Interview with Zachary Stillwell, May 29, 2013

Partial Transcript: Give us your name.

Segment Synopsis: Zachary Stillwell talks about his childhood in Shelbyville, Kentucky and discusses coming from a military family. He talks about his decision to enlist in the military and why he choose the Army.

Keywords: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB); Changes; College; Influences; Military families; Recruiters; Wars

Subjects: Families.; Shelbyville (Ky.); United States. Army. Infantry.

Partial Transcript: Okay so you've signed up, you've got your infantry slot.

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about his basic training experience in Fort Benning, Georgia. He describes arriving and how they were treated by the drill sergeants. He talks about going home for Christmas. He talks about why he did not participate in the graduation ceremony.

Keywords: 11 Bravo; Arrogant; Building up; Christmas exodus; Drill sergeants; Families; Foxtrot 119; Graduation; In-processing; One Station Unit Training (OSUT)

Subjects: Basic training (Military education); Fort Benning (Ga.)

Partial Transcript: So, so at what point do they issue your orders as where you're going to be stationed at?

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about getting his orders to go to Fort Lewis, Washington and being assigned to his battalion. He talks about being a new private and his experiences with advanced training while at Fort Lewis and in Germany.

Keywords: 505 Replacement Company; Advanced training; Deuce Four Battalion A Company; Germany; Honor guard; New privates; Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs); Orders; Quizzes; Reflag; Stryker Unit; Surge

Subjects: Fort Lewis (Wash.); Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Wash.)

Partial Transcript: Okay so d--you deployed before going to Ranger School?

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about being sent to Germany and then deployed to Iraq. He talks about how he and his best friend became RTOs. He describes his left seat/right seat rides and his first day in Baghdad.

Keywords: Area of Operations (AO); Courtyards; Dead bodies; Deployment; First day; Iraqi police officers; MIssions; Numb; Radio Telephone Operator (RTO); The Surge; Torture rooms

Subjects: Baghdad (Iraq)

Partial Transcript: So you're with these guys 24 hours a day over there.

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks more about his best friend. He talks about how their area of operations continued to expand throughout their deployment. He talks about leadership during his time in Baghdad. He talks about his friend Corporal Meza who was killed by an IED.

Keywords: Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI); Area of Operations (AO); Best friends; Bonds; Casualties; Civil wars; Continuing; Corporal Gilberto Meza; E4s; Fear; First Sergeants; IEDs; Injuries; Leaders; Numb; Platoons; Radio Telephone Operator (RTO); Stryker Company; Teams leaders

Subjects: Friendship.; Improvised explosive devices

Partial Transcript: So, so you continue on.

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about where in lived in Baghdad and discusses moving to the Diyala Province where they lived in a mosque. He discusses the living conditions in both places, the work they did, and how they spent their free time.

Keywords: 2nd Platoon; Area of Operations (AO); Camp Stryker; Cards; Civilians; Exercising; Fighting; Forward operating base (FOB) Normandy; Living conditions; Mosques; Neighborhood militias

Subjects: Baghdad (Iraq); Diyālá (Iraq)

Partial Transcript: So now you transition back to Germany again?

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about more friends he lost during the war. He talks about keeping in touch with his military friends. He talks about losing friends not only overseas but also to suicide and drunk driving once they return home. He talks about talking to Corporal Meza's family about his death.

Keywords: AJ Walker (Aaron J. Walker); Casualties; Corporal Gilberto Meza; Drunk driving; Germany; Ghostrider Company; Lives lost; Memorials; Military families; Robert Ayers (Robert T. Ayres III); Staying in touch; Suicides; Wolfpack 32SCR

Subjects: Death.; Friendship.; Soldiers.; United States. Army--Military life.

Partial Transcript: So how do you go back to your normal operations?

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about returning from Iraq and going on leave. He discusses why he was transferred to 4th Ranger Training Battalion and his experiences going to Ranger School. He talks about feeling the need to prove himself, describes the difficulty of Ranger School, and why it took him longer than usual to get his Ranger Tab.

Keywords: 4th Ranger Training Battalion; Colonels; Evaluations; Leadership school; Leadership styles; Normal operations; Processing; Proving himself; Ranger Assessment Phase (RAP); Ranger Tabs; Starting over; Theft

Subjects: Leadership; U.S. Army Ranger School

Partial Transcript: So, but, but you get your Tab.

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about his experiences in Airborne School and his Ranger School graduation. He talks about the activities he got to participate in after receiving his Ranger Tab and talks about his fear of heights. He discusses why he had to take a medical retirement from the military.

Keywords: Airborne School; Atrial fibrillation (A-fib); Blasts; Heart damage; Landings; Medical retirement; Parachutes; Ranger School graduation; Ranger Tabs; Ranger training battalions

Subjects: Medical care.; United States. Army--Airborne troops.

Partial Transcript: So you leave Fort Benning and you head back to good old Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about his decision to attend the University of Kentucky after his medical retirement. He talks about majoring in economics, being a non-traditional student, and his transition to college life.

Keywords: College life; Dreams; Georgia; Health issues; Non-traditional students; Overwhelmed; Schools; Support; Transitions; Veteran attrition rates

Subjects: Gatton College of Business and Economics.; University of Kentucky; Veterans--Education (Higher)--Kentucky.

Partial Transcript: So you mentioned Tony at the Veterans Resource Center.

Segment Synopsis: Stillwell talks about the Veterans Resource Center at the University of Kentucky and whether they have helped him in his transition into college life. He talks about improvements that could be made to the VRC. He gives advice to veterans returning to school. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Advice; Anthony (Tony) Dotson; Convictions; Feeling out of place; Funding; GI Bill; Help; Honor; Improvements; Undersized; Understaffed; Underused; Veterans Affairs (VA); Veterans Resource Center (VRC); Vocational Rehabilitation (Voc Rehab)

Subjects: University of Kentucky; Veterans--Education (Higher)--Kentucky.