With Veterans Day just passing, we would like to recognize a staff member who served the army for 12 years; Ryan Houle is a paraprofessional who works at the high school in Independence Hall. He has done — and continues to do — so much for our country, school, and community.
“I'm a third-generation veteran. My grandpa was in the Army in World War Two, my dad was in the Navy during Vietnam, and I ended up in the Army. So it was just something that I always wanted to do. I always knew I was gonna take that path after high school,” Houle said.
His family was one of the major reasons he wanted to join the military, and strongly encouraged him to do so. Unfortunately, it took a while for Houle to adjust, due to the little experience he had outside of Chelsea.
“I've spent my whole life in Chelsea. It’s a small town, not a super diverse population. So [the diversity] was my favorite part of the military. I met people I worked with not only from all around the country, but also people from all over the world. I served with guys who were born in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Pacific Islands,” Houle said.
From Chelsea to the Pacific Islands, he has met thousands of people. Unfortunately, meeting people isn’t all Houle had to do. He also had to fight in multiple wars in multiple countries, serving in both Iraq for 15 months (2006-2008) and Afghanistan Wars for 12 months (2013-2014).
“I deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as far as combat goes, and then I also did an overseas stint in Korea and Kuwait. Those weren't really combat deployments,” Houle said. “I was deployed twice and went to war, but, even with that, the positives greatly outweigh every other aspect that could be conceived as negative. I loved my experiences [in the Army].”
Despite being deployed in an active war zone, he found the light in the dark and, overall, enjoyed his service in the Army. He has many amazing experiences and moments in the Army to remember them by. He also had many different jobs that he had to do.
“My main job was MOS — Military Occupational Specialty. It was like human resources, but within the realm of the Army, depending on your own personal drive. I also got certified on a lot of different things. So I served as a gunner for a few months on a personal security detail in Iraq, and I was licensed on Humvees and five tons in Iraq and Afghanistan. So I also drove quite a bit, like transportation, but by trade I was Human Resources,” Houle said.
Houle did a lot in the military and absolutely loved it. He highly encourages and wants other people to enjoy the military like he did, or at the very least keep an open mind. He still believes it was the best choice he has ever made. It shaped him into the person he is today.
“I definitely would encourage everybody to at least consider it or look into it. Grab a pamphlet, grab a brochure, and read about it. I would encourage kids about everything. I mean, trade schools, colleges, and the military, all your different options that are out there,” Houle said.
