Debralee Crankshaw:
CLASS OF 1999
Belleville Township West High SchoolClass of 1999
Belleville, IL
University of IllinoisClass of 2003
Urbana, IL
Millstadt Elementary SchoolClass of 1995
Millstadt, IL
Debralee's Story
Life
Well, after high school things are pretty fuzzy up til I joined the Army. I joined the Army in 2001, went through basic at Fort Jackson, then AIT at Fort Meade, MD to become an Army print journalist. At my first and only duty station, Fort Polk, LA, I met my husband, Jeff. We were married Sept. 14, 2002. December I deployed to Afghanistan. After seven months of stress and fun I returned to my husband. I got pregnant around April of 2004 and my strapping baby boy, Brendan Alexander, was born Jan. 11, 2005 at 9:03 p.m., 9 lbs, 11 oz, delivered by C-section. Shortly thereafter we bought a house in O'Fallon and Jeff got out of the Army. He and Brendan moved in and I deployed again, this time to Kuwait. I worked on an Army magazine called the Desert Voice. I returned in mid-July and my husband and I separated. We divorced in April. Now I'm in the Army Reserve and am a full time student at SWIC.
Military
I joined the Army in March of 2001. Went to basic at Fort Jackson. Thereafter I went to AIT at Fort Meade, MD to become a print journalis...Expand for more
t. I waited three months to get into my 12 week course. Finally, I left in November. I went to my first and only duty station, Fort Polk, LA. There I spent about a month before traveling to NTC at Fort Irwin, CA. I spent six weeks in that place (and my 21st birthday!). Then returned to Fort Polk. Prepared to deploy, then prepared some more, was told we were deploying somewhere only to have those orders cancelled. Then we got orders for Bagram, Afghanistan and actually did finally deploy in December 2002. Worked on a newsletter called the Freedom Watch. Was in Afghanistan for seven months. Returned to Fort Polk, only to have an intrastation PCS to garrison to work for the paper, the Guardian. I worked there until March 2005 when I recieved a phone call asking if I would deploy again, this time to Kuwait. I accepted and am stop-lost for about six months, but I knew that would happen when I volunteered. I worked on an Army magazine: the Desert Voice. I returned mid-July and am finishing out my time in the Army. I should be out for good in October!
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