Mitchell Fowler:
CLASS OF 1981
Bladensburg High SchoolClass of 1981
Bladensburg, MD
Mitchell's Story
Life
Married to my second wife going on five years now, have one stepdaughter(14 going on 28)and two dogs and of the three the dogs are better behaved.
When I'm not working I enjoy reading, going online, camping, volleyball, cycling, working out and playing with my dogs.
Workplace
Professionally I spent the first 18 years after HS in the travel industry. Started out as a courier for a government travel agency at the Dept. of Labor in DC, moved up to government travel agent and then on to management, travel sales, group travel planner and instructor. I enjoyed the travel industry - the perq's were great and I was able to see the much of the US and the world meeting many interesting people along the way.
After moving on from travel I became a sales representative for different companies, some jobs required extensive travel, others not so much but I always enjoyed being on the road than I did staying in the office. I stayed in sales for six years with a brief 1 1/2 year break for Operation Enduring Freedom.
I joined the VA National Guard when I was thirty years old but if you want to know more check out the military section.
Military
I joined the VA Army National Guard back in '92 at the age of thirty, despite my best efforts to get in to better shape I hit Basic Training at Ft. Sill, OK overweight and not very good at running. During BT I broke both my tibias but managed to complete the course. Unfortunately when it was time to move on to my next phase of training it was determined that my legs hadn't healed properly and I was medically discharged in '94.
I went back in '96 after letting my legs heal properly and having pushed myself in to better shape. I completed training and became a TAC FIRE Coordinator for an artillery unit in VA. I stayed with that unit until I moved back to MD in '01 just prior to 9/11.
I transferred to an MP unit and participated in security operations at the Pentagon just after it was hit, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom and Hurricane Katrina Relief Op...Expand for more
erations.
I volunteered for Iraq back in '05, was called up to backfill a PR MP unit in '06 but was ordered to stay behind by my battalion commander as my current unit was going to be mobilized in '07 and no one was being let go for other units.
I've spent the last year on TDY orders working first with my unit's supply and logistics NCOIC and than as an Operations NCO with the Recruiting and Retention Btn.
During this past year I determined my final career was going to be as a f/t AGR member of the guard and have gone before five job boards for positions as either a Readiness, Training or Supply and Logistics NCO. The first three boards were for the experience of going before a job board but the last two were for positions I really wanted (Training and Supply/Logistics).
I was chosen for the Supply Ops slot with my current unit just as it's now getting mobilized to go to Iraq. Needless to say since I am not job qualified at this time I have to stay behind and go to the necessary schools (3) and transfer to another unit while they are gone.
To say I'm disappointed at not going would be an understatement but the career is more important at this time and as my grandfather used to tell me "sometimes you have to do what you need to before you can do what you want to" and those are words I've come to embrace over the years.
January 2008
Going to the sandbox (Iraq), the supply sergeant I swapped jobs with was injured during the MOB process at Ft. Bliss. The Btn couldn't find anyone to go so I told the COL I'd go if no one else was found. I was told right after Christmas I was moving out. Instead of meeting my unit at Bliss I'm to report on the 19th down at Ft. Benning for a 10 day MOB and then on to Kuwait to hook up with my unit and stay for two weeks before moving in-country. I'm excited and looking forward to going but I'm leaving behind my wife and daughter, dogs in kennels and house projects that I wanted to start after I returned from Ft. Lee. Such is life, will pick up when I return in October.
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