Captain Peter Prozik of the U.S. Army recently visited St. Barnabas School to speak to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Mathematics classes.  He is the brother of former math teacher Andrew Prozik.  A 1996 West Point graduate, Capt. Prozik is an officer in the Finance Corps., which is the Army branch that provides the financial services for the our country’s servicemen and servicewomen. He spoke about his job in the service, his recent deployment, and the correlation between math skills and his Army job.

    Captain Prozik has traveled throughout the world to Alaska, Egypt, Germany, and most recently, Turkey.   He related how math skills, using checks and balances, were essential to his Army job which involves the careful accounting of money exchanges.  He and other finance officers constantly have to review all incoming and outgoing cash.  Whether it was adding, subtracting, dividing, or multiplying, math is not just a large part of the job; it is the main part of the job.  Captain Prozik also explained differences in Army ranks and uniforms (green versus brown fatigues, etc.).

    Students had questions about the mode of transportation he used while in Turkey, the meals he ate, and the climate of the country.  Captain Prozik told the students he traveled in a basic Army Humvee, which are unlike the Humvees driven by civilians in the United States.  He also explained about MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), which are the meals service men and women eat.  He said most MREs are not too bad!   Captain Prozik told the students the climate in Turkey varies with rain, heat and cold.   The students also wanted to know if he had contact with Turkish people. The Captain met mostly with the businessmen the Army dealt with. He told the students there were times he had to carry cash with him to pay for things the Army needed immediately, since cash transactions are faster and easier.  The largest amount he carried at one time was $2 million dollars, in $100.00 dollar bills, which he carried in a backpack. Captain Prozik showed the students a picture of a 1 million dollar bill called Turkish Lire, which in American money was worth 70 cents.

    In concluding his visit, Captain Prozik told the students his job is very rewarding and exciting because he is able to travel, meet new people, and experience things he never dreamed he would do.  When he was young, he wanted to be a professional soccer player. West Point changed all of that for him when he realized he wanted to join the Army. 

    Math obviously runs in the Prozik family, Andrew and Peter’s father is a Mathematics professor at Medaille College; Andrew, of course, teaches math at St. Barnabas School; and Peter uses it in his Army career.  He told the students that math is connected to almost everything we do, whether it is paying for a meal at a restaurant or buying a house. 

    The students enjoyed having Captain Prozik talk to them and invited him to come back again.     

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