"Life is Good"

If you are a student in Sergeant Major David Oberg's JROTC program, you know that this is the mantra spoken aloud at the beginning of class each day. It may seem like an offbeat way to begin until meeting SGM Oberg personally. Once you have, though, you quickly realize that when he says it, he means it. Furthermore, it is clear that he is determined to guide his students and colleagues down a road that allows them to say it with the same conviction.

SGM Oberg's conviction comes from his strong will and desire to help all those around him achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle physically, mentally and emotionally. This goal is where his opening mantra comes into play, though it is merely one component of a curriculum designed to help his students realize their potential and motivate them to strive for greatness.

SGM Oberg has been the JROTC instructor at Bonanza High School for six years, preceded by 25 years of honorable service in the U.S. Army. After his retirement from the military, he settled in Las Vegas with his wife. Since training soldiers had been such an enjoyable experience for him, he hoped to find a place where he could continue to teach. Luckily for us, he found exactly what he was looking for at Bonanza.

His passion for his position shows in everything he does, as one of his colleagues, SGM Gary Schoolfield, pointed out to me. "This outstanding teacher leads by example by not smoking or consuming alcohol, teaching the value of physical exercise, personal hygiene and proper diet. (He) is also a strong advocate of mental fitness; he has established a mentor program at his school to assist cadets in areas of proficiency needed to graduate."

As one would imagine, JROTC requires a teacher that promotes a healthy lifestyle not only as part of the curriculum, but also as a personal example. SGM Oberg believes this is a critical aspect of teaching to ensure the success of the students. It is also why his curriculum includes practices such as beginning each lesson with the "Life is Good" mantra, regular and varied physical activity as well as consistent focus on the avoidance of self destructive behaviors such as smoking and drinking. These examples serve as perfect illustration of his belief that a healthy lifestyle includes a physical, mental and emotional wellness.

His dedication to the program and to the curriculum is best understood when he discusses the positive impact it has on the students, school and community. "(I)t gives our students necessary life skills, a sense of personal responsibility and positive values. The importance for the CCSD is that it increases graduation rates, costs less than other elective programs and gives students an alternative to traditional P.E. The importance to the Las Vegas community as a whole is that cadets complete community service projects to enhance civic responsibility, learn their role in democracy and it instills patriotism."

It should come as no great surprise to learn that our hero's desire to help people achieve good health and wellbeing extends beyond his students. He expresses how disheartening it is for him to see fellow teachers smoking in the very same spot that students were chased away from 20 minutes earlier, munching on junk food in the cafeteria or stuck in a sedentary lifestyle. He dreams of conducting a daily 30-minute session prior to school where students and teachers alike engage in activities that promote good health.

While SGM Oberg concedes that he may never get the chance to conduct morning sessions, it does not diminish the importance for his colleagues to find the motivation to live healthier lives. He would ask the teachers of the CCSD to think about his "Life is Good" mantra and how it applies to their daily lives. "If you don't feel good about your life, do something to change it." The alternative is to miss out on life as it passes you by and that is no alternative at all!

In the end, no matter what is going on in your life, it is the only one you have so make the most of it. We here at the Trust hope you will take the words and actions of SGM David Oberg to heart and find a way to say "Life is Good" each and every day in 2011 and beyond.

Philip A. DiGiacomo
Contributor

<< Back to H.E.R.O.S.