettmer works on is modular and scalable and is capable of being mounted on a HUMVEE and has the ability to be loaded onto a C-130 aircraft for transportation.

In his training in Ft. Gordon prior to deployment, Dettmer said he works long hours and seems to always have things to do to keep his mind off whatís going on back home.

ìThe Army has a good way of keeping you busy,î Dettmer said.

Not busy enough to completely take his mind off Forest Lake.

ìYou kind of take it for granted until itís taken away from you. Many times Iíll sit in my office or the lounge and be thinking of things that Iíve been taken away from and realize how fortunate I am to have those things,î Dettmer said.

In his spare time at the base, Dettmer said he has taken to bass fishing with some of the other ìold-timers,î plays on the company softball team and fills his time with other forms of entertainment.

ìIím taking in more movies than I usually do,î he said.

While there is still time for fun, Dettmer knows that wonít be the case upon deployment. He said heís prepared for the intense heat which they say ìhits you like a furnaceî when the aircraft doors open, he said. And heís prepared to take-up a fight worth fighting.

ìTerrorism is a real threat and it has come to our soil ñÝa place it hasnít been before,î Dettmer said. ìThe President needs to follow through.î

Dettmerís wife Colleen, said not only is she worried about her husband going over to the Middle East, but also about the tactics the enemy he will be helping fight against us.

ìThese people are merciless,î she said. ìTheyíll throw anything at you...they donít care about life.î

Dettmer, however, is more worried about doing his job and then returning back to his other job, which he has done in Forest Lake since 1973.

ìI look forward to coming back to Forest Lake and working with the kids in class and the wrestling program,î Dettmer said. ìI want to finish out my career at Forest Lake.î

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