Keeping in touch

To the Editor: I just received my ASME NEWS this month, here in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and saw your article on deployed ASME members. Great article and was amazed that 48 of us are actually deployed. That's pretty cool.

Fred Schwark, an ASME member who is serving in Afghanistan, poses with several local children at a market in Kandahar.

One of my friends from West Point, Francis Murphy, was mentioned in your article. I haven't heard from him in a few years. Funny how I found out what he was doing from your article. Thanks.

Seems that ASME NEWS and Mechanical Engineering magazine are the only two publications that I get on a regular basis out here. Thanks to all of you at ASME who have helped in getting the mail to us.

Here in Kandahar, I am serving as the U.S. Army Brigade Engineer for southern Afghanistan. Pretty daunting task, as I am the head engineer for over 15 U.S. Army base camps. During my tenure here in Afghanistan, I have personally overseen the buildup of over six base camps. It is really unbelievable what I have been exposed to as a mechanical engineer serving in a civil engineer's job. The amazing part is how they all intertwine with one another. One second I'm helping to design a leach field, and the next I am figuring out what to do with broken generators and HVAC systems. Having a good background in mechanical engineering from West Point and a little interest in the civil side has helped me out tremendously to change the face of southern Afghanistan.

Bottom line is that ASME NEWS and Mechanical Engineering magazine have helped me to focus my attentions off of work, if only for a few minutes a day. Thanks to you and your fellow contributors for making my day.

Thanks again.

— Fred W. Schwark

 

Editor's Note: Schwark welcomes correspondence with other members. His e-mail is SchwarkF@KAF.AFGN.ARMY.MIL.

New standards office's negative effect

To the Editor: At the end of the December 2004 article concerning the opening of a standards office in China, it states that this will "... further efforts to open Chinese markets to U.S. goods and services." Yes it will, but it will further open U.S. markets to Chinese products and engineering services.

Seeing that the October 2004 trade deficit with China was $55.5 billion and that Chinese engineering wages are at least one-tenth of U.S. wages, I suspect this "opening" will have a negative effect on U.S. engineering employment.

— Matt Cauchy
Traverse City, Mich.

back to columns