Preparing for duty

Jason Herron followed his dream of being in the Army to SIUC, where, after months of research, he thought the best ROTC program could be found.

Now, four years later, Herron is leaving for active duty May 14. He has spent his last few weeks reflecting on the memories and friends he has made along the way, and he said he will never forget the lessons he has learned from the leaders who taught him how to become one himself.

Throughout his years, Herron said one of the things that has stuck with him the most was the four things Lt. Col. Jim Shutt taught him to do when faced with any situation: take charge, supervise, motivate and communicate.

"I take little things from all of them and figure out how I want to be a leader," Herron said. "That's one thing I'm starting to figure out now."

Shutt is returning to North Carolina, where he was first stationed and met his wife, Sally, who is the Obelisk adviser and a graduate student in professional media practice. The family has been through 11 moves in the last 18 years, but Shutt said he enjoyed being in Carbondale because it is the first time since he left for the Army that he has lived close to his parents.

"It's unbelievable to be this close to home again," Shutt said. "I feel like I've been blessed coming here. We didn't do everything right, but I think we did OK."

Shutt said the moves have made his family stronger and more resilient because they have learned to rely on each other during the rough times. But he said his daughters are ready to move back "home" to North Carolina.

Another one of the staff, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Wallace, is moving to Georgia, but instead of continuing with work, he will be retiring after 24 years of service with the Army.

Over the years, Wallace has been stationed in Germany, Korea and Los Angeles, but he said the last 5 years he spent in Carbondale were his favorite, he said.

"It is the best assignment I had in the Army - the most rewarding one," Wallace said.

While he was at SIUC, he worked for a degree in paralegal studies and made several good friends, like Bill McMinn, the director of the Recreation Center, but he is now ready to slow down and enjoy a more relaxing life.

One of Herron's greatest memories of ROTC is the Bataan Death March this semester with Sgt. 1st Class Billy Johnson, who has already left for Germany. Johnson, who has been in Carbondale since 2003, said he received a call from the Army only 40 days before he had to move. But along with taking his 4-year-old daughter back to where she was born, Johnson said he is ready to go live a whole new life.

Johnson said he not only enjoyed working with the students in ROTC, but he has also learned from them as well.

"I learned a lot about why young officers are the way they are," Johnson said. "I'll be able to deal with them on their level."

The ROTC program is more than physical training: it also involves extensive academic work. Even though homework and training can pile up and stress out the cadets, Herron said he could count on the staff to help him through the rough times.

Herron said Maj. Doug Thornton, who formerly taught the junior ROTC cadets, helped him through the stressful year by being a mentor.

Thornton leaves for Kansas in July after having spent just under four years at SIUC.

Thornton said he remembered being an ROTC cadet himself when he went to Ohio University.

"It's interesting to be on the other side of it," Thornton said. "It's a good place; it's a good job. I enjoyed my time here."

Thornton said he always wanted to teach ROTC and was in the right place in the right time to land the job while on duty in Tennessee. Thornton said that even though he is excited to go back to the classroom to learn more about Army operations, he will miss the safe and relaxing atmosphere of teaching ROTC.

"It's a part of the job," Thornton said of relocating. "I'm used to it by now. It doesn't mean I like it, but it's a part of the job."

Though Herron is now ready to be a 2nd lieutenant in the Army, he already has been a leader for 19 years. Jeremy Herron, Jason's younger brother, has followed his footsteps to SIUC to join ROTC and study psychology and said he hopes to work next to his brother one day.

The two are known as Big and Little Herron. They live in a house their parents bought for them, and Little Herron, Jeremy, said his brother helps him though his hard times with ROTC.

Jeremy Herron said that all of the cadets have a staff member that they look up to, and his was Master Sgt. Larry Chambers, who is retiring after 21 years of service with the Army. He said he hoped and prayed that Chambers, who taught him as a freshman, would not leave until after he graduated from SIUC.

"He teaches you stuff either the hard way or the easy way," Jeremy Herron said. "I talk to him about everything."

Chambers has served in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Haiti while with the Army. Shutt said that during the three years Chambers taught the military science class, the freshman retention rate has risen from 20 percent to 58 percent. Shutt said Chambers was his right-hand man during talks with administration and helping with the program. Chambers also started the SIUC Rifle Team, and within a year, the team was placing in state matches.

"He's just a fantastic soldier, and I've enjoyed serving with him - it's been my privilege serving with him," Shutt said.

Jeremy Herron said he is going to miss his brother but said he is prepared to deal with his absence.

"It's weird because we've been hanging out for 20 years," Jeremy Herron said. "I've got to be tough."