Tim Stanton
20, King of Prussia
Specialist, U.S. Army Reserve
Deploys to Iraq this Monday
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Tim Stanton
20, King of Prussia
Specialist, U.S. Army Reserve
Deploys to Iraq this Monday
On Sept. 11, 2001, Tim Stanton was only in fifth grade; that's the day he decided to join the military. He joined the Army Reserve in 10th grade (with parental consent). He deploys to Iraq next week. Stanton was living in King of Prussia with his girlfriend and attending a technical institute for automotive repair until he received news of his departure. He broke off the relationship and put school on hold. His biggest frustration appears to be that he'll miss the summer concert season: He groans at every advertisement for Dave Matthews Band or the Kid Rock/Lynyrd Skynyrd shows that his civilian friends will see.
The job he's been assigned is a big one. "We train Iraqi police," he says, "so they can start taking care of themselves." When asked if he will be nervous about working so closely with the Iraqi people, Stanton replies, "Hell yeah!" He calms down. "I'm not prejudiced, but ... it is what it is ... I'm going to do my best to stay out of trouble and come back home [in 2010]."
If he's promoted to a higher rank while in Iraq, Stanton says, re-enlistment will be tempting; either way, after the military he sees himself finishing his automotive study to "work in a [car] dealership or something." He's less vague about his plans for immediately after his deployment. "I will take two to three months off and relax," says Stanton, and "party a little bit because I will be 21 by then.
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