Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on 11 November, for honouring military veterans, who have served in the United States Armed Forces. In the UK and other countries, it coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day which mark the anniversary of the end of World War I.
Across Chemring we employ many veterans after their military careers and in this feature we meet two of our veterans based at our Countermeasures USA business and hear about their experiences and how they will mark this special day.
Marcus Atkins, a Material Handler and Forklift Driver at CCM USA, served in the US Marine Corps for 8 years and Willie Woods, a Speciality Mix Operator also at CCM USA, served in the Infantry branch of the US Army for 13 years. Here they share with us their past experiences and life today.
What attracted you to military life?
Marcus: I left school and started to feel like I wanted a change in my life. I was tired of the same old people and the same old places. I wanted to do something that felt important and to make a change in the world. I joined up when I was 22 years old.
Willie: I was 32 years old when I enlisted in the US Army. For me, it was about seeing some other places and doing some travelling. I had never left Tennessee and I wanted to change that.
What was your role in the military?
Marcus: I was administrative personnel. I did my training on Parris Island in South Carolina for three months. After that I graduated to the reserves and continued training on the rifle ranges in Wisconsin and North Carolina, did my administrative training at Camp LeJeune, and training every month in Milington, TN. Military life consisted of lots of exercise and lots of drills.
Willie: I did my training for the US Army at Fort Benning in Georgia. I was there for four weeks and then moved to South Carolina, where I undertook support training for small arms to learn the basic tactical weapons skills for combat. I then went back to Mississippi every summer with the National Guards unit for training, where we did two weeks’ training in the field. My lasting memory is of the incredible heat!
Tell us your most memorable moment
Marcus: The heat in Parris Island during my Marine Corps training is a memory that will never leave me. We were also on standby to go to Kuwait which was a nerve-wracking time.
Willie: We trained in California for Operation Desert Storm for four weeks but were stood down at the last minute. That was very scary and not a time I will forget. It was certainly a relief.
What did you find most challenging during your military career?
Marcus: The level of exercise was a real challenge, plus having to constantly exercise in the heat. It really tests your mental strength. It’s a mind game to see how much pressure you can take.
Willie: Doing the drills was tough both physically and mentally. As well as learning to drive and manoeuvre the different SUVs and tanks. But training was also very exciting.
Why did you decide to leave the military and what do you miss the most?
Marcus: I served for eight years, and it felt like long enough when I decided to leave, but I do look back now and wish I had stayed in for longer. I miss the exercise and wish I was still that fit today!
Willie: I left as I got married, so it was time for another chapter for me. I most miss the friends I made. It really is like a family; you grow so close and look out for one another. I made friends for life during my time in the Army.
What skills or qualities from your military life help you in your role today?
Marcus: I think the Marines helped me to read people and to be more aware of what people are thinking and feeling. That helps in building good working relationships with people.
Willie: Military life teaches you to be accountable and to take your responsibilities seriously. Be on time, do what you said you’d do, and try your best.