Former Soviet Army Officer joins US Air Force

AETC News Service ^ | Carl Bergquist

[TankerKC]

Former Soviet Officer Joins Air Force

By Carl Bergquist

Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AETCNS) -- When stories about job changes come up in conversation, it is hard to top 2nd Lt. Chris Sverkounov.

The Air and Space Basic Course student went from being a lieutenant in the Soviet Red Army to a commission in the Unites States Air Force … and he has never looked back.

“I’m extremely excited about being an officer again,” said Lieutenant Sverkounov, who also said he believes he’s the first former Soviet officer to join the ranks of the U.S. military. “I plan to make it my career.”

The lieutenant said that in the early 1990s, when he was allowed to leave Russia at the end of the Cold War, he headed straight for the United States. Shortly after arriving, he talked with a recruiter and tried to sign up as an officer in the Air Force.

[TankerKC]

Interesting...

[thinktwice]

"I’ve traveled to many countries in my life and nowhere else have I seen opportunities like we have here.”

Concentrating on "opportunities," as opposed to individual freedom, does not inspire my confidence in this man's loyalty to the United States.

Time will tell.

[Russ]

Individual freedom results in opportunities. You can't
have one without the other.

[Skwidd]

Not exactly new. There was a former Soviet flight line officer on the Independence when I was on board. He was an ABH3, I think.

[ASA Vet]

And maybe the opportunity he was referring to is the having of individual freedom.

[TankerKC]

Not new, but rare. Interesting, too, considering that we were enemies for so long.

[dfwgator]

I think Miles from the movie "Risky Business" put it best:

Every now and then say, "What the f---." "What the f---" gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future.

[weikel]

Mandrake I can no longer allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international communist conspiracy; to continue to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

[thinktwice]

Individual freedom results in opportunities. You can't have one without the other.

Do Russians have freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom to own property, freedeom to own guns, freedom ala the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights?

When those freedoms are available to everyone, opportunity is available to everyone.

Russian communists have opportunities; while those that weren't members of the communist party have ... what?

Individual freedom leads to opportunity for all; whereas opportunity for some defines the absence of individual freedom.

[mitchbert]

“The United States is an unbelievable country,” said Lieutenant Sverkounov. “I’ve traveled to many countries in my life and nowhere else have I seen opportunities like we have here.”

In a related story, Pravda is reporting Russian investigators have been called to Lenin's tomb to try and figure out why the corpse is suddenly lying face down.

[mitchbert]

“The United States is an unbelievable country,” said Lieutenant Sverkounov. “I’ve traveled to many countries in my life and nowhere else have I seen opportunities like we have here.”

In a related story, Pravda is reporting Russian investigators have been called to Lenin's tomb to try and figure out why the corpse is suddenly lying face down.

[Orion78]

PING!

[mitchbert]

Ooops. Double post. My apologies.

[spetznaz]

Might be a double post .....but it is still darn funny! LOL.

[valkyrieanne]

God bless him. Such a refreshing change from the wahhabi immigrants.

[TankerKC]

True. It is good to highlight immigrants that appreciate being here.

[Wonder Warthog]

"“When former adversaries can come to the United States, become citizens and defend this nation, you know in your heart this is what freedom really means … this is the true measure of a great nation,” said Lt. Col. Richard Anderson, ASBC commandant."

Sounds like the guy has the right idea to me.

[thinktwice]

Sounds like the guy has the right idea to me.

Time will tell.

[MissouriForBush]

Don't be so hard on him. East Germans here in Germany always complain about how communism meant the total lack of opportunity to do whatever you wanted to do for a career, travel where you want, etc. The communist government decided everything -- what job you could do and where you could go -- that simple.

[Paul Ross]

I think you are right to express caution with a new expatriate to our most advanced armed forces. I personally would keep him out of the loop of any of the newest stuff, such as the F-22, so that he could not have an 'opportunity' to misappropriate our most critical secrets.