Shane Radtke has gone from helping one of the best high school football teams in the Region's history win a state title to flying Black Hawk helicopters over Iraq to rubbing elbows with high-ranking government officials.

Radtke, a 28-year-old Griffith graduate, has experienced a lot while serving his community and country.

His role always seems to be changing, but his passion has remained the same.

"I'm very, very proud to be an American," said Radtke, the star quarterback for Griffith's 1997 Class 4A state championship team who went on to become a backup linebacker and special teams player for Army. "I'm proud of what I've been able to do and where I've been. July 4 means a little bit more once you've served. It's more than just hot dogs and fireworks. It's about us celebrating what made us the country that we are."

Radtke, his wife, Christin, and their 2 1/2-year-old son Drew have a good reason to celebrate today.

After being deployed in Iraq for almost a year as a captain in the Army's 101st Airborne Combat Aviation Brigade, Radtke is serving his country in a much different capacity. This past April, he was hired as the deputy chief of protocol and executive services at Fort Rucker, Ala.

"I'm responsible for taking care of the visitors -- not just regular visitors but other generals, foreign dignitaries and senators," Radtke said. "I take care of lodging, transportation and write all their itineraries. Anytime we have any foreign visitors I contact their embassies to check with security and see if they are coming for the right reasons and if we want to host them.

"It's drastically different. Before I wasn't used to working with generals and colonels on a daily basis. ... It's a different world I guess. I'm getting to see a different side of things."

The "different side" is a change of pace from when he was flying troops and officials -- including U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain -- over Iraq. It's also unlike his previous job as a platoon leader at Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was responsible for 35 to 40 soldiers and five Black Hawk choppers after he returned from the Middle East.

Radtke acknowledges that he feels safer, but his life can still be stressful.

"Ninety percent of the time you're just flying along and doing some sightseeing," Radtke said of his time in Iraq. "But there were times when things weren't going right and people were shooting at you. It just kind of happens in a blink of an eye.

"The pressure is still there because if I make a mistake, the bigwigs notice. I'd like to say it's not as stressful, but sometimes it is. I guess the difference is if I mess up at the job I have now, nobody is going to die. ... There are no bullets flying or anything like that."

Radtke's family is relieved that he's in the U.S.

"We feel very good that he's back here," said Russ Radtke, Shane's father and Griffith's longtime football coach. "But I understand that if he has to go, he has to go. He's open to the call. He's been on missions that we don't even know where he's been."

Radtke's life is a little less hectic now, but there's always a chance he could see active duty again. That's why he cherishes spending time with Drew and Christin, who works as an emergency room nurse. Radtke said he will probably take his son to watch fireworks today.

"He was 2 weeks old when I left (for Iraq) which was better than could've been expected," Radtke said. "My unit actually deployed three weeks before that, but they left me behind for so I could wait for my son to be born. But leaving after he was born was pretty rough. I don't even know how to describe it. I think I called home almost every night, and my wife made videos and DVDs of him and sent them to me.

"I knew what I was getting into when I first signed up and agreed to go to West Point. The timing of it kind of sucked. I would give anything to have that year with my son. But at the same time, being able to build the relationships I have and being able to be there for those other guys helped me grow, and it made me into who I am today."

Russ Radtke remembers when his son had to leave.

"When he had to take off for Iraq, there wasn't much complaining about it," Russ Radtke said. "The way he's been able to handle it -- I think that's what me and his mother are most proud of."

So Radtke has been a star athlete, a pilot and a now he's mingling with military brass at receptions and banquets. What other roles are in his future?

"He always wanted to be a coach, even more than my other two sons (Griffith football assistants Bo and Tyler)," Russ Radtke said. "He chose a different direction for a while, but you've got to have those kind of people. Thank God we have guys like Shane."