Howard Stallings finds the opportunity to serve his country a great privilege. So much so that after leaving the military in the early 2000s, he re-enlisted to serve once more.
Stallings grew up in Augusta as a self-proclaimed military brat. His dad served in the Army. He graduated from Aquinas High School in 1992 and went to college at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Stallings said his father was “definitely involved” in his decision to join the military after college.
“The whole reason why I joined the military was my father,” Stallings said. “He was an Army doc and went everywhere to do that. He had such an impact on many lives, and my life too. It drove me to want to serve, myself.”
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They discussed different branches and the benefits of each. The Air Force offered Stallings the best path, and the process started from there.
Stallings joined up and was soon overseas, working in England, Germany and Norway. His mission was focused on supplying communications for NATO.
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However, he said that the mission changed after 9/11.
“That was a real game-changer,” he said. “Our whole mission focus shifted from the end of Cold War stuff to fighting terrorism. We were helping our native partners and supporting our U.S. bases in Europe. Then, we went more global after 9/11, supplying communications to the Middle East as well.”
Stallings defined supplying communications as establishing better connectivity between the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.
After his time overseas was done, Stallings was stationed in Colorado and was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, working in satellite imagery and telemetry.
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Stallings left the service then and came back home. However, he said it wasn’t long before he missed the military.
“I loved serving my country,” Stallings said. “You are a part of something larger. You get a better world view of things, and what you do is essential to the country and our allies. Being a part of that is amazing.”
Stallings also praised the educational aspects of the military. He said he was able to work on his master’s degree while in the military and was able to gain technical experience and real life experience at the same time.
Now, Stallings is looking to get back into the federal side of things, working to get into Cyber Command or a similar unit in the Augusta area.
“It’s competitive because Fort Gordon is at the cutting edge of everything, and everybody wants to be here,” he said. “They’re looking for the best and brightest, and the mission they do is fantastic. I want to be part of that.”
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Stallings expressed a deep appreciation for the military as a result of his experience.
“The military is not for everyone, but for those who are granted the opportunity to serve, I see it as a blessing more than a curse,” he said. “It’s not an easy life by any means. You are called to do something difficult, and it will challenge you emotionally, physically and spiritually sometimes. But it’s the big picture you need to keep track of. It’s for your community, your allies and your country. I challenge anybody that feels the calling to go. See the world. Be part of something bigger. Only about 1% of the American populous will ever be in the U.S. military. It’s really an honor to serve a country as great as ours.”
Stallings also wanted to offer his perspective as a person of color in the military.
“The history of Black enlisted and Black officers that have served is that we weren’t totally accepted at first. But we found acceptance in our American identity through the military,” he said. “As a man of color, it was nice to represent our country in a way that was almost color-blind. It doesn’t matter where you come from or what your background is because we are all there for a single mission: to protect the free world. So much of the world and the country is divided, but the military isn’t like that. You’re my brother and you’re my sister. Freedom isn’t free, and we all have to fight for it.”
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com
