Winter Semester at Granite State College opened my eyes to the military among me, in each of the my three classes. Ben Smart was a Military Police Officer taking Expository Writing as a part of his Granite State College Program in the same class with me and there was just something about Ben that made me feel safe knowing he was an integral part of the freedom we enjoy in this country.
Ben had decided to further his education when he returned from his second requested tour in Iraq. I was interested to learn more about his desire to complete his education because he had informed me that he would reenlist once finished with his program.
There was something special about the way Ben carried himself. He was much more mature than an average twenty-five year old man. He was kind, pleasant, and aburst with energy which I enjoyed in our classroom each Thursday evening. But the most important thing about Ben was that he loved to laugh outloud. And, when he did, his entire face lit up and his eyes got bright than his brilliant teeth!
When I imagine Ben as a Military Police in Iraq, I can picture a strong and determined man dressed in camo who loves his life and his country; someone who has a good head on his shoulders and is willing to look out for others.
Ben is an intelligent man with a good mind who seems to want to learn more so he can return to the military with a new sense of purpose and to make a difference.
There is a certain resilience about Ben Smart that impressed me from our first night in class. When we had a discussion about his final paper, he told me some of what he was researching about military intelligence in Iraq but it was not focused on people or the more emotional details of his military experience. Instead, he was interested to learn more about the details of what was going on there and why.
Pinning Ben down and getting him to say more was a tricky feat because he skimmed just the surface of all I would have like to have learned from him. But I understand ... I picked up on Ben's distance from his own experience as a means of survival. He detached himself which is what he probably needs to do.
In the end, it is his laughter I will remeber whenever I think of Ben.
Ben had decided to further his education when he returned from his second requested tour in Iraq. I was interested to learn more about his desire to complete his education because he had informed me that he would reenlist once finished with his program.
There was something special about the way Ben carried himself. He was much more mature than an average twenty-five year old man. He was kind, pleasant, and aburst with energy which I enjoyed in our classroom each Thursday evening. But the most important thing about Ben was that he loved to laugh outloud. And, when he did, his entire face lit up and his eyes got bright than his brilliant teeth!
When I imagine Ben as a Military Police in Iraq, I can picture a strong and determined man dressed in camo who loves his life and his country; someone who has a good head on his shoulders and is willing to look out for others.
Ben is an intelligent man with a good mind who seems to want to learn more so he can return to the military with a new sense of purpose and to make a difference.
There is a certain resilience about Ben Smart that impressed me from our first night in class. When we had a discussion about his final paper, he told me some of what he was researching about military intelligence in Iraq but it was not focused on people or the more emotional details of his military experience. Instead, he was interested to learn more about the details of what was going on there and why.
Pinning Ben down and getting him to say more was a tricky feat because he skimmed just the surface of all I would have like to have learned from him. But I understand ... I picked up on Ben's distance from his own experience as a means of survival. He detached himself which is what he probably needs to do.
In the end, it is his laughter I will remeber whenever I think of Ben.
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