The Mirror recently sat down with DHS staff members Dan Rouse and Kevin Leonard to discuss their experiences in the United States military before becoming educators. 

Mirror: Did you do well in school? 

Dan Rouse: I did quite well in school. I was a member of the National Honor Society. I was on different sports teams, I was involved. I went to college before I went in as an officer. 

Kevin Leonard: Yes. I finished in the top 10% of my class. I ranked number 13. Many people were shocked that I joined the army and would say, “you’re too smart for this.” That always confused me because we need smart and intelligent people in the military. 

M: What made you decide to join the military? 

DR: My dad was a veteran. Growing up we watched a lot of history movies, about World War 2, and the navy movies interested me the most. Lots of television and books influenced my decision. 

KL: I had no specific reason to join. I was in high school when 9/11 happened. In school I was called by a U.S Marines recruiter, and he called me the wrong name at least five times during the call, so I decided to reach out to the army. In school I enjoyed reading “The Forgotten Soldier” by Guy Sajer. Both of my grandfathers were veterans, but this wasn’t the path my family had set up for me. 

M: When did you enlist and for how long?

DR: I was 22 years old. I was active for seven and in the reserves for 13. 

KL: I was 17 years old, in my senior year of high school. The army owned my for eight years. two active, and six in the reserves. 

M: What was your experience in basic training like? 

DR: It was an intense personal challenge. I would say to myself, you will not drop out, you will adjust, because to me, there was no other option. We started with 52 and ended with 21. 

KL: To me it was simple, keep your head down, and learn to play the game. They never learned my name because I never gave them a reason to, and that's how you win. Almost everyone I started with made it out because we needed bodies to send to Iraq. The beliefs they taught us are engraved in our head. I remember how they would say “hero is a derogatory term.” If you do the right thing to be viewed as a hero, your head isn’t in the right place. As an army medic, the only civilian medical course I took was accelerated EMT basic course. I had months of intense training where I learned the fastest most efficient way to save the largest amount of people.  

M: What was your assignment? 

DR: Radar Intercept Officer (backseater in F14), U.S. Navy.

KL: 68 W(hiskey) Army Medic, E5 Sergeant. U.S. Army. I worked overnight at an intensive care unit at a combat support hospital.

M: What was was the most challenging part about your new life in the military? 

DR: Easily the hardest thing was being away from my family. Leaving all my siblings behind had to be the worst part. Moving around wasn’t always easy, either. 

KL: Honestly, it was the perfect fit for me. I have always been bad at keeping in touch, so I liked being able to write letters to everyone. I did miss my family, but it was manageable. 

M: What is something that shocked you, or would shock others, about the military?

DR: I recognized the environmental impact. The jets and many other heavy machinery operate entirely on fossil fuels. The amount of chemicals and ordinance being released into the air. Each ship and plane had to be a certain weight, so if it was over we would dump fuel into the oceans. 

KL: During basic training, I remember being in the dining facility and these Drill Sergeants pointed over to two men wearing bright pink vests. They said these men wanted to kill themselves. The goal was to publicly humiliate them while they were vulnerable. The Sargents wanted to warn everyone not to be like “those guys.” Environmentally I was exposed to so many chemicals and fumes that if I get diagnosed with cancer the U.S government will automatically tie it into my service.

M: Where has the military taken you? 

DR: Florida, California, Hawaii, Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Arabian Gulf.

KL: Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mouzoul, and Iraq.

M: Did you serve during war time? 

DR: I served during a peace time. I was never in a combat environment.  That's the difference between me and Mr. Leonard.  I actually retired 10 days before the attack on 9/11. During the beginning of my service, there was still the influence of Russia and the cold war. 

KL: I served in the Iraq War. I actually signed up just a few months before we invaded Iraq.

M: In what ways did being in the military positively affect your life as a civilian? 

DR: It helped me pursue teaching. It helped me realize what kind of role model I wanted to be for my students. They say that anything you do after the military, “the military will help you do it better.” 

KL: It helped put my life into perspective. Every day is a better day after being in Iraq. It helped me develop patience, especially in my career as a TBL teacher. I learned to take care of my students and something most soldiers learn is how to command a room. 

M: What doors did military service open for you? 

DR: Massachusetts State Colleges give money for education after service, so I didn’t have much student loan debt. There are programs to help veterans get jobs, too. There are also programs to help veterans buy homes, where we have to pay less for mortgages. Since I served 20 years, I also got money for retirement. 

KL: I had lots of money when I got home from Iraq, since there wasn’t much for me to spend it on. When I went to school, I got two degrees and I’m in no college debt. I was able to get the VA home loan. 

M: What support systems did you find the most helpful during and after your service? 

DR: I found support within my relationships. Family, education, friends, students, veterans, and former colleagues. 

KL: Returning to my old relationships was helpful. It was hard to make new friends and meet new people who didn’t understand the experiences I had. I didn’t even learn that I had PTSD until years after my service, so it took a long time to adjust to my new social life. 

M: What advice would you give someone who is considering joining the military?

DR: You have to make sure you get all your questions answered before you commit. Talk to your family, and the people that are important to you. Most importantly, you have to be 100% committed to yourself, you have to think to yourself that you will not be the one to quit. You have to understand you could be asked to pay the ultimate price, and die for your country, and you have to do it with pride. 

KL: You need to accept the fact that death is waiting for all of us, you’re not invincible. Remember that “the mission matters and you don’t,” they don’t care about you, they care about what you get done. 

M: What do you wish people wouldn’t say to veterans?

DR: Asking personal questions, without ever really knowing what they mean. 

KL: When people throw around “thank you for your service.” Don’t say it if you don’t mean it. Also, asking a veteran if they've ever killed someone. That question could trigger some of the worst moments in their entire life.