SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Each month, SylacaugaNews.com and Yea!106.5 feature a veteran online and on-air, honoring them for their service to our country. The Veteran of the Month for September is Joy Lee Segars.
*note SN is abbreviated SylacaugaNews.com, JS is abbreviated for our featured veteran, Joy Segars.
SN: What is your name?
JS: Joy Segars
SN: What was your rank?
JS: I entered as a Second Lieutenant and left as a Captain.
SN: What was your branch of service?
JS: I was in the Army.
SN: What was your job?
JS: My job was a Combat Engineer. I was assigned to an infantry unit. A Combat Engineer basically helps blow things up.
SN: When did you serve?
JS: I served active duty from 2001 to 2005 and my Individual Ready Reserve time was from 2005 until 2009.
SN: Where did you serve? Stateside or overseas?
JS: My short military career was mainly overseas. I did two tours in the Middle East.
SN: What is something you remember most about your time serving?
JS: There’s a lot to choose from because we were the first ones over to Iraq when Bush declared war. One of my favorite memories was when our unit transitioned from a combat mission to a peace keeping force. The first peace keeping mission my platoon received was to guard a school for girls, so my tiny platoon got to see the first generation of Iraqi girls go to school.
SN: If you could say anything to those who want to serve, what would you tell them?
JS: I would tell them it is very worthwhile. I paid for my education that way. I went to school on an ROTC scholarship, and while most of my friends are still paying off student loans, I graduated debt free. The Army will also give you opportunities that you don’t see in a civilian sector, as far as leadership and different skill sets that you can learn from the military that are not readily available to everyone else.
SN: Would you do it again if you could and why?
JS: I would do it again. It has shaped my professional life, as well as my personal life. I actually met my husband while I was in the Army, so I definitely wouldn’t do anything different. I did learn a lot from the military, but also the military taught me things about myself that I didn’t know. It helped me push the limits, and I could handle more things than I thought I could.
Congratulations to Joy Lee Segars, our Veteran of the Month for September 2018.
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