Stew Campbell
US Air Force
Years of service: 20 years
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): First 16 years Crew chief (Maintainer) on the C130’s. The last 4 years IT Manager for the 53rd Airlift Sq.
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: When deployed, it was the Camaraderie that keeps us going! I have seen a lot of this world in 20yrs in the AF, somewhere in 5 star hotels and some in tents in the desert, even a few nights in the cargo department of a c130. But we always had each other’s back. That's Camaraderie!
Brad Gosney
US Army
Years of service: 6.5 years
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): From October 94 to Sept 98. I joined the military for family reasons and I wasn’t ready for college.
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: Camaraderie is everything in the military because you have to be like-minded and able to get along and understand your troops/peers so you all act as one unit to accomplish whatever is put in front of you.
Bob Haley
US Army
Years of service: 87-91 (Desert Storm)
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): My grandfather (WWII) and my brother served. in the Army. I served as a communication chief.
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: You had to trust and depend on your fellow soldiers. Your life could literally depend on it.
Ramey Harrington
US Army National Guard
Years of service: 6 years.
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): I joined the Army National Guard because almost all of family that had served in the military were in the Army so I had a special place in my heart for that branch. I was also a single father when I joined that at the age of 27 and the National Guard afforded me the opportunity to serve my country and still be a single father.
My primary role as a 2nd Lieutenant was as a Military Intelligence Officer. More specifically I Staff Officer for the 39th Infantry Brigade Headquarters Unit. I was the Assistant S2(Military Intelligence Officer) and then eventually the Acting S2. As the S2, I was responsible for the Brigade's intelligence operations, security, and acquiring intelligence, then disseminating that intelligence.How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: Camaraderie was a vital part of me serving alongside my fellow military personnel. For me, it was a must to have mutual trust and respect between myself and my fellow military personnel to complete missions and objectives. I developed close relationships with my fellow service members because we depended on each other as a team. We also knew whatever we went through, we would go through it together.
Damon Kilgo
US Army
Years of service: 6.5 years
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): Airborne Military Police Officer assigned to a combat MP Unit 977th and 300th MP Companies from ‘94-‘98; Airborne Infantry assigned to 1st Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2d “Dagger” Brigade Combat Team from ’98-‘01
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: Camaraderie is the core of the military experience, period. We are not co-workers, colleagues, or comrades when we are in the foxhole side-by-side; we are brothers and sisters in green. These bonds have not been broken in over 20+ years after service and can not be broken. Many of my closest relationships are those that I formed in the military. Even to this day, all I have to do is pick up the phone and I know without a doubt EVERY member of my former combat team will be at my doorstep the next day, if I needed them. Let’s pray that day never comes because that’s when we know the world is ending.
Greg Kirtman
US Marine Corps
Years of service: 1 ½ active. 4 ½ active reserve
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): Tried college, didn’t care for it. A friend joined the Marine Corp and referred me. My primary role after boot camp was going to Electronics training 5 days a week for 10+ months. Then I was a Ground Radio Repairman once my education was complete.
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: You had to balance working as a team in boot camp while also showing your individual strengths. During my education time, we worked closely as a group to help each other excel and pass the stringent testing after each 1 or 2-week class. If we failed a class, you got one do-over. If you failed a second time (during those 10+ months), you were transferred to your primary MOS which in my case was a “grunt” (field combat, armed).
Josh McConnell
US Army
Years of service: 1997-2002
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): The Army provided me with the best path toward my current career, and the college money didn’t hurt! While I was in, I was an Information Systems Analyst, responsible for setting up my unit’s network and keeping it running smoothly whenever we were deployed, and running an IT helpdesk during those deployments. My teammates and I also created one of the first websites used to transmit and receive field reports electronically.
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: The camaraderie of my teammates played a vital part of my success as a soldier, and has carried with me since. I consider all of them my brothers and sisters over 20 years later, and learned much about sharing ideas to problems, identifying and leveraging people’s strengths, and teamwork.
Pete Rouget
US Navy
Years of service: 4
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): My Grandfather was in the Navy and my father was in the Marine Corps, and wanted to be in special forces if I could. I was an electrician.
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: When you are out in the middle of the ocean and you are at war or in peacetime all you have to rely on is the people around you. They are there for you and you are there for them. There is a certain amount of pride to serve others and your country.
Eric Scott
US Air Force
Years of service: 6
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): I actually wanted to go into the Navy, why, I don’t know because I’m not really a fan of big boats. I would never go on a cruise. But going in to enlist, the Navy recruiter was out to lunch, so I turned around and enlisted in the air force instead. I knew I didn’t want to go into the Army or Marines.
My primary career field was computer and crypto maint. We maintained all the computer and crypto equipment at the communications squadron/group, the control tower, and the missile sites that were all around central Arkansas.How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: Camaraderie played a big role in our field because we simply couldn’t go out to a site on our own. We needed a minimum of 2 of us. Sometimes 3. We had to stick together. Also, while in the Middle East, everybody on the base/compound depended and relied on each other. We had to. It was us and the foreigners. We did everything together. Ate, went to work and back, played cards, shopped, laundry. Everything.
William Washington
US Marine Corps
Years of service: Enlisted in the USMC on July 23 1976 for four years active duty and two years inactive.
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): No special reason I decided to join the Marines.
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: Serving beside fellow Marines was a challenge and an honor. I made some lifelong friends that I’m still in contact with today, I enjoyed it and will do it all over if I’m needed.
Jay Wise
US Navy
Years of service: 2 ½ years I was honorably discharged for scoliosis. I tried for a few years to get back in or be in the reserves but couldn’t do it.
Why did you go into the service branch you did, and what were your primary role(s): I went to college a little while and really couldn’t find anything that I enjoyed doing. One of my friends from church asked if I wanted to do the buddy system and we both agreed to join the Coast Guard. I couldn’t join the Coast Guard because I was too honest on my application, so my alternative was the Navy. I was an Aviation Ordinance man, better known as BB Stacker.
How did camaraderie play a part in your service alongside fellow military personnel?: That’s a great question. In the military you must work together, if one person fails you all fail. There’s not a number one, we were pushed to all be number one and everyone helped each other to achieve our goals.
