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Monday May 29, 2017 Edition
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Honoring Those Who Serve


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Monday May 29, 2017

By Cookie Steponaitis

When you speak with veterans or current members of the Armed Services they have their own stories to tell about how they came to join up and where they served. However, a common thread across generations in times of peace and conflict are the lessons learned and the skill sets they carry with them throughout their lives.
    Chrissy Nisun Phelps joined the Vermont Army National Guard in April 2008 and served until April 2014. Phelps had a good friend in the Reserves Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and she introduced her to her cadre. Phelps was allowed to participate in ROTC courses for a quarter before fully committing. “Although I enjoyed the classes and the people, I opted not to pursue it at the time,” shared Phelps. “After I graduated from college in June 2007 I moved home to work at Goodrich in Vergennes which is now United Technologies. One night when I was hanging out with friends I met a recruiter, he found out I had had an interest and invited me to their next drill at the Ethan Allen Firing Range. I decided I would take him up on his invitation and ended up really enjoying the experience. A few weeks later I signed the papers to join the Guard.”
    Phelps was deployed with her unit to Bamian, Afghanistan in 2010 and feels that it might surprise the readers to know the military gave her the skills to work with people from all walks of life. “On deployment, we were co-located with the New Zealand Army,” shared Phelps. “We worked side by side with the Afghan National Police, people from active duty and a variety of American civilians working overseas. It was a lot of different backgrounds coming together to work towards a common goal. My overseas experience was not like anything you see on TV or in the movies. For the most part the Afghan people in the province we lived in were a lot like Vermonters. They were either farmers or shopkeepers just trying to get ahead in the world. For the most part everyone I interacted with was supportive of our troops being in their province and appreciative of the roads, schools and hospitals we were able to help provide.”
    As Memorial Day weekend approaches and people begin to gather all over the region, veterans including Phelps pause and reflect. “Memorial Day for me is a day to give thanks for those who served and never made it home to their families again,” shared the Bristol American Legion Post #19 member. “It is a reminder of how incredibly lucky I am to have had the experiences I had overseas and be able to come home and share it with my friends and family. I think it's important for people to recognize the sacrifices those who serve make. They miss birthdays and graduations, they spend months away from home and family and many of them see things that will affect them for the rest of their lives. It's important for the community to support them and their families not only when they are deployed but once they've come back home as well.”
    While Phelps acknowledges the military is not for everyone, she wanted to share that she encourages those who are considering the military to talk to a recruiter or a service member.  “The military is a great way to see the world, gain real world experience and earn money towards a degree,” concluded the Bristol veteran.


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