Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visits NAS Pensacola

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - First Class Petty Officer Pedro Salazar said he is proud of his new coin, and he should be.

It was given to him Wednesday by Army General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, our nation's highest ranking military officer.

"You get a little bit nervous,” Salazar said. "But at the same time, you understand the importance that actually he comes and out there and gives you the peace of mind that you did a job well done. So you're happy for not only serving your country, but actually getting recognition for it."

Salazar was honored for his deployment to the Horn of Africa, at Camp Lemonnier Djibouti. It's the same base where four Hurlburt Field airmen died in a plane crash Saturday.

"It's a tragedy because when you're deployed over there, everybody is like family, regardless of the branch that you serve. And the camp is small, so you know everybody on camp," Salazar said.

General Dempsey said he hopes his presence brings back hope to northwest Florida, as many grieve.

"It has to remind us that although the demand in Iraq and Afghanistan is trending downward, we're in a lot of different places around the world. And most of the places we are tend to be pretty dangerous," Dempsey said. "And so, this is something that military members and families live with every day."

Those same families live with cuts made to our military due to the federal budget crisis.

"That's why I'm here, to make sure that they know that as we absorb these reductions, we're going to maintain our commitment to training and education," Gen. Dempsey said.

Those serving at Naval Air Station Pensacola said those two things are premiere, as service men and women of all branches work together.

One by one, our military members asked Gen. Dempsey questions, ranging from the situation in Libya to concerns with pilotless aircraft. His answers were always on-point, and occasionally, he showed his sense of humor.

"You're the first Marine that has ever used the word 'economics' in a sentence that I know of," General Dempsey said. "Anyone else ever heard that before? Kind of remarkable, really."

That Marine voiced a concern to the Chairman about finding jobs after military service.

General Dempsey said aiding that effort will be one of his top three priorities moving forward.