Amanda Cummins discusses her time in the United States Army from the perpective of being female. In particular, Cummins, who is married to a Sailor, discusses juggling family life and solidering, her Afghanistan deployment, coping with life after deployment, and her views on how Veterans are treated.
Andrew Mencin discusses his twenty year career in the Air Force, and his current service in the Reserves. In particular, he discusses his path to becoming a leader, the ways he helped his people prepare for deployments, the mental struggles of deployments, and his experiences with other cultures.
Angel Lewis discusses his enlistment in the Army, his thoughts on serving, his job and position while enlisted, as well as the best and worst aspects of life in the service.
Master Sargeant Barry Fraiser details his 23 year career in the Air Force as a medic. In particular, Fraiser comments on his reasons for enlistment, why he chose the Air Force, basic training, his first impressions, medic training, and the people he met while deployed. He also discusses being homesick, his retirement, and how the military shaped…
Barry L. Graham disscusses his choice to enlist in the Air Force, his service experiences, and his eventual return to civilian life. In particular, Graham discusses the skills he learned in the military while working on an engine line.
Baxter Mallory details his life in the Army and the work he does with helping Veterans transition. In particular, Mallory details his time in the 82nd Airborne, breaking his ankle, and how his personality changed after enlistment. He also discusses his ideas for helping returning service people heal from their mental and physical battle scars.
Benton D. Shirey discusses his time in the United States Navy. In particular, Shirey comments on his time in the Medical Corps, his training, how it effected his family life, the Reagan Era military, and what it was like to serve during the Cold War. He also discusses his thoughts on the difficulties of returning to civilian life, and the services…
Blake Pennington details his service in the United States Marine Corp. Discussions cover his entire career in the military, from enlistment to separation.
Brandon Self recounts his time in the Marine Corps. In particular, Self details his reasons for enlisting in the Marines, his service in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, the brotherhood that is attached to serving, and he shares his reflections on his time in the service.
Brian Sheets details his time in the United States Army. In particular, Sheets details his enlistment, his time in basic training, and his deployment to Afghanistan. He also comments on his mental health struggles during and after enlistment, while also sharing his views on the PTSD crisis that many soliders grapple with after service.
Brian w. Gayheart discusses his time in the United States Army. In particular, Gayheart details his experiences during deployments and combat missions, shares his thoughts on being a crew member on a M1A1 tank, and, he traces his eventual path to higher education.
Caitlyn Wills discusses her twenty year career in the United States Air Force. Interniew topics include, but are not limited to, her decision to join the Air Force, how she survived basic training, working in Intelligence, being stationed in New Mexico, and her intergration back into civilian life. She also discusses her work in the private sector…
In this interview, Carol Trainer details her life before joining the Air Force and her subsequent time in the military. Trainer shares details on her "normal" childhood and how a John F. Kennedy quote motivated her to join the military to prevent war. She comments on her time in bootcamp, the procedures that occurred after she got off the plane,…
Charles Hager discusses his time in the Marines during the Vietnam War and his eventual return to civilian life after being discharged. In particular, Hager discusses his training in the Infantry, his culture shock when landing in Vietnam, and the postive and negative experiences he had overseas. He also discusses his return to civilian life and…
Cherise N. Haney discusses her time in the United States Air Force, her position as a MP, and what it's like to get deployed. In particular, Haney discusses being a MP for Detainee Operations, rocket attacks, being female in the military, and the gender discrimination she faced and how it impacted her place in authority. She also discusses the…
Chris Linder discusses his time in the United States Marines Corps., his deployments, and his return to civilian life. In particular, Linder comments on his deployment to Iraq during Desert Storm and a second deployment that was riddled with politcs and ever changing Rules of Engagement. He also details his involvement in humanitarian missions in…
Chris Winstead served as a Rifleman in the United States Marine Corps. From 1984-1990. Throughout his interview he discusses his boot camp experiences, life as both an active duty and reservist servicemember, and the fraternal bonds of the Marine Corps. He shares his frustrations with having lost his education benefits, and how he was not able to…
Christopher Martin Hickey discusses influences in his life and his reasons for choosing the military for his career. Hickey also comments on his multiple deployments and how he saw it affect the people around him. The interview ended with him considering the VTS 200 class’ question of if there should be a mandatory military or at least a National…
Sargeant Christopher Petzke discusses his experiences in the United States Army. In particular, Petzke comments on his deployment to Iraq, his reasons for enlisting, and how he juggles the military and a family of nine.
Christopher Rechtin details his time in the United States Army and his return to civilian life. In particular, Rechtin comments on his choice to enlist, his time during basic training, and his feelings before deployment. He also shares his experiences during his deployment to Iraq, and comments on how the war changed him. He also discusses his easy…
Retired Colonel David R. Alexander recounts his time in the miltiary, from his begingings in ROTC to ending his career as a Colonel. In particular, Col. Alexander comments on his experiences in the Middle East during the Gulf War and Operation Desert Shield. Col. Alexander also details how he led his troops during these times, as well as what it is…
Courtney Johnson discusses her service in the Army, why she enlisted, and what is was like to be a woman in the military. She details how the drill instructors were younger than her, the lack of privacy in the barracks, her work in the chemical unit, her promotion to an Operations Officer, her being stationed in Alaska, where she struggled with…
Crystal Benbow discusses her time in the United States Army and her reintergration back into cilvilan life. In particular, Benbow comments on her reasons for enlisting, her experiences in basic training, and her deployment to Iraq. She also explains how the G.I. Bill helped her become a nurse, and she details how her military service has helped her…
Dan Edwards discusses his time in the United States Air Force. In particular, he comments on his time during basic training, his deployment during the Vietnam War, and the racism he witnessed during his service. He also details the skills he picked up that help him perform well under pressure, and, explains his reluctancy to join groups like the…
Dan Gros recounts his time in the United States Army. In particular, Gros comments on his experiences during basic training, his deployment to Somalia, and his role as a Sergeant. He also discusses the good and bad that came from his service and the comforts of home that he missed most.
Ret. Master Chief Daniel Brindley details his twenty-five year career in the United States Army. Brindley faced an early discharge for an injury, but he re-enlisted three years later. In particular, Brindley discusses what it was like to serve during the Cold War, his time in Panama during the Noriega Regime, his deployments to the Middle East…
Daniel Roten discusses how life struggles pushed him to enlist in the Air Force. Roten then details the friendships he created, the little things he missed from civilian life, and his memories from serving. Roten also gives his opinion on the needs of Veterans and the Veteran Affairs Department, including some of the changes that should be made.
Danny Cline discusses his time in the Army during Vietnam. In particular, Cline comments on being drafted, going to boot camp, being shipped to Vietnam, trying to handle the stress of being in a combat zone, the process of desensitization in a war zone, and the reception he received when he returned home.
Captain Darcie Cunningham discusses her twenty-four year career in the Coast Guard. Interview topics include, but are not limted to, gender discrimination, sexual harrassment, and her views on how the Veterans Affairs Department handles mental illness in its veterans.
Darwin Streets discusses his service record during the Korean War. He discusses his early life of growing up on a farm in Athens, Ohio, and how his life changed when he got drafted to war at the young age of 18. Streets goes over how he trained for war, the hardships of being in combat, and comments on the way his service shaped him into the person…
David R. Vickers details his childhood and his reasons for enlisting in the Army. In particular, Vickers comments on his decison to enlist, his work in the EKU ROTC program, being stationed in Vietnam, and what it was like to be in the military during the Cold War. He also discusses how his faith was a factor in his war experiences and details how…
Deborah Mills discusses her time in the military. Mills comments on her favorite aspects of military life, the exercises she participated in, and her interactions with male service members. She shares a story about a fight that she got into with another soldier while on the phone with her mother and the disciplinary actions she received as a result…
Dennis Ellinger details his time in the Marine Corps during Vietnam. In particular, Ellinger comments on his life before his enlistment, why he chose to enlist rather than face being drafted, his resulting deployment to Vietnam, his combat experiences, and being wounded. He also discusses what his life was like after the war and his reflections on…
Dennis Sinnett discusses his childhood, his time in the United States Navy, from enlistment to his final rank as a Captain. As a naval pilot, Sinnett comments on the different types of aircrafts he flew, as well as his experiences during deployment and the pressures of combat.
