News>Through Airmen's Eyes: In the Ranks of an Ally
Photos
Maj. James Gingras, French Air Force Academy exchange officer, left, speaks with his cadets before marching in the 2012, 14th of July parade in Paris. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
Maj. James Gingras speaks with his cadets before marching in Paris, July 14, 2012. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. Gingras is a U.S. exchange officer at the French air force academy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
Maj. James Gingras, left, speaks with his cadets before marching in the 2012, 14th of July parade in Paris. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. Gingras is a U.S. exchange officer at the French air force academy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
Maj. James Gingras, right, speaks with French cadets before marching in the 2012, 14th of July parade in Paris. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. Gingras is a U.S. exchange officer at the French air force academy.(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
French air force cadets stand in formation before marching in the 14th of July2012, parade in Paris. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
Members of the French cavalry march down Champs-Élyséesduring the 2012, 14th of July parade in Paris. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
A French soldier guards the spectators stands in Paris, July 14, 2012. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
Cadets and their instructors from the French air force academy march in the 2012, 14th of July parade. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson
French soldiers parade along the Champs-Élysées in Paris, July 14, 2012. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson
French soldiers parade along the Champs-Élysées in Paris, July 14, 2012. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson
Students in the French polytechnique university march in the 14th of July parade in Paris, July 14, 2012. Known in English as Bastille Day, the 14th of July is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
Soldiers from France's first infantry regiment march down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, July 14, 2012. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
Soldiers from France's first regiment of "Spahis" (a light cavalry regiment) march down Champs-Élysées during the 2012, 14th of July parade in Paris, July 14, 2012. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
Cadets and their instructors from the French air force academy march in Paris, July 14, 2012. The 14th of July, known in English by Bastille Day, is the French equivalent of the American 4th of July. It commemorates the attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which preceded the French revolution.
by Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson
U.S. Air Force in Europe Public Affairs
7/16/2012 - PARIS (AFNS) -- (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)
It was a cloudy July day as thousands of spectators, full of national pride, flooded red, white and blue adorned streets waiting for the military parade to begin.
Maj. James Gingras, a U.S. exchange officer at the French air force academy, lined up his cadets for review before marching them down the Champs-Élysées for the 2012, 14th of July parade in Paris.
The 14th of July is known to Americans as Bastille Day. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and is the French equivalent to the American 4th of July.
Gingras had the privilege of marching in the annual parade due to his position as an air officer commanding at the French air force academy in Salon de Provence, France.
"I have been assigned to the French air force academy since 2010," Gingras said. "My position is unique in that I am the first personnel -- the first nonpilot -- to be at the academy. So the job has been evolving ever since I got there. (Now) the leadership at the French air force academy entrusted me with the accord, all the way up to the vice chief of staff of the French air force, to be in charge of a brigade of cadets."
His Brigade consists of 15 French cadets and one German cadet.
"Every assignment has its own set of benefits. This particular assignment is very unique and a great opportunity," Gingras said. "It's a matter of learning and sharing. Here I'm able to learn about the French culture and the French military. This knowledge will help us in further engagements with NATO or international engagements where we work together."
One of the ways Gingras is able to learn from his French partners is by first hand experience of their military traditions.
The major has the distinction of being the first American to command a brigade of French cadets during an academy baptism ceremony.
"The baptism, if you will, is not so much in the religious sense of the word, but in the class naming ceremony," he said. "It's where they are given their class name and they are henceforth called by that class name. So in this case, the class was named after Capt. Marcel Albert and t is going to be the 'Marcel Albert Class' forever."
Capt. Marcel Albert was an ace fighter pilot for the French Free Air Force during World War II. He flew 262 combat missions and claimed 23 aerial victories against the enemy, according to aerostories.free.fr.
After the war he met his American wife while serving in Prague and eventually settled in the U.S., where he became an American citizen. Albert died in Harlingen, Texas, Aug. 23, 2010 at the age of 92.
Gingras said members of Albert's family were able to attend the baptism ceremony and expressed their gratitude that an American officer was a part of it.
The highlight for Gingras, however, was taking part in a ceremony that embodies the development of his cadets.
"The baptism ceremony for our cadets was the culmination of a full year," he said. "They have taken the major step from being an NCO to being an officer and it has been a significant transition for them. Watching their growth and development culminating in the baptism ceremony was, for me, the most poignant event that I've seen."
Though he has only been with the academy since 2010, this is not Gingras' first experience with the French military.
"I was working with the French army in Afghanistan for a year and they were responsible for my security, so it was there that I first learned that their combat competencies and their ability to fight were very good," he said.
The time Gingras has spent at the French air force academy will help him to operate in such combined environments in the future, due to a better cultural awareness, he said.
"This experience allows me to bridge the gap between our two cultures because there is, at times, friction between our two cultures and as a result there is a lack of understanding. That lack of understanding leads to misunderstanding," Gingras said. "I see my role as perhaps bridging this gap because I understand both cultures and I appreciate both cultures."
This attitude of cultural exchange is one that is shared by his French colleagues.
"Every time I can share things from my culture with your culture, for me it is just a great experience," said French air force Capt. Guillaune Fonteneau, the French air force academy air office commanding. "Militaries have to work together more and more and we have to understand each other, so that is why it very important to share."
According to Gingras, the assistance of his French compatriots is vital to his success.
"I have experienced a welcome that I wouldn't expect. They have been incredibly kind and generous, and I wouldn't be able to do my job on a daily basis without their help," he said.
While Gingras appreciates the opportunity to learn about the French culture, he expressed the importance of maintaining his American character.
"I am proud to be an American in France," Gingras said. "It is always a difficult task to maintain your cultural independency when you are fully immersed into another culture. You have to find a balance between not being overtly American and not being completely immersed into the French culture and losing your own cultural identity. It's always a delicate balance to find and hopefully that is something we have been able to do."
