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Bill Grimes
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Bill Grimes
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Thoele gives pep talk on planning, foresight
TEUTOPOLIS — The Effingham County Vision 2020 community development program is all about planning and foresight.
Wednesday, community leaders from throughout the county got a pep talk on those two qualities from somebody who knows a thing or two about the subject.
Illinois Army National Guard Col. Scott Thoele, a 1976 Teutopolis High School graduate who grew up on a small farm about a half-mile east of town, was the featured speaker at the semi-annual Community Celebration of Excellence at the Teutopolis Knights of Columbus Hall.
Thoele commanded the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team during a recent year-long deployment in Afghanistan. Thoele’s team, with 2,950 soldiers, was the largest single deployment of Illinois soldiers since World War II.
Thoele said it’s not easy to plan ahead.
“Vision and strategic planning are hard to do,” he said. “We even teach it in the Army.”
But that doesn’t mean events go as planned, he added.
While Thoele said the first Gulf War in 1991 and the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan were rousing successes, he said the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, might have been prevented with more imaginative leadership.
“The 9-11 attacks were a failure in vision and strategic planning,” he said. “If you think about it, it had been done before when Japanese kamikaze pilots tried to destroy the U.S. Navy by flying their planes into our ships (during World War II).
“Was it really a stretch to think people would use our own planes against us?”
But Thoele said the nation has rebounded well from the catastrophic events of that horrible September morning, with the help of strong strategic planning efforts. Likewise, Effingham County can recover from the current economic doldrums.
“You’ve done it before,” he said. “You could do it again with the proper focus.”
Thoele said the biggest key to success is a quality educational system.
“Education is the key to everything,” he said. “Even with the current budget crisis, you better make sure the system is well adjusted as we move forward.”
With only about 25 percent of those between 18-25 eligible to join the military, Thoele said there’s still some work to be done.
“Some don’t have enough education, while other have legal or drug issues and still others aren’t physically fit enough for the military.”
Thoele said Effingham County leaders should also play to the county’s strengths.
“You’ve got a great transportation and infrastructure network,” he said. “There’s plenty of land for plants and you still have a strong farming community.
Thoele said original thought is not always crucial in the planning process.
“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “You can plagiarize from others who have been successful.
“Be confident and stick to the basics.”
Thoele also talked about his recent Afghanistan deployment and how the war is going.
“The tide is starting to turn in Afghanistan,” he said. “We’re starting to target Taliban leadership.”
Thoele said this isn’t the time to pull out.
“War is a test of wills and I don’t think we can afford to quit.”
Thoele’s presentation also included a video of troops on his recent mission, as well as a video in memory of Illinois soldiers killed during the deployment. He said the losses haunt him to this day.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about those young men and women,” he said. “It’s hard to put those caskets on the plane for the last ride home.”
Breakfast was served by the Teutopolis High School Volunteens as well as the school’s FFA chapter. The THS Jazz Band provided entertainment.
Rich Hartke emceed the event.
The fall breakfast will be held in Altamont, though details have not been released.
Bill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 132 or bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.com.
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