COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Service: People of Color
Hampton airman killed in Iraq
KATE WILTROUT, The Virginian-Pilot
October 17, 2006
LeeBernard Chavis was a military policeman who loved clashing cymbals and cruising Chevys.
A 2003 graduate of Hampton’s Phoebus High School and a longtime
member of its marching band, Chavis enlisted in the Air Force the year
after leaving school .
He quickly became a member of the branch’s elite security force,
a highly trained unit that deploys overseas to protect troops, secure
military bases and – lately – train Iraqi police.
Airman 1st Class Chavis died Saturday near Baghdad while on a joint
patrol with Iraqi police, the Department of Defense said Monday. An Air
Force spokesman said Chavis, 21 , was killed by enemy fire while
manning the gun turret of a military vehicle.
He belonged to the 820th Security Forces Group from Moody Air Force
Base in Valdosta, Ga., and served in Iraq with the 732nd Expeditionary
Security Forces Squadron .
Chavis’ brother, Michael, said the family is reeling from the loss.
“I didn’t worry about him at all – nobody did,”
Michael Chavis , 20, said. “We just knew he was coming
back.”
The brothers talked the day before LeeBernard Chavis was killed.
Optimistic and personable, Chavis sounded upbeat to his brother and was
looking forward to coming home from his second Iraq tour in January.
Chavis planned to marry his girlfriend when he got back, his brother said.
Other plans won’t come to pass, either.
His brother said Chavis bought him a Ford Crown Victoria after he went
into the Air Force, and he intended to repay the favor by purchasing a
Chevrolet Caprice for Chavis once he returned.
His brother loved Chevys, Michael Chavis said. Both of them loved
driving nowhere in particular – just hanging out, cruising
around, being together.
“My uncle would joke about us going 100,000 miles, driving in a circle,” Michael Chavis recalled.
They celebrated Michael Chavis’ 20th birthday that way in April,
he said, just before his brother headed back to war. Michael Chavis
always rode shotgun .
“He was the big brother – he was always behind the wheel,” Michael Chavis said.
Phoebus High School band director Jim Stanley remembered LeeBernard
Chavis as a decent student and fun-loving member of the award-winning
percussion section.
Chavis played some in the concert band, Stanley said, but it was clear he preferred marching, cymbals in hand.
He came by to say hello to Stanley when he was home on leave. One time,
his former student thanked him for teaching band members more than
music.
“To me, that means more than what they do on the football field or in the parades,” the band leader said.
Michael Chavis will miss his older brother’s charisma, the
clear-eyed way he could explain a situation without forcing his opinion
on you, how he could be fun and serious at the same time.
His brother would want to be remembered as a Christian, someone who
loved God and was proud to serve his country, Michael Chavis said.
“He had a real good sense of right and wrong,” he said.
“No matter who you were, right is right and wrong is wrong. If I
was wrong, he would have no problem telling me.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
This archive consists of a topically organized selection of
articles culled by members of the Counter-Recruitment List Serve from printed
publications and web sites. The archive is not complete. We have chosen
material relevant to the work of