Veterans Stories

United States Navy - 2016-2020

Courtney served 5 years active duty in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman.
She was stationed in San Antonio, Texas for A school training where she learned the job
of a hospital corpsman then moved to Jacksonville, Florida where she worked in several
hospital units such as Pre-operations and Post- operations, Urology and Family medicine.
On top of being a corpsman she also was a part of the Honor Guard and rendered military
honors at sporting events and funerals for veterans and active-duty personnel. She also
provided field medical coverage for the Marines on many occasions and states “if I had to
do everything over, I would still make the same decision to join the navy and become a
corpsman.”
Courtney separated from the United States Navy in the beginning of 2020 and moved
back home to Michigan. She enrolled in classes at OU in the winter of 2022. Courtney says
“I chose Oakland University because the school has great resources for veterans and is
close to where I live which makes the commute easy.” Courtney states, “I chose to major
in CDS Spec Pre- Clinical Professions because being a corpsman opened my eyes to patient
care beyond nursing. After working as a corpsman, I wanted to push myself to go to
medical school to maintain the skills I had acquired while serving in the Navy.”

The Veteran Support Service’s office helped to ensure a smooth transition back into
civilian life and schooling for Courtney. “Veteran Support Services has made my transition
into being a student again wonderful. Everyone is more than willing to help and assist
with anything you need. They have made many resources available to me that I did not
realize existed and it has been nothing but a great experience. 

USMC Reservist

I grew up in Pontiac Michigan.  I attended Pontiac schools and graduated in 2021.  Growing up I wanted to be a Navy Seal and became fascinated with America’s military history. I soon grew out of that and never saw myself ever joining the military. 

The summer before college I did not know what I wanted to do with my life; but I needed to find something fast and high paying, right? Well after extensive research I decided I’d become a pilot. Well that was cool, but flight school is expensive. So I’d join the Air Force and learn to fly planes. I went to an area recruiting office and sat down with the Air Force. Everything sounded great, and I was ready to move forward with enlisting. But wait, the Marines posters kind of looked cool and inspiring, what about them? The next thing I knew I was walking into the Marine Corps office and sitting down for a chat.

That chat led me to become a Poolee at the recruiting station, which got my foot in the door to join.   I was able to attend Oakland University in the Wade H. McCree Incentive Scholarship Program.  After my first semester I realized college wasn’t keeping me accountable in the ways I was looking for in life; therefore, I accepted the challenge and  shipped off to Marine Corps Basic Training (boot camp) after my first semester of college. I graduated a Private First Class with the job of a supply administration specialist.  After returning from training, I resumed attending OU in pursuit of my Bachelor’s in Human Resource Development  while simultaneously pursuing my career with the Reserves.

Now I am about two and a half years in the Reserves and a Corporal of Marines.  The Marine Corps has provided so many opportunities to learn and grow that I wouldn’t have experienced if  I didn’t join.  I am in the process of finishing up my junior year at OU, and will be going to Officer Candidate School where I plan on commissioning after I graduate. I have been blessed to have met many new people and experienced so many different aspects of life. I have been to new states such as Indiana and Kentucky through the Reserves, as well as having the opportunity to train with Green Beret’s. I am excited to see what difference I can make as a Marine Corps Officer while  also enjoying this journey we call life.

Intelligence Analyst, 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines

LCpl Convery joined the Marine Corps in August of 2009 and attended Marine Corps Recruit Depot Paris Island, South Carolina. Upon graduating recruit training and Marine combat training, LCpl Convery was assigned to Dam Neck Naval Base in Virginia Beach VA for intelligence analyst training and graduated in June of 2010. LCpl Convery was then assigned to Lima Company 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and immediately began training for a deployment to Afghanistan. LCpl Convery served as the company level intelligence cell (CLIC) within an infantry company. While training for the upcoming deployment, LCpl Convery was given 6 infantrymen to cross train and aid in the duties of CLIC operations which resulted in successful future missions. During this timeframe, LCpl Convery earned his green belt in Marine Corps Martial Arts training as well as various other certifications for intelligence and analytics. In February of 2011, 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan where Lima Company split from the rest of the battalion and was assigned to the village of Now Zad approximately fifteen miles away. Responsible for analyzing and developing relevant actionable intelligence for the infantrymen and their leaders, LCpl Convery provided essential intelligence specific to missions being conducted and coordinated by the commanders. These actions highly aided in having the highest success rate on evidence and detainee collection within the battalion. Upon returning from Afghanistan, LCpl Convery was recognized for his proficiency and dedication to duty and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Upon returning to Camp Lejeune in October of 2011, LCpl Convery served as the battalion subject matter expert on background investigations and supported the Marines within the battalion to ensure they had the clearance they needed in order to attain the roles and duties they sought out. In February of 2012 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines began a workup for a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), which is a partnership with the Navy to serve as a task force providing swift responses to overcome any threat on land, in air and at sea. As 3/2 was assigned to the 26th MEU, LCpl Convery assumed the same role as CLIC analyst through the several working exercises including embarkation and debarkation, tactical questioning and several ranges needed to qualify for the deployment. In March of 2013 the 26th MEU deployed to the 5th and 6th fleet in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. Lima Company was assigned to the USS San Antonio and along with the rest of the battalion and 26th MEU, participated in many multi-national exercises. These exercises consisted of readiness and partnership training with several nations to include Jordan, Qatar and Djibouti as well as stops to Bahrain, Israel, Spain and Crete. During these exercises, LCpl Convery served as liaison between Lima Company and headquarters ensuring that training requirements were conducted and fulfilled. During this time, the first chemical weapon attack was reported within Syria, which forced the USS San Antonio to travel to the coast of Syria and Marines and Sailors aboard to be ready for response measures should they be needed to counter any further attacks or respond as needed. 3/2 returned home from deployment shortly after that in November of 2013. LCpl Convery was Honorably Discharged from the United States Marine Corps on May 25th 2014; he then moved to Shelby Township with his wife and enrolled in the Criminal Justice Homeland Security program here at Oakland University.

Multichannel Transmission Systems Operator-Maintainer (25Q)

US Army

I grew up in Clinton Township, Michigan, and at 23 I enlisted in the Army and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma followed by Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Gordon, Georgia. I deployed with Bravo Company, 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion (ESB) to Iraq. While deployed I was attached to 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment (ACR) were we established the communications network for over 20,000 soldiers. When I returned home in 2011, Bravo Company’s mission was redirected to respond to homeland disasters. During this time, I worked closely with FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. In 2012, I relocated to my next unit in South Korea. There I was a team leader, and my primary mission was to work with the South Korean military to provide communications for the soldiers on the peninsula. Following this stint in South Korea, I reported back to Bravo Company in 2013 as a Training Room Specialist. I was in charge of records for PT, marksmanship, and other training records for the company. I finished my enlistment with Bravo Company until I was medically retired in 2015. My experiences in the Army are unparalleled. I was able to establish communications networks that enhanced the fighting ability of the US Army and the US allies supporting the effort of OIF/OND. Since exiting the Army I went back to school and now attend Oakland University. I am graduating in April of 2018 with a degree in Criminal Justice. While at Oakland University, I have worked for the Veterans’ Support Services Office and became the President of the Student Veterans of Oakland University. I look to extend my passion of helping other veterans into my career.

United States Navy

Peter Mullin was seasoned durability / developmental test driver with the Ford Motor company for 15 years. However, at 30 years old the recession hit in 2008. Like many others in the area he was laid off an was forced to find a new career. In 2009 he attended a company event that was heavily laden with veterans. After spending the night talking with everyone and hearing stories of “the good ole days” he was intrigued. He joined the and shipped off to boot camp for the Navy. He was stationed aboard the USS Tucson (SSN-770) out of Pearl Harbor. While serving on the USS Tucson (a nuclear submarine) he was in charge of teaching new seaman how to steer a 360-foot nuclear powered steel tube with no windows. He often told the new seaman “No pressure kid, but you actually have 130 lives in your hands. Oh wait, we’re underwater. So yes, there is pressure.”

While transiting on a Standard bell (moderate speed) through open ocean, Peter was literally breathing over the shoulder of his student driver making sure that he was watching his instrumentation while they also rehearsed repeat-backs before he said something stupid to the Officer of the Deck (OOD).  The other three members of the ships control party were simply listening in gleeful anticipation of the next screwed up repeat-back to stutter out of his nervous mouth.  Business as usual. With no warning, the boat suddenly pitched upward with a 50-foot ascent.  Pots and pans could be heard crashing below in the galley, and Peter’s junior under-instruct helmsman began throwing the wheel around in a wild panic.  Without thinking, Peter grabbed him by the scruff of his uniform, threw him down the command passageway by the CO's door, and took over as helm. Just as suddenly, the boat pitched downward the 50 feet that they just ascended moments before. Once ordered depth was re-attained, the boats brass came storming into Control to figure out what just happened.  Upon review of sea-water conditions, they quickly discovered that they drove through an isolated pocket of cold water with high salinity that had broken off from a nearby oceanic cold front.  In other words, the boat was trimmed for operation at a certain depth / speed / temperature / salinity, and mother nature decided to throw us a curve ball.  

Peter is now a COM student at Oakland University and a standing junior. He currently is in an internship at Roush Industries working in their prototype division.

The follow is one of Peter’s fond memories while in the Navy

“Messing with Surface Fleet (underway for about a month, but not deployed)

T.R.E. Tactical Readiness Evaluation (pronounced Tree).  It's a test that every warship has to take each year to certify that it can make war if called upon to do so.  We (the Tucson) were called upon to be the guinea pig for a surface fleet battle group of cruisers and destroyers for their T.R.E. group evaluation.  Unfortunately for us, we were relegated to a very small body of water, and we also had to run our diesel back-up generator at periscope depth.  In other words, we had to stay shallow and make a bunch of noise.  Precisely what any stealth vessel doesn't want to do, but we had to at least try to make surface fleet feel good about themselves. If you haven't figured it out yet, there's a tangible "Us vs Them" relationship between Surface, and Sub Fleet.  They (surface fleet) think that we're crazy, while we (Subs) know that they're just stupid. 

While we were making noisy waves in a small steam box, it was only a matter of time before we were spotted by an airborne anti-submarine patrol craft that soon started dropping SONAR buoys all around us.  Before long, that nearby surface fleet battle group came running in with their active SONAR, pinged us, and we were soon considered dead.

Hooray for surface fleet...

About a month later, it was the Tucson's turn to re-certify for T.R.E.  And much to the desire of our exacting revenge, the Tucson now gets to hunt down and kill that same battle group that was still beaming from their previous would-be success.  Only this time, we're in full-on nuclear fast attack mode, and we were using exercise torpedoes that we actually get to shoot at them.  Same speed and capabilities as normal torpedo, minus the several hundred pounds of explosive ordinance. Keeping in mind that Surface fleet aren't "complete" idiots, we proceeded with caution from the deep to periscope depth.  While looking around, we quickly discovered the battle group running slow and silent.  We then dove back down, only to come up on the other side of them, take pictures of them through our periscope, and then email the pictures to them just to mess with them.  We could tell when they got their emails too, because they all sped up into a high-speed active SONAR induced panic.  

After a few hilarious rounds of "now you see me, now you don't," we had our fun and soon laid virtual waste to the now morally defunct surface battle group.  

“Victory belong to the Tucson that day, and surface fleet tears never tasted so good...”