Bernard James wears two uniforms; One of the Florida State Seminoles and one of the US Security Forces-Defensor Fortis
On Thursday evening at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. chants of “USA, USA,” erupted as Bernard James of Florida State University became one of 60 players selected in the 2012 NBA draft. James was selected 33rd overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers before quickly being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. James is a 27 year old man among boys in this year’s draft. James is the oldest college basketball player selected in the past 20 years. With his selection in the draft, James exceeded Dikembe Mutumbo, who turned 25 years old a day after being drafted in 1991. James took the road less traveled to get the NBA, but it is what makes his story unparalleled.
As a former Active Duty Security Forces member myself, I can’t help but root for James. Prior to becoming a NBA player, James had a life most only watch on TV. Bernard completed a full six-year term as a Blue-Beret Security Forces member in the United States Air Force. His performance earned him the rank of a Non Commissioned Officer in the form of a Staff Sergeant. James answered his nations call by serving three tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar.
In Bernard’s first deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was put to the test by guarding detainees and possible insurgents at Camp Bucca, Iraq. In Qatar, he secured some of our nations priority resources. In support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, James was given the strenuous task of protecting base populous. These experiences and life lessons separate James from ordinary college and now NBA players. Not only does Bernard’s life- experience set him apart from his peers, his age does too. At the mature age of 27, most athletes are reaching their proverbial “peak”, while their decline may be just a couple of years away from all of the wear and tear of consecutive play on their bodies. Don’t let this worry you; James only has two years of college basketball on his body. “My age is misleading, I don’t have years and years of basketball on my body,” James said. “I didn’t play in middle school or high school. I didn’t play years of AAU basketball. Some of these guys have played year-round and beat their bodies up.”
Ironically, James never played competitive basketball until he joined the Armed Forces. “The first time I picked up a ball was when I was 14 or 15 years old. I knew how to play, but I had never played competitively or anything” James said. “When I joined the military, I had a supervisor, Erick Dumas. On the first day of work, he asked me if I played basketball. I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘You do now.’” I myself have given this same order to a troop who harbored the necessary skills needed to provide a win. James goes into detail about his first experience as a basketball player in the Armed Forces, “That night, I showed up to the intramural basketball game and had a bunch of blocks, dunks, and rebounds. We just destroyed the other team. All of the guys that I work with were congratulating me and they were so happy that I was playing with them. That kind of got me locked in, that’s where it all started. After that, I would go to the gym to shoot and mess around with those guys. That’s really how I started to develop.”
I can attest to this fact; military intramural sports can be incredibly tense. I have fallen victim to these matchups. One of which resulted in an extraordinarily large “bump” on my forehead; due to a rival player feeling the need to drop an elbow on it while playing intramural basketball. There is a nauseating picture of it floating around somewhere (TSgt Horne). The reason military intramural sports are so competitive is because it is squadron vs. squadron, platoon vs. platoon, squad vs. squad and the urge to prove ones career field or division is better than the next is at an all-time high. With this being said, one can see how Bernard fell in love with basketball.
Bernard James at Florida State University
After James realized he had talent he began to take the game seriously. He had aspirations to play at the college level so he could obtain a degree and make his parents even prouder of his accomplishments. In 2005, James put on a basketball clinic at the U.S. Armed Forces All-Star tournament. His performance on the court caught the attention of Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton, who happened to be in Las Vegas for the tournament. After seeing Bernard perform, Hamilton offered the star Center a full-ride scholarship.
During his two-year season with the Seminoles, James led his team to its first ACC basketball championship title in school history; defeating college basketball Goliaths, Duke and North Carolina. Bernard also led his team to two appearances in the NCAA tournament averaging 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks his senior year.
When James was asked about the first time he realized he may have a shot in the NBA he stated “The NBA wasn’t even a thought for me. For me, I was just thinking about earning a scholarship and getting into college.” James said.” I wanted to earn my degree. That was my main focus. That was my entire motivation up until I got to Florida State. The thought of playing in the NBA didn’t come into play until after my first season with the Seminoles. Going into my senior year, that’s when I realized that it could happen and I started focusing on making it to the NBA.”
When James was asked about what makes him different from other players besides his age he stated “A lot of these kids haven’t seen a whole lot in their lives. For many of them, all they know is basketball. They’ve been playing since they were about eight years old and they don’t realize what it’s like in the real world, having a real job and working for $30,000 or $40,000 a year. I’ve definitely learned not to let a single day go to waste.”
James will make incredible contributions to last year’s NBA Champions, the Dallas Mavericks, both on the court and in the locker room. Bernard deserves respect for what he has done for this country and the road he took to become a NBA player. While most would take advantage of the position James is in; he won’t. Bernard will embrace this opportunity of a lifetime and put his best efforts on the floor. James, thanks for proving hard work is still a valuable quality and nothing should be handed out. Good-luck Bernard James, you have your fellow Security Forces members rooting for you, along with the rest of the Armed Forces.
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Mike
June 30, 2012 at 2:00 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Awesome story! I had no idea he was one of us!
Nick W
June 30, 2012 at 4:31 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Great article! Being a Security Forces member myself it’s good to see one of our own make it.
Dude
July 1, 2012 at 3:23 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Blue-Beret Security Forces Member? Ahem, really Security Forces should not be wearing Berets. All the other units in the military that wear Berets, save the regular army, have gone through rigorous, demanding training to earn it. Security Forces in itself is largely comprised up of recruits that did not score high enough on the ASVAB to qualify for other air force jobs. So they send them to a 12 week course at Lackland AFB and teach them how to shoot guns, a little hand to hand stuff, and all the legal aspects of how to be a cop. Not Beret worthy.
Pararescue = special forces = beret worthy
Combat Control = special forces = beret worthy
Security Forces = not special forces = shouldn’t be wearing berets
jonathan
July 1, 2012 at 9:05 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
athough i dont agree with your idea of us not wearing a beret due to what it takes to wear one for the rest of the military. i have to say ur completely wrong about us scoring low on the asvab. there is alot of intelligent ppl in this career field and we all know exactly what were doing when we have to repond to something.
intelligent cop
July 2, 2012 at 12:14 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
you’re a fuking faggot, and FYI! im a beret wearing cop WITH A MASTERS DEGREE!!! PUSSY…..
Eric
July 2, 2012 at 1:27 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Wait, wait, dude…where do you work? I guess your some sort of fashion police… That’s ok. Less than 1% of this entire country defends and protects the other 99% and the USAF Security Forces aren’t “special forces” just like the conventional army isn’t “special forces” but since you brought it up you left out a ton of other career-fields across all of the branches. I’m just going to assume you’re some sort of cock mongering homosexual who is obviously bitter about something. Run the numbers on how many Security Forces there are…who guards the nuclear weapons inventory for the US Gov’t, who guards Air Force 1, and a few other things I am sure you won’t understand and learn what exactly it is you are talking about. What you said is 100% not relevant at all. Bernard James got into the NBA and he was Security Forces – obviously he is a moron for serving his country and being successful. You’re not worthy of life with your poorly written comment. You’re either arrogant, bitter about something military related, or completely mentally deficient. Which one is it?
justanotherdumbcop.jpg
July 2, 2012 at 1:33 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Who are you to say we shouldn’t wear them? Just what is it that you do? You seem like a troll. Even if you are I’m still gonna say this.
What’s it to you? Why does it matter to you so much? At the end of the day we are all one team. I’ve done convoys, patrol OPs with some of all “Special Forces” in the military. Didn’t matter to them that we wear berets. They were some of the most down to earth people I have ever met. In their eyes we’ve earned it due to putting up with some of the military scumbags, domestic cases, bomb threats, planes crashing, under age drinkers, homicides and the every once in a while under age prostitution rings on base.
Education wise. There some of us including myself that have our BS and currently working our Masters. Like any other career field you’re gonna have a few bad apples but, don’t size up the rest of us based off of them.
thefly
July 2, 2012 at 1:45 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@ Dude, I guess you could not make the cut. I wonder where those that can’t hack Security Forces go??
Mark P
July 1, 2012 at 8:35 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thank you for taking away this mans accomplishments and out of the entire article that is what you choose to comment about? This wasn’t an article about special forces or beret worthy individuals, it was the outstanding accomplishments of a young man who achieved outstanding things in life. Your comments are disgusting. And completely disrespectful.
Jim
July 1, 2012 at 8:38 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
^^^^ What a POS you are. How can you discredit this guy and his success story. It’s a great story and regardless of your personal opinion he still did an amazingly great thin. For the record I have served with Security Forces overseas and they earn their berets. There is no validity to any of your statements. Go be ignorant some where else idiot.
mark
July 1, 2012 at 8:52 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
You are so cool dude, if you took the time yo read the article you would see what he did in life, he was a member of the armed forces and served this great country now he is fulfilling a dream to play basketball so keep ur opinion to yourself loser
Mark P
July 1, 2012 at 8:56 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
AMEN JIM!!
Sam
July 1, 2012 at 8:57 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The funny thing about this is that you’re such a coward you couldn’t even use your real name. You used the name ”dude”, you must be a serious badass? You hid behind a fake name, pathetic. How can you say anything about SF coward.
Jim
July 1, 2012 at 9:06 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Hell yeah Mark P this guy is a chump p@ssy. Like Sam said he couldnt even use his real name
Andrea
July 1, 2012 at 9:26 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I may be just a dumb spouse to you but I can assure you my husband scored plenty high enough on his asvab test to do anything he wanted in any branch. He wanted to be a cop and serve his country at the same time. He chose the air force because it offered a better lifestyle for his family. You’re statement shows your army ignorance. I dare you to say that to my husband who has been attached to army units doing missions where his friends and brothers didn’t make it home. I dare you to say this to the wife and child of a security forces member who has to live their life with memories and pictures of their loved one. What does it matter what color his beret is? Last time I check up until recently the army issues berets to everyone including guys who sweep floors. This guy still did a job most other cowards in the country only have the balls to sit around and criticize. Why would you hate on a service member who after his Military career isn’t sitting around doing nothing with their lives? To me it just sounds like you’re jealous of the awesome opportunity he’s created for himself.
Joey
July 1, 2012 at 10:24 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This is where I get to have some fun. 1.Nick, phenomenal story brother. keep bringing it straight you will keep getting the support. 2. Dude, so yes, from your post we can assume you know a little about security forces. But you forgot to mention the 12 hour shift that the 21 year old defender does everyday for years in the snow protecting the sanctity of this country. You forgot to mention the times down range when things happen and the defenders took care of it to the point that you didn’t know about it. There is a mutual respect that is given to the cct and pj folks who take care of business during special times. But the defenders do it day in and day out. Finally, I can tell you weren’t a beret wearing individual because if you were you would have kept with the topic of acknowledging Mr James personal and professional accomplishments. Two wars, a degree from a legit school and a nice paycheck in the NBA. Looks like you have someone to look up to now dude. 3. Mr. James…congrats and its what you do with what you’ve done that maters. Defensor Fortis.
Brian
July 2, 2012 at 1:10 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Hey Dude!
Why don’t you lay down your credentials on the table, then we can see who has the real experience. As a blue Beret wearing SF with a B.A. in Homeland Security and a Minor in Emergency Management I fully agree that AF SF should wear a beret. You should do a little research into what SF did in the past to earn that beret their BUCKO! During the Vietnam conflict we were one of the only Combat MOS’s alongside the Special Forces and Infantry. Today, we still make up one of the largest Combat MOS presence in theatre. I for one have been deployed to Iraq twice, Aghanistan once, kuwait and Turkey. Giving me a grand total of 3 years with my boots in the sand. Not to many others accept an handful of people and the guy who wrote this article can say that, only the Beret wearers can relate. On my last deployment to Iraq I quote GEN Patraeus saying “We have been at this war for the better part of a decade now, but one things for sure, I would take one Fire Team of Air Force SF over a Platoon of Infantrymen anyday”. And that my friends is a testament to what we do. You are right about one thing though. The training they give during Tech is pretty basic. The advanced courses come during your first duty station. Such as Ranger, Counter Sniper, SERE, Pathfnder, Air Assualt, Military Investigations, SWAT, and counter insurgency response, just to name a few. Do you homework DUDE!
John P
July 2, 2012 at 1:40 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Look Dude,
We all know you’re just trolling on this one. You list no background information about yourself, let alone experience. For all the rest of us know, your only military experience is beating off to Modern Warfare. But fair is fair, so you really think that Security Forces “doesn’t deserve a beret,” have you stopped to think that maybe wearing that beret is a way of identifying a law enforcement officer? Or maybe if someone you love is getting assaulted, wouldn’t you want that person to have a readily identifiable individual that they know they can count on to protect them? Just food for thought.
Oh, and P.S.,
I was a Security Forces Member, and scored a 95 on the ASVAB.
Go Fuck Yourself,
Sincerely,
John
Mike M
July 2, 2012 at 3:19 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
You fucking PUSSY!!!! My guess is you couldn’t cut it in the military and you have no athletic ability what so ever. Mad because you suck at life lol jealous of those who have promising futures! You probably sit at home all day every day at either your parents or grandparents house playing first person shooter games wishing you were an SF MEMBER! See we have been their and done that, in the “real world”, no reset button for us! I “WISH” you would try to feed me or any SF MEMBER this bullshit face to face lol PLEASE TRY IT then post how that worked out for ya…….And whats up with “Dude” seriously, lmao FAGGOT! Post your real name PUSSY!! I’m SSgt Mike M, USAF SECURITY FORCES, BERET WEARER!!!!! Go FUCK YOURSELF!
John
July 2, 2012 at 4:10 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The dude is having a tough time…That is why freedom of speech is so great because it gives idiots like the dude the right to say absurd things and it allows others like those who commented about the dude(clearly cops or are affliated) to accurately respond to this cock suckers comment. Obviously the dude has some sort of daddy issues and that’s why he felt the need bring negativity into this story. Additionally, the dude clearly hates himself because he could not allow this story to stand as is and felt the need to attach his sad hateful life to this story. Lastly, I’d like to add the dude exhibits extreme misguided homosexual tendencies towards those who wear the beret. It seems as if he, the dude, has performed homosexual acts with those beret worthy individuals but was unable to close the deal on the security forces therefore making them unworthy to the dude. Not saying there is anything wrong with homosexuality but this dude really like the cock and especially those who wear berets. So dude relax and one day a cool security forces member will stick his cock in ur idiotic mouth.
AMOR
July 7, 2012 at 7:02 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@ dude
Where you at, come on man defend yourself from all these comments people are saying to you/about you…
You remind me of one of them taliban “dudes” TRIES TO ACT TOUGH but then goes into hiding! It’s all good “dude” a.k.a bin laden, you know better than to come out the closet and get Fucked Up like your people do. FYI we’d kick your door down but you aint nothing cupcake. I could go on n on with this, but whats the point? Doubt you’re even in the Armed Forces, especially not Special Forces because if you were you wouldn’t have the time to or care to type arrogant shit.
for the record thats my real name and I’m Security Forces, with that said I shouldn’t be too hard to find with your “special” abilities.
dude= NEVER made it= tiara worthy
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