Sometimes They are Clowns
|UPDATE: I did some further research and MAJ Townley was actually featured in the Stars & Stripes before:
You really graduated from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College?
Yes. Don’t worry, that’s not how I got my commission. I auditioned as I was transferring from the Navy in the summer of 1990. It wasn’t until the summer of 1991 that I received the call that I made it to the final selection board and eventually found I had been accepted to attend.Do they have a degree program?
My diploma reads “Bachelor of Fun Arts.”What did you major in?
Circus Clowning — Clownology and Clown Antics. I was taught to be a kid in a grown-up body and to speak to a man in the very top row of Madison Square Garden by only using my body.Did the teachers dress like clowns?
Indeed they did! My instructors were the senior clowns from Ringling Brothers and other famous clowns like Master Clown Lou Jacobs and David Larible, the only clown to ever be the star of RBBB Circus. The director of Clown College was also a clown.
Read the whole thing, but he sounds like a really good guy that is doing great things over in Wonju.
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Some people think field grade officers are nothing but a bunch of clowns, which isn’t always the case. However, sometimes it is true, literally:
MAJ Bruce Townley enlisted in the Navy in 1986 as a radioman, specializing in Naval Communication. His Navy commands include: USS New Jersey, Communication advisor on the Admiral’s staff aboard the USS Enterprise, Naval Embarked Advisory Team, and the Reserve Force for the USS Missouri.
MAJ Townley is a 1995 ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri where he received a Bachelors of Science in Public Administration. He also holds a Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and a Bachelor of Fun Arts from Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.
His Army assignments include: Executive Officer, D 369th Signal Battalion, Commander, E 369th Signal Battalion, PL and BMO, 67th Signal Battalion, S6, 212th FA Brigade, Deputy G6, III CA, Commander, B 1-79th FA.
His military schooling includes: Radioman “A” School, International Morse Code Operator School, Naval Embarked Advisory Team School, Signal Officer Basic, Signal Captains Career Course, and CAS3.
His decorations include: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Navy active duty Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal with bronze star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Sea Service with Bronze star. [HT: Marcus]
Major Townley is the garrison coordinator for Camp Long and Camp Eagle which I mentioned in a prior posting had a recent successful crackdown on blackmarketing. With his success in stopping blackmarketing on Camp Long maybe USFK needs to bring in more clowns to help run things. I have heard people say USFK is a three ring circus and who would have thought it is true.
I want to go to Clown College …
… it would be the perfect antidote to 4 years at West Point !!!
You know the army has the new incentive for captains to go to graduate school. I wonder if the army would mind if some captains put in to attend clown college? It might make them better field grades. 😉
Some of them are already clowns–even without the benefit of formal education.
I'm just sayin'.
True, because if they're not making you laugh they're damn sure making you cry….
{calliope playing in background}
Cool! Thank you for sharing this great story. Clowns really do have a lot of important work to do in this world. This is proof positive. Keep up the great job!
Charlie's Chaplains, Hickory, NC