The Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce on Friday gave an honorary sendoff to the commander of the Joint Forces Training Base at their regular July networking breakfast.
Lt. Col. Dan Fox, who began his tenure as commander of the base with a speech to the Chamber, and had since invited Chamber members to the base for social networking events was given a hero’s sendoff.
All of that occurred, of course, before the recent rash of unexpected activity at the base that somewhat unexpectedly brought thousands of troops to the base.
Nevertheless, Co-Chairman of the Chamber Dr. Andrew Pulver, Supt. of the Los Al Unified School District, said since Fox is leaving for a new assignment in September and that the regular September meeting of the Chamber will be the annual Heroes Luncheon, the Chamber decided it was time to honor Fox this month.
“I’ve been in this school district for 27 years, and I can’t say I’ve known the base commander for all 27 of those years,” said Pulver.
“I can tell you that in those years, I’ve not seen any of them more committed to really making us feel like part of a community,” he said.
Moreover, Pulver said Fox’s open-door policy made many “see how the Armed Forces can really be a part of the community and how the Joint Forces Training Base can serve the community in a myriad of ways.”
“He (Commander Fox) really emulates services to the nth degree,” said Pulver.
“I think this community loves being part of and having a military base within our community because we know how they give of themselves to protect and provide safety for all of us,” he added.
Pulver said the business community was “beyond grateful for the many strategic partnerships and other activities” inspired by his tenure.
“We just want to recognize your exceptional leadership. We know your leadership will continue wherever you’re going next and that community is blessed beyond measure,” he said.
“God has definitely graced us with you,” he said.
Emily Hibard, a member of the Los Alamitos City Council and whose district she represents is geographically adjacent to the base, thanked Lt. Col. Fox for his personal intervention to make things happen for her constituents who live near the base.
“We’re sad and we’re happy at the same time,” she told Fox, reminding him of the situation when someone connected to the base hit a neighbor’s block wall in Parkwood and they had to pay for the renovations themselves…until she asked Fox to intervene.
Lt. Col. Fox said “here’s my cell phone number,” said Hibard and then proceeded to get the residents reimbursed. Hibard also told a similar story of a resident in her district having an issue with a base drainage ditch before Fox immediately ordered heavy equipment dispatched to fix the problem.
“It truly made a difference for us and the residents,” she told Fox, “so thank you.”
Before Fox began to speak, other governmental entities and representatives wanted to join in, as officials representing the City of Los Alamitos, Supervisor Janet Nguyen, Senator Tony Strickland, Assemblymember Tri Ta, Congressman Derek Tran, and the Chamber presented Fox with certificates and plaques in appreciation of his work.
Fox began by saying the warm community feeling was mutual yet was quick to point out that the actual praise goes to the overall military ecosystem that brought him to the community in the first place.
“Before I leave, I want to pass on to you what I’ve gotten from all of you. It’s a tremendous honor, of course, to just have the job that I have, more importantly, that I had the opportunity to interact with the community leadership and community membership at all,” said Fox.
“I do appreciate the recognition,” he said, and “I take that as a great compliment to the base, the military, the DOD (U.S. Department of Defense), the state, and everyone that we’ve worked with and for. It’s all about the community,” said Fox.
“It’s not about me. I’m the guy in the job. Yeah, great, whatever. Congratulations. But it’s the soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Navy, Space guardians, and most importantly, that we do it for you, the citizenry,” the base commander told the Chamber.
“This is about and for you,” he emphasized.
“As a National Guardsman, I take an oath to the state of California, as well as to the Constitution of the United States, and we obey the orders of the governor and the president,” said Fox.
The base commander also made it clear that his job was to follow orders, not set policy.
“It was fortuitous, and I got to say that right before we had this operation that’s going on right now. I don’t give a damn about the political charge in this. That’s a new word. I do what I’m told. It’s up to me to interpret and get stuff done, to make sure that my orders are followed and that my orders are legal,” Lt. Col. Fox told the Chamber.
“I appreciate all the support that we’ve received,” he said, “to the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations,” which he said was donated by the public to support the deployed soldiers.
Finally, Fox commented on the protestors who have frequently shown up at the base to express their concern with the National Guard being used in the streets of Los Angeles and against the tactics being used by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
“I was talking to the city manager (Chet Simmons) the other day about the protests we got at the base. I wish that every city in the country had those kinds of protests. Professional people came through to support those soldiers,” he said.
“People put their politics aside. The protests that we got at that base. People that came to the base. They expressed their opinion. I love it. Express your opinions all day long. There was no violence,” said Fox.
Fox said while the base has seen a hubbub of activity, it is now winding down back to normal, which he said will be a “steady state of operations.” While a contingent will remain, the community will be invited to return to the base, even the swimmers (who use the base pool).
“All of that has always happened, that again, that’s not about me. That’s because of the leadership that I’ve had the honor to serve and the citizenry that I’ve had the opportunity to work with and for,” said Fox.
A native of San Pedro, Fox will remain in his JFTB post until September.
