Telecom Assets Hold Value as Economy Becomes Unsettled

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

Even with today’s higher interest rates and inflationary environment, the market for telecom infrastructure properties remains very robust. That’s according to Pinpoint Capital Advisors, a boutique corporate finance advisory firm specializing in the wireless tower, fiber and data center sectors. Both lenders and equity providers are finding the assets extremely attractive, according to Adrian Grandilli, CFA, Associate Vice President. However, the mix of interested investors is skewing away from private equity firms and toward institutional groups. “We're already seeing an increased appetite from infrastructure and institutional investors who have the ability to transact at these lower returns brought on by higher borrowing costs and inflationary pressures,” said Grandilli, who has worked on a number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and capital raising mandates since joining Pinpoint in 2016. Continue Reading

PerfectVision Delivers Solutions for 5G Deployments

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

Being set up as a manufacturer and a distributor, PerfectVision is positioned to fulfill the bills of material seen on many 5G deployments. The company has six warehouses strategically placed throughout the U.S., which allows it to provide a two-day turnaround from the point of purchase, to 95 percent of the country. Patrick Noonan is the Fiber Optic Product Manager at PerfectVision. “Our fiber-optic product offerings reach almost every segment of the business, from the large backbone of the communications network across the country, to cell sites, homes, and businesses,” Noonan said. PerfectVision added fiber-optic products to its catalog in 2013 when they expanded into the wireless infrastructure business, supporting all the aspects of telecom network infrastructure from design to deployment. Its product line includes passive components that pass the signal along using either cable or connectors. Continue Reading

Feeding the Fiber Frenzy

By Martha DeGrasse, Inside Towers Contributing Analyst

At a recent UBS investor conference, AT&T COO Jeff McElfresh described the wide reach of his company’s multi-billion dollar fiber investment. “There are more or less about 10,000 neighborhoods where women and men are digging dirt, laying the fiber and installing service today across this nation,” he said.  Men and women trained to install fiber optic equipment are finding plenty of work as telcos, ISPs, electric utilities and municipalities race to close the digital divide. Demand for fiber technicians is exploding, and in some areas the need for wireless workers appears to be moving in the opposite direction. Continue Reading

FCC Votes to Require Carriers to Use Location-Based Routing of 911 Calls

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

As many as 23 million wireless 911 calls may be mis-routed each year, according to the FCC. Yesterday, Commissioners proposed rules to better target wireless 911 calls and texts to eliminate that problem.  Historically, wireless 911 calls have been routed to 911 call centers based on the location of the cell tower that handles the call. But if a 911 call is made near a county or a city border—the nearest cell tower may be in a neighboring jurisdiction. That means the call needs to be re-routed, costing critical emergency response time, and wasting resources. Continue Reading

Spending Bill Extends FCC Auction Authority, Leaves Out Rip & Replace

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Democratic and Republican appropriators released a $1.7 trillion fiscal 2023 omnibus spending bill on Tuesday. That sets up a race to the finish line for the 117th Congress by the end of this week. The more than 4,000-page package contains a three month extension for the FCC’s auction authority — to March 9, 2023. But money to fully fund Rip & Replace was left out. The fund to reimburse smaller carriers to remove untrusted equipment from their networks and replace it with new gear has a $3.08 billion shortfall, Inside Towers reported. Continue Reading

Simington Calls for Mandatory Security Updates for Wireless Devices

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington called on his agency colleagues to change the Commission’s equipment authorization rules and mandate manufacturers to provide security patches for wireless devices. Not doing so puts the country’s wireless networks at risk, he says. “Hundreds of millions of devices are in active use in this country—more every day, and in more applications—are susceptible to known security vulnerabilities, exposing us to theft of private data and to attacks on the integrity of our public and private networks. But some manufacturers and sellers of these devices plan to do absolutely nothing about it,” he told the annual Institute on Telecommunications Policy and Regulation conference on Thursday. Continue Reading

Ericsson Portrays Positive Outlook Despite Expected Slowdowns

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

Ericsson senior managers presented their perspectives on the telecom equipment market over the next several years during the company’s Capital Markets Day, held on December 15. The big takeaway is that Ericsson expects the global radio access network equipment business to be “flat” for several years. However, it expects the 5G RAN market will grow by over 11 percent a year over the next three years.  Sales in North America, Ericsson’s biggest market accounting for 39 percent of 3Q22 sales, continued to grow with strong 5G demand. However, aggregate U.S. mobile network operator capital expenditure is expected to peak in 2022, and then decline somewhat in 2023, Inside Towers reported. Continue Reading

Two Broadcast Towers Fall in South Dakota

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The winter storm that moved through much of the country this week knocked down two TV towers in South Dakota on Wednesday. The larger, 1,700-foot TV tower is owned by Nexstar KDLO-TV. An adjacent 800-foot tower also fell that day, according to NorthPine. The Inside Towers database indicates the tower was built in 1978.   Antennas for Alpha Media’s KDLO-FM were also on the larger tower under a lease agreement. KDLO is back on-air, broadcasting from a backup facility, notes Inside Radio. The station says it’s broadcasting with reduced signal strength and coverage, but listeners can also tune in online at: www.gowatertown.net. Continue Reading

American Tower Sued for $1B for Allegedly Breaching LatAm Deals

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

Terra Towers Corporation filed a lawsuit against American Tower International in a Miami-Dade court on Tuesday, accusing them of breaching a $1 billion acquisition and development deal across numerous Latin American markets, collectively known as Project Codu.  Terra and Terra TBS own the majority of shares in Continental Towers, which owns and operates cell phone towers primarily in Central America, Peru and Colombia. Beginning late in 2017 and throughout 2018, Terra and American Tower negotiated the proposed acquisition of the towers owned by Continental Towers and DTH, an affiliate of Terra. Continue Reading

T-Mobile Expands 5G Network with New Mid-Band Spectrum Layer

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced that it has expanded its Ultra Capacity 5G nationwide coverage and capacity. The company says it is adding a “massive boost” to its Ultra Capacity 5G network with a new nationwide layer of 1900 MHz mid-band 5G spectrum. Use of 1900 MHz spectrum dates back to 2G when Sprint launched the U.S.’s first Personal Communications Service digital cellular network in November, 1995, in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. T-Mobile garnered that large swath of 1900 MHz spectrum when it merged with Sprint in April 2020. Today, T-Mobile commands an aggregate national weighted average spectrum depth of 323 MHz across the various 5G mid-band frequencies it owns. The 178 MHz of EBS/BRS 2.5 GHz spectrum that it also gained in the Sprint deal represents the lion’s share. The 1900 MHz band adds another 66 MHz. The company also has 37 MHz of AWS-1 (1.7/2.7 GHz) spectrum. The remaining 42 MHz is primarily 27 MHz of C-band and 12 MHz of 3.45 GHz, won in FCC Auctions 107 and 110, respectively. Continue Reading

EU Regulators Loosen Restrictions for 5G State Aid

To achieve The European Commission’s goal of delivering 5G to all European households by 2030, regulators have adopted new legislation regarding state aid rules to enable more accessible financing and rollout of high-speed broadband. Reuters reported that the Broadband Guidelines will provide “an up-to-date framework to support the digital transition and reflect technological, regulatory and market developments.”

“The revised Broadband Guidelines adopted today are a major step towards a successful European digital transition. They will make it easier for member states to support the deployment of performant broadband networks in insufficiently connected areas. This will benefit consumers, businesses, and the public sector,” said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy. “By reducing the digital divide, the new rules will further contribute to correcting social and regional inequalities across the EU.” Continue Reading

CCA, NATE, WIA Urge Congress to Close “Rip & Replace” Funding Gap

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Several telecom associations, including the Competitive Carriers Association, NATE and WIA, banded together to urge lawmakers to fully fund “Rip & Replace” before the 117th Congress adjourns. The program was mandated by Congress in 2019, to remove equipment from U.S. communications network gear from Huawei and ZTE deemed to pose a threat to America’s national security and replace it with gear from trusted vendors. This July, the FCC identified a more than $3 billion shortfall in the program, Inside Towers reported. “Absent the funding of this shortfall, carriers could only be reimbursed for approximately 40 percent of their costs, which would preclude them from completing the process,” say the associations in a letter to Senate and House leadership. Continue Reading

U.S. to Spend $1.5B on Domestic Cell Network Gear Production

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The federal government plans to invest $1.5 billion to help spur a standards-based alternative for the gear at the heart of modern cellular networks. The NTIA confirmed the money will go toward domestic alternatives to current wireless network equipment. That could help telecoms faced with replacing network equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE that the U.S. has deemed to be a threat to national security. The NTIA will launch the Innovation Fund program, NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson confirmed on Twitter, according to Broadband Breakfast. The funds will come from the Chips and Science Act, the $280 billion legislation meant to fund U.S.-based chip research and manufacturing. "The highly consolidated global market for wireless equipment creates serious risks for both consumers and U.S. companies,” Davidson told Axios. Continue Reading

Thune Begins Broadband “Oversight” Effort

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

In his role as Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, GOP Whip John Thune (R-SD), said he’s launched a nationwide “oversight effort” to review numerous broadband programs spanning several federal agencies. The goal “is to hold these agencies accountable and ensure that previously authorized broadband funding is being used in the most efficient way possible to protect taxpayer dollars,” he says. In a letter to broadband associations, think tanks and other stakeholders, Thune seeks input on the current broadband regulatory structure. “Every federal dollar that has been spent should go toward the stated purpose of expanding connectivity to truly unserved areas,” says Thune. “Congressional oversight has been noticeably absent in these areas, and there is serious concern that the federal government would repeat previous mistakes where agencies’ gross mismanagement of broadband funds fell on the backs of taxpayers across the country.” Continue Reading

Fate of FCC Nominee May Depend on GA Runoff

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Prospects for the administration’s nominee to fill the open Democratic slot at the FCC — Gigi Sohn — may hinge on the outcome of Tuesday’s Georgia U.S. Senate runoff, sources told CNBC. Sohn is more likely to get a vote for her nomination if Democrat Rafael Warnock wins, insiders said. Likewise, Sohn’s candidacy may never come to a vote if Warnock’s opponent, Herschel Walker, wins.   A Warnock win would give Democrats a 51-to-49 Senate majority. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is the only Democrat who still doesn’t support nominee Gigi Sohn and the extra vote would mean the Republicans cannot stop the nomination as she would get through in a tie, sources said. Key Republicans don’t believe Sohn, a longtime public interest lobbyist and Counselor to former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, can be impartial if elevated to the position of an FCC Commissioner, Inside Towers reported. Continue Reading

Verizon C-band Deployments Ahead of Schedule

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) says that its ongoing C-band rollout is a full 13 months ahead of the original schedule and continues to accelerate. Less than 21 months after garnering the lion’s share of C-band licenses in FCC Auction 107 and after securing early access to the top 30 markets this year, Verizon confirms that it has already surpassed its goal of providing coverage to 175 million people by the end of 2022, a month ahead of schedule. It now says that its 5G Ultra-Wideband service will be available nationwide in Q1 2023. Along with providing greater coverage, particularly in rural and suburban areas, Verizon will enhance network capacity by activating 100 MHz of C-band spectrum in many markets. This bandwidth expansion is a significant step up from the 60 MHz that was provisioned with the first C-band deployments. Once all of its licensed spectrum is made available, Verizon will have up to 200 MHz of C-band spectrum deployed in many markets. The company suggests this wide bandwidth will provide very high connectivity speed and throughput capacity. Continue Reading

Orange Reduces Energy Use Across Europe

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

With Europe facing an energy crisis due to Russia’s cutting off of gas supplies, French-based MNO Orange is stepping up its efforts to reduce its energy consumption across its European footprint, which includes Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. To reduce short-term stress on the national energy grid in France, Orange has committed to switching part of its network onto battery power for an hour during peak periods. By doing this, Orange will effectively remove 5 percent to 10 percent of its spot energy usage from the grid, saving up to 20 megawatts of electricity. The carrier’s effort to reduce stress on energy networks across Europe comes in addition to its overall strategy to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact with the aim of becoming net-zero carbon by 2040. Orange has been improving the energy efficiency of its networks in the process of converting to 5G and optimizing data centers with the latest free cooling technologies. As a result, in 2021, CO2 emissions were reduced by 12.1 percent compared to 2015, with a target of 30 percent reduction by 2025. Continue Reading

U.S. Urges FCC to Block Undersea Cable to Cuba

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

A U.S. government committee urged the FCC to deny an application to connect Cuba to the United States through a new undersea cable landing station to handle internet, voice and data traffic. The Justice Department-led panel known as "Team Telecom," said the proposal raised national security concerns because the cable-landing system in Cuba would be owned and controlled by Cuba’s state-owned telecommunications monopoly, Empresa de Telecommunicaciones de Cuba S.A. It would also be the only direct, commercial undersea cable connection between America and Cuba, reports Reuters. The U.S. government in recent years has been scrutinizing undersea cable connections especially involving China. Around 300 subsea cables form the backbone of the internet, carrying 99 percent of the world’s data traffic. Continue Reading

Alex Beiro, Jr., Virginia Wireless Association President, Dies

By Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor

Alex Beiro, Jr. and pictured with his foursome at the October 13 VAWA Golf Outing

Alex Beiro, Jr., President of the Virginia Wireless Association (VAWA) died unexpectedly last week. Beiro recently served as host to over 200 golfers in Williamsburg, VA at the association’s annual outing. On a personal note, I was honored to be asked to play in his foursome for the event and not only enjoyed his company but witnessed the respect, good humor and camaraderie he shared with all of the attendees. Beiro died of an apparent heart attack, November 19, at his home in Alexandria, VA. Most recently, he had worked at Jacobs Engineering as a Zoning Manager and had served in similar posts with NXG and NB+C. Virginia Wireless Association Vice President Michael Harvey said, “Alex and I worked together for many years on the VAWA Board of Directors. When Alex took over as President he brought an inspired, innovative approach, always pushing the Association in a positive direction. He was a dedicated leader who brought great ideas and a positive attitude. Alex was passionate about helping those in the community and the industry through his platform. His love for his sons shined through in all that he did and were the center of his universe. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.” Continue Reading

Duke Energy Goes to Court Over FCC Pole Attachment Decision

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

UPDATE Inside Towers reported earlier this month the FCC stood by a 2021 decision concerning a pole attachment rate dispute between Duke Energy and AT&T. The agency denied Duke’s request for a review of the earlier decision. Now, Duke Energy has asked a federal appeals court to intervene. Specifically, Duke asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to review the Commission’s decision, saying it was “adversely affected” by certain parts of the order. In its petition reviewed by Inside Towers, Duke says parts of the order “exceed or are inconsistent with the FCC’s jurisdiction and statutory authority” and “are arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise contrary to law.” Duke is asking the court to “hold unlawful, vacate, enjoin, and/or set aside portions of the Order.” Neither the FCC nor AT&T commented, according to Communications Litigation Today. The dispute between the powerco and AT&T concerned rates that Duke charged the telecom for attaching to its utility poles in the Carolinas. The Commission denied requests from Duke and AT&T to review portions of the decision. The Commissioners upheld an earlier Enforcement Bureau decision that found the rates AT&T paid under a Joint Use Agreement were “unjust and unreasonable.” It ordered the powerco to charge a lower rate, Inside Towers reported.

FCC Bans Telecom Gear That Poses Security Threat

The FCC now prohibits communications equipment deemed to pose a national security risk from being authorized for importation or sale in the United States. This is the latest step by the Commission to protect telecom communications networks.  

The new rules apply to future generations of equipment identified on the Covered List published by the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. The Covered List includes communications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, and Dahua Technology (and their subsidiaries and affiliates).

“The FCC is committed to protecting our national security by ensuring that untrustworthy communications equipment is not authorized for use within our borders, and we are continuing that work here,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “These new rules are an important part of our ongoing actions to protect the American people from national security threats involving telecommunications.”

Africa’s Buoyant Tower Business

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

Africa is an attractive market for independent tower operators for several reasons. First, there is a big and growing demand for wireless communications. The population of sub-Saharan Africa is big, estimated by the UN at around 1.2 billion people, growing at 2-3 percent a year. Yet, wireless penetration is only around 25 percent, according to recent MNO subscriber tallies. Second, post-pandemic, mobile connectivity is becoming increasingly important for personal, commercial, and public safety communications, especially in rural areas outside the major cities where wireline networks do not reach. Moreover, smartphone usage proportionally is still low but is growing rapidly with the demand for digital services such as mobile financial transactions. For instance, Vodacom M-pesa and Airtel Mobile Money financial services generate billions of wireless transactions in micro-loans and money transfers each year. For the quarter ending September 30, Africa’s largest multinational mobile network operators - Airtel, MTN, and Vodacom - all showed year-over-year service revenue growth in mid-single to low double-digit percentage range. Continue Reading

The Wireless Infrastructure Industry Sets a Bountiful Table

By Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor

While we all take time this week to give thanks where it’s due…family, friends, health… the editorial staff at Inside Towers would like to express our appreciation for the privilege of covering this industry. Taking into account its performance over the last few years, with COVID, natural disasters, economic headwinds and the usual political tempest, the wireless infrastructure industry not only survived but, re-tooled, adjusted and, in many cases, thrived.  One of the things that continues to amaze me is the sense of community in the industry. For a global provider of products and services operating on many levels, there is still a “small town” mentality when it comes to its largess in times of catastrophic events such as hurricanes and wildfires, with tragic losses both on site and off, or the nurturing and encouragement given to its newcomers. We thank you for letting us be the “town crier” in that regard. Continue Reading

Qatar Scores Big with 5G Network at World Cup

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

As the FIFA World Cup kicked off over the weekend, Qatar was wired up and ready with 5G technology. Throngs of fans engaging in the premier global football event will benefit from access to peak gigabit speeds provided by Vodafone Qatar and Ooredoo Qatar. The whole country, however, has benefited from increased investment in wireless communications infrastructure. Mid-band spectrum has also been allocated making high-speed internet possible. The story of how the country came to have a healthy cellular duopoly began four years ago when the government purchased a controlling share of Vodafone through the state-backed Qatar Foundation. The new owners employed a turnaround strategy that improved the operator’s reach, network performance, revenue growth, and customer acquisition rates, according to VanillaPlus. Continue Reading

Response Mostly Positive to FCC’s New National Broadband Maps

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

UPDATE As the FCC promised, it released an initial version of its updated broadband maps on November 18. The pre-production maps display specific location-level information about broadband services available throughout the country. Both the Commission and broadband associations call them “significantly improved” maps compared to the census block level data previously collected.  An accurate map is key as the NTIA prepares to disperse broadband deployment allocations to states by its goal of June 30. Congress mandated that NTIA use the FCC’s updated maps to distribute some $65 billion in broadband deployment grants to avoid over-building. Continue Reading

FCC Hears Network Resiliency Improving After Storms

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Experts speaking at an FCC hearing on ways to improve wireless resiliency through better coordination with the power sector during disasters agree communication between the two groups has improved over the past few years. But they say more can be done. Liberty Mobile CEO in Puerto Rico Najo Khoury said in contrast to Hurricane Maria, which was a Category Five storm in 2017, and had a devastating wind and water impact, Hurricane Fiona was a Category One and the damage came from unprecedented rainfall. “The network did not experience significant damage from wind or rain. Nevertheless we incurred [$12 million] in increased costs due to widespread and prolonged power outages which prevented customers from using our resources,” he said. Continue Reading

Nokia, TPG Telecom Set 5G Uplink Speed Record in Australia

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

Nokia and TPG Telecom demonstrated a 5G uplink speed of 2 Gbps using Nokia’s commercial AirScale Radio together with TPG Telecom’s 26 GHz spectrum at the Nokia 5G Futures Lab in Sydney, Australia. The record was set yesterday using a 5G device powered by a Snapdragon® X65 5G Modem-RF System featuring fourth-generation Qualcomm QTM545 mmWave antenna modules. Nokia used Carrier Aggregation technology to achieve a 400 MHz channel using four component carriers of 100 MHz each. The demonstration also used Nokia’s 5G Core to provide the speed, intelligence, and security. The record was set almost a year to the day after Nokia and University of Technology Sydney opened the 5G Futures Lab in the UTS Tech Lab facilities. Continue Reading

Airline Industry Asks for Delay Around 5G Retrofit

UPDATE Major U.S. airlines working on retrofitting radio altimeters due to potential interference from 5G C-band wireless services are now asking for an extension, reported Reuters. According to a statement made by the aviation industry on Tuesday, airlines cannot fully meet deadlines to complete upgrades and urged Washington for a grace period through the end of 2023.

Several airlines and their manufacturers, including American, Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, aviation unions, and others, signed a letter backing the FAA's extension request. According to the letter sent to the White House, global supply chain issues mean "air carriers will likely be unable to fully meet either the December 2022 deadlines for smaller regional aircraft and many large transports or the July 2023 retrofit deadline." Continue Reading 

AWS Establishes Lead in Cloud Services, Wins Government Contract

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

The hyperscale edge compute market is now looking to be a three-horse race with one a few lengths in the lead. The market leaders — Amazon Web Services, Microsoft’s Azure, and Google Cloud — accounted for 76 percent of their home market in the third quarter, according to Synergy Research Group. Inside those numbers, AWS has a significant lead with 34 percent of the market, followed by Microsoft Azure at 21 percent and Google Cloud at 11 percent, according to John Dinsdale, chief analyst at Synergy. However, third quarter revenue results show AWS in second with sales of $20.54 billion, which was a 27.4 percent year-over-year and a 4.1 percent quarter-over-quarter increase, according to Benzinga. In first, Microsoft Azure saw its cloud revenue rise 24 percent year-over-year to $25.7 billion. A distant third, Google Cloud booked $6.87 billion in revenue, up 37.6 percent year-over-year and 9.4 percent quarter-to-quarter, but suffered an operating loss of $699 million. Continue Reading

Majority of Florida Cell Sites Working After Nicole

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The amount of cell sites out of service in Florida following Hurricane Nicole remained static at 0.9 percent on Friday. That’s according to the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). Out of a total of 11,450 sites, 103 were out of service. That compares to 100 the day before. Fifty-seven had no power, 33 had data transport issues and 10 were damaged. Another 112 sites were operating on backup power. Continue Reading

Thankful For Our Freedoms, Thankful for the Vets Who Helped Protect Them

By Kevin Kennedy, President, CEO, Warriors4Wireless, Major General, U.S Air Force- Ret.

I have had the privilege of wearing a uniform for 36 of my 66 years of life, so please recognize I see the world through this lens of experience—one grounded in faith and service. Across 36 years in uniform, I have experienced life in 39 countries. My conclusion from this survey is I see no other nation so blessed by God with personal freedoms, life opportunities, and a society which enables a daily choice to leverage the former in pursuit of the latter. So, what does love of country and appreciation for a U.S. citizen’s way of life have to do with Veteran’s Day? Everything! Continue Reading