2008 Woodie Awards
Former Patriots answer call of duty
Kim Gailliard
Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Lifestyles
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They might not be celebrities, but brothers and former FMU students Aaron, 32, Ron, 35, and Craig Owens, 24, have courage many consider worthy of unlimited fanfare. The Charleston natives serve in the Army, Coast Guard and Marines, respectively.
Aaron and Ron graduated with bachelor's degrees from FMU, while Craig spent time studying at Francis Marion as an undergraduate before transferring to the College of Charleston.
Aaron and Ron have become officers in their respective branches, and Craig has served on the front lines in Iraq.
In May, Aaron will receive his master's degree from Arkansas State University. From there, he plans to teach biology at the U.S. Military Academy, better known as West Point.
For Aaron, the opportunity to teach in a place where some of the greatest military heroes were educated is "an honor, especially as an African-American officer" because few, if any, were given a chance in the past.
The three-year assignment is part of the Army's Advanced Civil Schooling Program, which has paid for Aaron to attend graduate school.
While at West Point, Aaron would like to learn as much as he can and hopes his students will learn a few things from him, too.
"I hope to be a positive influence on the young cadets while they're becoming officers," Aaron said. "…Maybe some of them will say, 'Oh, I want to be like Capt. Owens (one day).'"
Full of ambition, he hopes to be promoted to major next year.
Though he has developed into a success, Aaron's struggles as a young adult were similar to many others on the road to self-discovery.
"When I got to (FMU), I was just having fun," Aaron said. "It was time to party, and it was my first time away from home and the discipline."
He found stability through FMU's now-defunct ROTC program offered through the University of South Carolina.
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