• If you enlisted, what were some of the reasons that you joined the military? How did you choose your branch of service?
    • I initially was enlisted with the Illinois Army National Guard in order to both continue my family tradition and also earn money and tuition assistance for college.  I later did ROTC, then the Army Reserve, and then came on Active Duty in 1988.
  • How did you imagine military life before you joined? How did your perceptions change after serving?
    • Being the son and grandson of servicemembers, I knew that the military life was challenging but had its rewards – and I liked to concept of seeing the world.
  • What was basic training like?
    • It was tough but I was mentally and physically prepared for it unlike a lot of my fellow Soldiers who had no family with military experience.
  • Can you describe a funny moment from boot camp?
    • My sister sent me letters and boxes of cookies.  Every time she did so, she wrote silly, somewhat antagonizing messages to my Drill Sergeants on the letters/boxes – which always resulted in me getting to do extra push-ups!
  • What are some of the things you remember about adapting to military life?
    • Having coworkers and bosses literally living next to me (and one point, I shared a duplex with my boss – there was no time away from my boss…)
    • Having someone knock on my door and tell me that I had too many dandelions in my yard – the installation’s Department of Engineering and Housing was closely monitoring how well people maintained their yards.
  • How did you stay in touch with family and friends back home?
    • When I lived in Germany (1988-1992) it was letters and extremely expensive phone calls.
  • What are some things you remember most about your deployment?
    • One thing I remember vividly about traveling into theater one time was that I was sent to Saudi Arabia by myself to link up with my unit.  I had to stay by myself overnight in an unguarded, unsecure regional airport in Riyadh for about 10 hours – I was exhausted but had to stay awake the whole night.
  • Can you describe how you felt coming home from combat?
    • My tours in theater were all short tours.
  • Was there anything you especially missed about civilian life?
    • I missed the ability to go home whenever I wanted to – and to live where I wanted to live.
  • Is there someone you served with that you remember fondly? Can you tell me about him/her?
    • My first Platoon Sergeant when I was a Lieutenant – he taught me so much about the Active Army and his 20+ years of experience.  Behind closed doors he was my mentor and advisor; in public, he was extremely supportive of his green Lieutenant.
  • What are some fun things you and your friends did together while you were deployed?
    • Playing golf in the desert (everything was a sand trap!).
  • Did any of your military friends play pranks on each other? Can you describe a funny one?
    • At my Advanced ROTC Camp, one of my friends was having trouble cleaning his rifle, so another one of my friends told him to go to the armorer and ask for some “elbow grease” to help clean his rifle – and he did!  The armorer just laughed at him, and eventually we told him what elbow grease was!
  • Did you ever get caught breaking any rules? Did you ever get away with something you weren’t supposed to do?
    • At my ROTC Advanced Course, I convinced all of the Cadets of 7 of the 8 Platoons (about 210 of the approximate 240 Cadets) to wear Burger King Crowns to the opening formation the morning after Independence Day (5 July 1986).  The One Platoon refused to go along with the gag.  When the Regimental Commander (a Colonel) came out to address us, he immediately dropped the Cadets that were out of uniform for push-ups – the one platoon that was not like the other 7 platoons (the Colonel had caught wind of the gag, and went with it – he came out of his office wearing a Burger King Crown himself).
  • Did you ever learn something about a fellow service member that surprised you?
    • I learned that one of the E-4’s that worked for me was actually from a very rich family.  He chose to serve in the Army to serve his country and to gain life experiences.  After he served 4 years, he transitioned out, and went and took over his Father’s company.
  • When did you leave the military? What was that process like?
    • I left the Army in January 2018.  It was a mixture of emotions – sad in some ways, happy in others.  Having watched my Father transition out of the military in 1981, I found that the military had come a long way in helping its servicemembers to transition out of the military.
  • What were your first few months out of the service like?
    • While I thought that I would miss the military a lot, I think that transitioning to a job that supported the military helped a great deal.  I actually spent the last day of my military career traveling to Camp Atterbury for ATS.  I went to bed as a Soldier, and woke up the next day as a civilian/retiree.  I then entered Camp Atterbury and went to work trying to support the military from a whole new angle!
  • Was there anything or anyone that helped you during the transition from military to civilian life?
    • I had a retired Warrant Officer who provided me a lot of great advice on the process.  He started to advise me about a year from my actual retirement date which helped immensely – I have tried to “pay it forward” and provide that same advice to others.
  • Do you have advice for others transitioning out of the military?
    • As stated above, start early.  Servicemembers need to keep working hard, but also need to plan out their retirement, and ensure that they get things done sooner rather than later.  In addition to informal advise, I have also tried to mentor others who are retiring;  this includes ATS allowing Mike Dolata and I to formally mentor a retiring servicemember who we helped set up for success in his transition (I am having lunch with that individual this week – he not only found a job he liked, but has already been promoted within his new company).
  • How do you think your time in the military affected you?
    • I think that the military taught me to be organized, to plan, and to see through missions regardless of how tough they may look at the beginning.
  • What did you learn about yourself?
    • I learned that I could enter new environments and tackle the new challenges that those environments posed.
  • What are some of your hopes for the future?
    • To serve out another successful career in helping my organization be successful.  To get all four of my children successfully launched into their own careers.  And to be the best grandfather that I can be.
  • What phrase or word will never be the same now that you served?
    • I don’t think that I may ever be able to stop using the word “Hooah”.  I didn’t know the word existed before I joined, but now it is a permanent part of my diction.
  • When you were first discharged, what are some things about civilians that were difficult for you to deal with?
    • People cussing and acting rude to others in public with no repercussions.
  • Is there anything you wish civilians understood about military service?
    • That the military truly is the best example of the American “melting pot” – where people from all walks of life come together as one.
  • What are some habits you developed in the service that you like? What are some that you dislike?
    • The habit I like most is the automatic desire to want to organize and plan out assignments.  The habit I dislike the most is saying “Hooah” to everyone to include civilians.
  • What are some things you miss about being in the service? What are some you are glad to have left behind?
    • I miss many of the people I used to work with in the military, knowing that I may never see many of them again in person.  I am glad that I am no longer moving every 2-3 years.
  • What has been difficult to communicate to family and friends about your military service?
    • I haven’t really had that problem due to being from a military family.
  • Do you have advice for military couples?
    • Enjoy the world as much as you can, as soon as you can.  Do not have children until you have been married for at least 5 years.  Take turns volunteering for organizations that matter to you both – support each other in those endeavors.
  • If you have children, what do you want them to know about your military service?
    • That I was proud to serve my country, and that the military allowed me to do many things that I might never have been able to do had I taken a civilian job right out of college.  If I could do it all again, I would still join the US Army.