Don Baker:
CLASS OF 1988
Durham High SchoolClass of 1988
Durham, NC
Brogden Middle SchoolClass of 1985
Durham, NC
George Watts Elementary SchoolClass of 1982
Durham, NC
Morehead Elementary SchoolClass of 1981
Durham, NC
C. C. Spaulding Elementary SchoolClass of 1979
Durham, NC
Don's Story
Workplace
Update Nov 2008 I was promoted to Lieutenant and I am Watch Commander on B Squad Patrol. Back to the streets...LOL
I currently am Sergeant/BLET School Director for the Durham Sheriffs Office Training Academy. After the militay(see military bio) I worked at Duke Hospital at the Auxillary while I was getting my degree in Criminal Justice. I then went to work at the Durham County Jail as a detention officer(I learned alot about human nature during that year) I then left and went to work at the Federal Prison in Butner N.C. as a Federal Correctional Officer. I Left them and went back to the Sheriffs Office when I was offered a job as a Deputy. I am now a Sergent on the Durham County Sheriffs Office. It is a job that I completly enjoy.I am currently Sergeant at the Training Division. We hold Academy's throughout the year and train not only our own recruits but also recruits from other agencies. My first year after training was spent as a transportation officer transporting prisoners across the state. I then got transfered to patrol and spent four years on patrol and then got promoted to Corporal. I spent two years as Corporal on B squad and then I got Promoted to Sergeant and spent some time being the Sergeant over the Domestic violence/ Crisis Intervention unit before transfering over to the training division. I currenly am a diver on this agencies Search and recovery dive team(I hold a Master diver certification) I am also a member of the pistol team and Honor guard.
I consider myself luck to actualy be working in a profession which I truly enjoy.
Military
I entered the U.S. Army a month after graduating from High School. I went through Infantry Basic Training and Infanty advanced training at Fort Benning, Georgia. The heat and humidity of Georgia in July, August and September made it quite interesting. After graduating from ait I attended Airborne(paratrooper) School at Fort Benning and in October of 1988 I stepped out of my first plane(it was a life changing experience....lol)After completing this training I recieved orders for Korea and after a 22 day leave I left for my first over seas assignment. I was stationed on the DMZ of Korea with the best unit I have ever served with B company 1/506 Infantry. I still consider the friends I made during that year to be the best f...Expand for more
riends I have ever and probaly will ever have. Its something that occurs when you are 18 and away from your family and everything that is normal, these friends become family. For a year your friends are everything to you, it is a bond which fourteen years has not been able to break. After a year of walking the hills of Korea (Team Spirit 88 Sucked) I got orders to return to the states. I got orders for the 1st Batallion 504 Parachute Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division Fort Bragg North Carolina. I thought that I would be close to home....Little did I know. We went through the US army Jungle Warfare School in Panama. I still remember the Three toed sloth and I the spider monkeys.Let alone the night land navigation course. Well then Sadam Hussain decided to invade a little country called Kuwait. I remember the day that we Went to the map on the wall because nobody had ever heard of Kuwait after searching the wall map I remember sombody saying "thats in the desert" My roommate Cruikshank went to our room that night and played" I've been throught the desert with a horse with no name" What a sense of humor he had. And so We all loaded ourselves on a plane and went to Saudi Arabia. We sat around for almost Eight months while the rest of the Miltary and World got ready and then went across the border into Iraq. We spent a month inside the country and then were finaly sent to Kulbar towers to come back to the states. I attained the rank of Sergeant right before I ETS'd. After my four years on active duty I enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves and spent six years as a Drill Sergeant in the 108th Division and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. I ran Basic training privates at Fory Jackson S.C. In 2000 I switched to the National Guard and I currenty work out of Camp Butner as a marksmanship trainer. Still in the Infanty. OK Update June 2004 I am Currently Back in Iraq For Operation Iraqi Freedom Serving as a SSG Squad Leader For 3rd Platoon 2nd Squad in A Co 1-120th Infantry 1st Infantry Division. I have been here since March and this place hasnt changed in 13 Years....LOL
Update Military: I got home safely from Iraq. While there I was promoted to the rank of SFC Sergeant First Class. I lost several friends during the tour. I am currently assigned back at Camp Butner 20 years and counting....
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