Carnegie Reporter, Vol. 1, No. 4 | Admiral Bill Owens: an interview, page 3

SK: A personal question: what attracted you to a military way of life in the post-World War II era when a military uniform wasnÕt necessarily Òthe thingÓ for a young man to choose?

BO: Well, I came from a very poor family in North Dakota and I was imagining my life if I stayed there. North Dakota is a great place, but the opportunities available to me there, at that time, were not ones that I could imagine myself pursuing for the rest of my life. In those days, there was a television show called The Men of Annapolis, and those guys wore white uniforms and carried swords; that sure looked a lot different from anything I was contemplating. So I went to Quentin Burdick, my Congressman and asked, ÒCould I get into the Naval Academy?Ó He said, ÒNobodyÕs ever asked me that question before.Ó About four weeks later, I was actually at the Naval Academy. It was a lot easier then than it is today.

From that stage on, I went where the Navy wanted me to go and experienced a lot of things that made me appreciate the world we live in. After the Naval Academy, I became a nuclear submariner. During the Cold War years, it seemed we were doing things that were very important. I spent many, many days underwater, some of them under the North Pole, some of them on strategic missile submarine patrols for months at a time. I commanded a submarine of each type and it seemed that my colleagues and I were making a real and necessary contribution to the security of our country. I hope the men and women in the armed forces today have the same sense of devotion to their important mission and that the country realizes how critical their work is. I found it important to stay in the Navy, although it is very difficult for families. It wasnÕt always fun but it was always challenging and interesting and I had some nice opportunities along the way. I served with people who I admired in Washington and had the chance to earn postgraduate degrees at Oxford and at George Washington University. So, life wasnÕt bad in the military, better than it would have been for me had I stayed in North Dakota.

SK: And a lot of people donÕt know the military can offer the opportunity to be part of an intellectual powerhouse, if thatÕs what you want.

BO: Yes. There are a lot of very bright people in the military, a lot of great opportunities. It is truly an equal opportunity for women. And more than anywhere else in the world, I think, there are equal opportunities for all races and religions to come together. It is a melting pot that is profoundly important and all Americans should be proud of the way that we work together in the armed forces. ItÕs where we led the way to important advances in solving the drug problem in the United States. ItÕs also where we found leadership on the issue of racial integration and with womenÕs equality. It is an institution that has changed America in profound ways.

SK: How is it now, to be an entrepreneur, a businessman, after a whole career on the front lines of military policy? Still as many challenges?

BO: You know, itÕs a blessing to have two careers. Very few of us have a chance to do that and I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity. You canÕt just step outside the military and all of a sudden, youÕre a businessman, although I thought thatÕs the way it would be. There are a lot of hard knocks along the way and there is a lot of unfairness. The market goes up or down or someone doesnÕt like you and so you donÕt get a contract or whatever. But having said that, being in business is wonderful for me. IÕve enjoyed it a lot, had a chance to experience profit and loss, start companies and now to run some companies and be chairman of several, so life has been good to Bill Owens and IÕm blessed.

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