Mark Cawley:  

Life College Most of you know I went to West Point - but most will be surprised to find out I actually graduated. The Army The Army took over after college. I was in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Germany (I served on the old East German border with a Cavalry regiment) in the first 6 years. I was then sent through a school at Ft. Lee, VA to learn what I had taken as a minor in college, then on to Ft. Leavenworth, KS where I worked for 4 1/2 years. (Outside the walls of the prison, if you're wondering; I'd have gotten out on parole sooner!). Just before Desert Shield/Storm, I transferred back to Ft. Polk, LA, where I shovelled the proverbial sh!t in Louisiana during the war. I got caught up in the downsizing of the Army in 1992 (under the first President Bush - it didn't happen under Clinton as the American public is being told now) and, so after 14 years, I left Active Duty. Personal Life Not much of one when I was in the Army but I got married in 1981. We had 2 sons Nicholas (in 1982) and Jared (in 1984) in our first 3 years of marriage. Life After The Army I got a job in Michigan and we moved there. I managed projects that studied future weapons and tactics for the Army and Dept. of Defense - exactly what I had done in KS. I joined a Reserve unit in 1993 and spent 5 years in the Active Reserves. I thought I'd retired until I asked in 2002 and found out I needed to put in more time. So I called a friend in MI National Guard HQ and he got me in - as a Staff Sergeant. (I was fondly (and not-so-fondly) known as the SGT-MAJ.) We had 2 more children (Alexander in 1982 and Amara (the only girl) in 1984). My wife and I split in 1997 and she moved back to Louisiana. I now live with my partner in Chicago, IL(not same sex but she doesn't like the term girlfriend). My Kids I have 4 (3 boys and a girl (the youngest)) from the marriage. The oldest one is in the Air Force (just got back to Afghanistan for the fourth itme - as well as one tour in Ira...Expand for more