 Joining me today is Ryan Akin, so he's a newer era veteran and also a reservist, so that will change some of the dialogue that we're having today. But Ryan, thanks for being here and I appreciate you coming in for the interview. Thanks for having me. Sure. So, tell me a little bit about your service. Sure. Yeah, so I joined the Army Reserve in 2000. I did my basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, as well as my advanced specialty training. So I was there for a total of five to six months during that time. My reserve unit was based in New Haven, Connecticut, and it was a patrolling supply unit. And I was in 63 Sierra, which was a heavy-wheel vehicle mechanic. So I was in the maintenance platoon supporting the patrolling supply company. Okay. So I did my two weeks, one week in a month, two weeks a year at that reserve unit in New Haven, Connecticut until we were mobilized in 2003. So I believe it was the beginning of February 2003. And then we went to, we got shipped up to Fort Drum, New York, an upstate New York. Lovely place. Very lovely place. So we trained in the snow for the desert, which was very interesting. So we spent a couple months up there just preparing ourselves for deployment overseas. The boots on ground, I'd say April 2003. Okay. And we were, our base out there was just outside of Nazaria, Iraq. But before we made it up there, we all, we landed in Kuwait and waited for all our equipment to come in. And then shot up to Iraq to spend the rest of our deployment up there. So we were there a total of 15 months. Okay. Yeah, Army definitely had longer deployments. Yeah, it was. So it was interesting too because I think before all that, the average deployment for an Army reservist was maybe six to eight months. But what we found out when we got there, the need was just so great. Sure. That, yeah, we probably got extended two or three times while we were in country. So in total, like I said, it was about 15 months. Okay. So we ended up, we were all back home by August 2004. Okay. So before we jump into some other things, what made you want to join the military? That's a good question. So as a kid, I was just always drawn to the military, what I saw on TV, shows, movies, what have you. So I was always interested in the idea of joining the military, serving my country until I actually got of age to actually explore that further. I had a buddy who I went to high school with who had joined the Army to become an MP, some military police. So I'd reached out to him after I graduated high school, probably actually after my first year of college. I'd reached out to him. My interests in joining grew at that point in time. So I'd actually had a few conversations with him and had him come with me actually to the recruitment center to talk with some of the recruiters and just kind of have a battle buddy. So you get the real information. Yeah, exactly, yeah. So, but just going back to why, it's just something I always had wanted to do, just serve my country. Any family members that served in the military? Aside from my grandfather who was in the Navy during World War II, nobody else in my family has served. So in this generation I was the only one. So nobody else there. And it was tough for my parents to accept one me joining the Army and then later on accept the reality of deployment. So what were those conversations like? Challenging. I mean I think the initial, when I was of age and told them that I wanted to join the Army, the military. I don't remember in too much detail. I just know, I just remember my mother being very upset. My father a little confused but accepting. And I guess at that time being young didn't really know how best to communicate what I wanted, why I wanted to do it. But the Army helped with that. So they would send over a cruder who was very more eloquent and well-spoken than I was. Communicate it better than I could. And he did a great job convincing my parents to accept joining the military. Yeah and then the deployment, I guess it wasn't really a conversation. It kind of is what it is. There really was no choice in the matter. And it's what we all signed up for. Sure. And that could be the inevitable reality of that decision. So I was accepting of it. But my parents, they were understandably upset and concerned. But yeah, and the good thing was we were able to communicate throughout the entire deployment. The military made it very, made communication back home easy for us while we were out there. So I think that settled some of the anxiety and concern. So you weren't married at the time? I wasn't. Okay, so that was one of the things that I've been talking to the older vets from World War II on up. And we talked about your ability to communicate, especially while you were serving. So back World War II days it was strictly male. No phone calls ever, that kind of thing. And it's gotten better. I noticed it myself as well that over time technology catches up and it's much easier. Phone calls are easier, FaceTime, you name it. So that does help. After you came back, when did you get married? So I got married in 2009. So I got back from overseas in 2004. So there was a good period of time between when I came back and got married. So really having a wife and family and kids really wasn't part of the equation at that time. I think, for me personally, made it a little bit easier not having had left a wife and kids back home. Like some of my fellow comrades who had done that. So for them, the support and brotherhood was much more important for them. Because it was a much more challenging dynamic for them. So what type of things did you do on your deployment? What was your main goal, I guess? Our primary mission when we got there was to, again, a petroleum supply company. So our main mission was to supply fuel to all the convoys going north and south from Baghdad. So basically we set up fuel points on the main supply route to Baghdad and then from Baghdad. So we fueled not only US convoys but foreign convoys as well. So basically anybody moving up and down the supply route that needed fuel. Our mission in the maintenance platoon was to make sure everything was running so that we could complete our mission. So we did that for the majority of our deployment until I'd say 10 months into the deployment we were replaced. I'd say 12 months into the deployment we were replaced by an Air Force unit that basically performed the same function as we did. So at that point we were then reassigned, our mission changed and reassigned to bases down in Kuwait where our mission then was to provide force protection for those bases down there. So a little different, little change in job and expertise. So luckily being in Kuwait wasn't as hazardous at the time as being in Iraq. So there were two bases down in Kuwait where we provided the force protection, basically gate security, roving guard, stuff like that. So how did you get involved with a maintenance MOS? That's a great question. So it's a great question. I wanted to learn something different, something new that I had previously had experience with. My degree is in business so very unrelated to any trade like that. So I basically looked at the various reserve units locally. This was down in Connecticut at the time and just had a list of the various MOSes or job specialties that were available. And from that list I just picked one that I thought would be beneficial, life experience, beneficial down the road and picked mechanic. I wish there was more to it than that. And how did you like the training, job function, everything? The training was great. Being so new to the mechanic space, a lot of it was a bit challenging. To consume, I guess initially. Where I learned the most was actually being on assignment at the reserve unit in New Haven, Connecticut. Where a lot of my fellow comrades were actually mechanics on the outside in the civilian life. So that's really where I learned the most was from them on the job. So the reason I asked that is because typically with the reserves you would see just that case. Where you bring your specialty or your current job to the military, rather than going to the military and receiving your training and so forth. That's a neat story. You're absolutely right. The majority of folks in the maintenance platoon had that experience outside. I guess the oddball, for lack of a better term. But it was great for me because there's just so much knowledge that I can consume during that period of time. So have you done anything in that field outside of the military? I have not. So I know now you're working in finance. So I'm an insurance now. So completely different. Insurance doesn't fully align with my degree, but it's within that business and finance space. So completely unrelated to being a mechanic or maintenance or anything like that. So I really didn't. And quite honestly, at the time the military vehicles, the Humvees, 5 tons, 2 and a halfs that we were working on consistently were relatively straightforward in terms of the mechanics of it. Versus vehicles today, which is a giant computer, which I couldn't imagine working on today. But a Humvee in front of me. And you're good. I can do it. So how long did you serve in the military? So in total it was from 2000 to 2008. So actually my military career was a little split up in terms of where I served. And what I mean by that is in the reserves you sign up. It's an eight year commitment in total. But you can sign up for, I guess, you know, it could be a four by four, which means four years active drilling one week in a month, two weeks a year. Four years inactive, which you're not doing that, but you can be called up at any point in time. I ended up initially starting off with a three by five. So it was three years active, five years inactive. Got deployed, mobilized at the end of the three. So that got extended out a little bit beyond that. So once I got back, I was in that inactive period. So what I decided to do at that point, and I had some buddies back in Connecticut. I had moved within Connecticut, so gotten further away from my drilling unit. But I had some buddies in the Air Force, the Air National Guard, up by Bradley Airport. So I ended up actually transferring branches to finish out my inactive period. I guess someone active, but drilling with the Air Force to finish that out as a mechanic. And actually learning a little bit more skills, working on pickup trucks and stuff like that. So a little less geared towards the military style of vehicles and more towards civilian style of vehicles. Still vehicles are more advanced today, but I did get a little bit more experience, a little broader experience within doing mechanics. So what would your advice be to someone that's looking at the military as a possibility? I'd say the military is a great place to build expertise, discipline. That's a good question. The discipline has been a common theme. Obviously it's a military and rules and regulations, but discipline was a high priority item for the other guys. I see that it's true with me too. The discipline that you gain from joining the military not only will benefit you as an individual, but also will help you think down the road as well. And I found that to be the case when I was out of the military interviewing for jobs on the civilian side, especially within the business and finance space. Military experience goes a long way. A lot of companies, civilian private sector companies, really see a lot of value in military experience and the discipline and structure that that military experience usually provides and stills in people. Sure. What would you say your most challenging aspect of your service is back? The most challenging aspect of my service was really the deployment. Just being uprooted from my, and be more specific. I was mobilized two weeks into my last semester of my senior year in college. So I was almost done. So I had to essentially stop everything I was doing at that time, pick up, get all my finances in order, have my father be a power of attorney to make sure that he could handle anything while I was gone, put college on hold and then deploy for that period of time, come back and then reacclimate and attempt to finish that last semester of college. So I think that period of time from the moment I was deployed to the moment I actually graduated college was probably the most challenging time during my service. And I think that's probably the most challenging thing for reservists because you have to put your life on hold. And usually all of a sudden. So I mean you can think about it, but when it happens, there's a lot of moving parts that you have to take care of, personally with family, friends, jobs, apartments, homes, all those different things. So that adds another dimension to military service that active duty typically don't have to deal with. You know, they have base housing, things like that, so they don't have to necessarily worry about a lot of family issues, but as a reservist, it's a game changer. So the commitment I think is a little bit greater on the reserve side just because you have to juggle so many things. You know, you're juggling school, drills, your AT's, all those different things that come into play and you're doing it day in and day out. So that's a very difficult thing for some people to manage. So what would you say you've benefited most from the military from? Going back to that discipline and that structure, I think I really take pride in being disciplined in what I do. And then beyond that, I'd say integrity. So integrity, being one of the Army Corp values, I like to do everything with integrity, legally, morally, and I kind of take pride in that. I also don't like to be late to anything, which especially, and I say that too, because now the kids are back in school full-time and trying to get them out the door in the morning so we can walk to school over a gallon. It drives my wife a little nuts because I'm a little drill sergeant. If you're on time, you're late, right? Yes. So we're moving along pretty swiftly in the morning, so don't like to be late. So with your children, what would you, if they came home one day and said, hey, Dad, I want to join the military? What would you say? I'd say that's great. Certainly as a parent now, I would start having the same emotions that my parents likely had at that time, but having experienced that life and understanding the realities that come with that commitment and that sacrifice, it would be difficult to maybe initially accept, but I would definitely welcome that idea and that desire to join the military because I think the military has a lot to offer. Mostly good. Yes, especially nowadays, where you can learn that trade and carry it over into the civilian world. Absolutely. So post-deployment, because that's a whole different animal reserve side compared to active duty. So active duty, whether it's coming off of sea duty, coming back from combat, things are pretty much in place. But as a reservist coming back, what are some of the challenges you faced? Really re-acclimating to the civilian reality. And I think what I mean by that is during deployment, being active overseas, the mission is clear. You know when you have to be there. There's a lot more structure. And aside from the unknown in terms of the volatility of deployment, in terms of safety and stuff like that, I felt it a little bit more manageable at that time. We're coming back, there's a lot more, and it takes a while to kind of, like I said, re-acclimate, get used to the stresses that civilian life bring. I just felt like there's a lot more going on here that you had to wrap your head around. We'll start to again wrap your head around and manage. Like I said, it was getting back to school, it was getting my finances in order, finding an apartment to rent while I finished college, or just finding a place to live in general. Start planning for a job after that senior year in college. All that had to happen shortly after I returned. Within six to eight months, I'd say. So interviewing for that job, finding something and interviewing for it, all within a relatively short period of time, was a lot to handle at the time. So it kind of had to... So it was a challenge. So do you think you had adequate support services when you came home? Yeah, I'd say fortunate enough for me, my family was a great support system. So I had their support, not just family but friends. I said the military was very supportive too. I personally didn't lean on them as much, as maybe some of my comrades did after deployment. But I do know there was ample support available for us if needed. So if you could summarize your service, what would be three words that you would come up with to summarize your service? Worth it. Is that one word or two? Yeah, I'll give you one. Two more. Worth it. An experience. Okay, that works. Life changing? Okay, I like that one. With a hyphen, because it's making one word quick. So I really like that one. So how would you say your life has changed as a result of your military service? So I just think I came out of that military service a better, stronger, like I said before, more disciplined, integrity-driven person than I was before I joined the military as a young 20-year-old with discipline that could have used a bit of work prior to. But I just think it made me an all-around, just better person. And now a better husband, a better father, a better citizen, I guess. Very good. So now, thanks to, and I told my Vietnam vets the same things, thanks to the Vietnam vets, they, you know, because they received nothing when they came home. That generation prompted the changes we see today. So we recognize that you can recognize the difference between the war and supporting the troops. So we've grown that way, which is really nice. And I'm glad we are able to do that. How do you perceive that recognition now? Or what are your thoughts on that, you know, if you go in and somebody says, oh, you know, you're a veteran, well, thank you for your service. Yeah, and I agree about the Vietnam era. I mean, that was unfortunate. And I think, you know, there's, obviously, it's, you know, much more accepted today. And the support, I think, is much greater than it was then. I think the support today is phenomenal. I think it's, you know, when somebody finds, you know, realizes that I'm a veteran, I think the initial reaction is very positive. It's very, you know, they're very appreciative of my service, willing to help out in any way they can. I just think it's, as a veteran, it's a much more accepting environment today. Anywhere I've gone, the support's there, the recognition's there. So I think, yeah, I think it's, yeah, I'm appreciative of the acceptance. Sure. No, I think it's a very nice thing that you were able to come in and share your story. And it is different being reservist than active duty. And there is a very big difference. I can say that personally myself. And the amount of commitment, determination, all those adjectives that go along with that, to be able to perform your civilian functions like you should, as well as maintain the military side of the house, it's to be commended. So I thank you for your service. I thank you for your service as well. Thank you. Any final thoughts? None. I just, I appreciate your time. I'm just, yeah. And I just, yeah, I just hope everybody, you know, takes a step back a Memorial Day and just remembers those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. Well, thanks for coming in. I appreciate you participating in this. And maybe we'll do more in the future. Thanks so much. Thank you.