The Cost of the Uniform: Good Times, and Facing the Enemy

Stepping out of high school, diploma in hand, the next decision is often more education or a fulfilling occupation.

Sometimes, in sifting through that stage, an unexpected opportunity occurs that sets the springboard for adult life.

When Monty Worster graduated high school in 1981, he looked toward the oil field. It was a time that when the industry was good, it was really good, but when it soured, things were dire. It wasn't long before the tight economy encouraged him to reconsider military enlistment, an option he wasn't interested in during high school.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, stationed on the USS Forrestal with his homeport Mayport in Jacksonville, Fla.

“I really enjoyed it,” Worster says.

It was peace time. He recalls being deployed to Naples, Italy where they remained for 30 days. There was also the time they were schooled to go to Egypt.

He unilaterally transferred out of the Navy and entered the Army National Guard.

“That was enjoyable too,” he said.

He committed a total of 10 years. He then went to work for the Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office, returning to the National Guard as a transportation driver.

While in the National Guard, he was activated and flown directly to Kuwait for 30 days to get acclimated for for duty in Iraq. It was here he saw the darker side of military service. There was not an onboard store to manage, and no evening sunsets with nothing but rolling tides.

There were, however, plenty of enemies, people who were determined to cause death by IEDs, snipers and any other method available. He said any time he stepped outside of the base, it was with the understanding the enemy was there.

Anything that looked suspicious, even a blanket or cloth that looked too conveniently placed, was cause for alarm.

“You just didn't take a chance,” he said.

He recalls escorting transports, and of humvees being blown up by IEDs as well as the gunner on top of the humvee shell-shocked by the explosion.

“We knew everybody. We were all brothers,” he said.

He said the possibility of facing your own death was the reality of service in that area. He said when enlisting a person takes the oath to defend the Constitution, and assumes with the uniform comes risk.

“When the call comes to rise, you stand up,” he said.

Moving forward is not easy. It requires finding ways to move past what was experienced, according to Worster.

“You just learn to adjust. That's all you can do,” he said.

Some of the moving forward includes staying close to those he grew close to during military service.

“There's a lot of our fellow soldiers we stay in touch with,” he says.

Since then, days like Memorial Day have a new meaning. They have become times to connect, to recall those he knows, and those who have gone on before him.

"People don't realize how fortunate we are," he said.