In Their Own Words
The following interviews were conducted at the Digital Media Studio at Lehigh University. They all follow a general arc from enlistment, to training, military service, and discharge.
Sean Miller (1972-) enlisted in the United States military in 1992 and served in both the Army and Army National Guard as a combat engineer. After his deployment to Cuba and Officer Candidate School, Sean decided to resign his commission and separate from the military in 2001. Upon finishing his baccalaureate, he attended law school. He currently practices law, but plans to finish his Master’s degree to become a teacher. Sean speaks of his time in the military as enjoyable and essential in shaping him into the person he is today.
Wayne Walsh (1958-) enlisted in the United States Air Force upon completing his Master’s degree. He was originally stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, where he worked as a Base architect. During his deployment to Italy, he served in both Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Though he separated in mid-nineties, Wayne chose to remain in the Reserves throughout the early 2000s. He continues to work as an architect and civil engineer. Wayne says that his time in the military was invaluable and gave him the necessary social and career skills to be successful in the private sector.
Dana Singletary joined the Air Force in 2001 as a way to pay for college. After 9/11, she was deployed to Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, where she was assigned to a medical decontamination unit. Singletary had a negative experience with the military and urges those thinking about joining to ask questions and talk to people who have real experience in the military, not just recruiters.
John Carter (1997-) joined the United States Air Force in 2015 and was assigned to security forces in San Antonio, Texas. Although looked upon as one of the best performing members of his unit, John explains that he struggled whilst in the Air Force, which led to his discharge in 2017. John describes his frustration with the military and how his service has affected him today.
Phillip Reeves decided to join the Army Reserves in 2010. In 2013 he was deployed to Shindand Air Force Base in Afghanistan as a combat medic working with a route clearance unit. He feels that the military was good for him and is happy with his experience. Personally, he believes that going to combat is a life experience that you can’t get anywhere else, but that everyone is different and each person should research for themselves what their options are.
Jenifer Tauzin graduated from Army basic training in 2012. She then attended military police officer schooling. She left the Army in 2018 and is currently in the Texas Army National Guard. Tauzin believes that the military made her strong but cynical, and she is grateful for the experience no matter how bad it was.
