Col. Michael Bobeck, the New York Army National Guard's State Aviation Officer, is interviewed by television reporter Riccardo Romani for a segment that aired on Sky TG24, an Italian cable news station.
Bobeck's interview was part of a month-long series the network is doing called America 2008. Romani and his crew are traveling across the United States to share stories about America during the primary season. His goal, Romani said, is to let Italians know about typical Americans.
The Italian TV crew visited Army Aviation Flight Support Facility Three in Latham on Jan. 10 and 11 to film Bobeck's interview, as well as members of 3rd Battalion 142nd Aviation training for their deployment to Iraq in June.
Romani said he wanted to include the New York National Guard in the story because it's part of the fabric of American and because the National Guard has played such an important role in America's military since 9/11.
Bobeck discussed his service in Iraq, the National Guard's response to Hurricane Katrina, and how the National Guard has changed since the Cold War.