Steve also agrees with placing Air Marshals on planes, and said the United States should continue looking at how other countries operate.  "We could look at Israel, for example," he said.  "After living through many hijackings in the 1970's, they installed air marshals and got tough and hijackings quit."
At the same time, Steve says, "We need to get beyond people taking things onto airplanes.  Terror in general is the enemy, and airport security is just one aspect of it."  Referring to the events at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, he added, "People aren't going to let this happen again."
Meanwhile, there are military men who are called to be away from their normal lives.  How many Minnesota National Guardsmen have been called?  "There are about 100 here at the Minneapolis airport, and another 50 at Duluth and Rochester," he said.  "They're all in airport duty."
Who called them?  "The National Guard is called to Statewide Active Duty by the governor.  It's a special detail.  The President of the United States asked the governors to do this.  All 50 governors have responded and cooperated."
Steve explained there are three areas of military duty:  the National Guard, which is controlled by the governors; the Reserves, which are controlled by the president; and full time Active Duty.
"They've called far more Reservists than National Guards," said Steve.  Why?  "Because the president can do this quickly and because of the type of units needed," he stated.
Steve explained there are two types of jobs in these three areas of duties:  service support jobs and combat units.  "Some examples of service jobs might be driving trucks, handling fuel supplies, moving ammunition, and constructing roads.  You might call them Public Works jobs.  Combat units also have support people, but are organized to take ground and hold it."
Steve is in a combat unit.  "My job is take ground at the Minneapolis airpoirt and hold it secure," he said.  "I am a squad leader.  Each squad leader maneuvers two fire teams.  Fire teams are the smallest military unit."
How many military units are there in the U.S. Army?  Steve is very patient with the nonmilitary mind.  From the top to the bottom, here is a summary of what he said:  The Amy is made up of Corps, which is made up of Divisions, which is made up of Brigades, which is made up of Battalions, which is made up of Companies, which is made up of Platoons, which is made up of Squads, which is made up of Fire Teams.
The hierarchy itself is a phenomenal thing.
How many people are we talking about?  What are the numbers?  Acknow-ledging that size of units vary, here are some general approximations, this time going from bottom to top ...
There are two Fire Teams in a Squad; three Squads of 11 soldiers each in a Platoon; four Platoons of about 35 soldiers each in a Company; four to six Companies of about 115 soldiers each in a Battalion; six Battalions of about 700 soldiers each in a Brigade; six Brigades of about 3,000 soldiers each in a Division; three Divisions of about 15,000 people each in a Corps; three Corps of 50,000 to 100,000 soldiers each in an Army.
Said Steve, "If you want more details, call Mayor Gary Olson."
Major Gary Olson, Public Affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard said, "There is a difference between an Army and the Army.  An Army is a war fighting element, such as the Fifth Army or the First Army, and each has its own headquarters and support people.  But the Army is a military institution."
In other words, the Army consists of all of the above and more.  Steve Sarvi is a member of the Army as a National Guardsman.  And National Guardsman can be called to serve all over the world.
Said Major Olson, "The army is a kind of a remarkable entity.  If you think about moving a city out into the middle of nowhere, that's what an army can do.  That's what an army does.  It moves everything, everything you need to live.  You have to bring it all with you ... restaurants, food, shelter, police and fire protection, sanitation, all public works.  It's remarkable."
How did Steve Sarvi come to be part of the Army?
"I've had a long and mysterious career," he smiled.  "In 1982 I enlisted in the Army Reserves because they had infantry units out of Fort Snelling.  It was close to home.  In 1985 I joined Army ROTC at the University of Minnesota and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the National Guard.  In 1987 I entered Active Duty as an army officer at Fort Carson, Colorado, and at Fort Benning, Georgia, as captain.  In 1999 I enlisted in the National Guard, partly to get my Master's Degree and partly because I missed it.  I like being out with the guys."
Does Steve worry about an assignment away from home?  "It's always a possibility," he said.
What does his wife Barb say about his military duty?  "She's proud of me," said the dutiful husband.  "She misses me.  But she understands.  When we got married I was in the Active Duty Army, and her dad was a full time National Guardsman.  He was Sergeant Major of the Second Battalion of the 135^th Infantry Division."

So how many people in your neighborhood today are wearing authentic army fatigues and dog tags?  Victoria is proud of its city administrator, Steve Sarvi, and his dedication to his country, his family, his jobs, and us.  Thank you, Steve, for your sacrifices.  God bless you.  God bless America.