A background in service

I was in my freshman year of college when the twin towers went down, and that really shaped my generation. When I went on to law school, one of my professors spoke about their experience in the JAG Corps (Judge Advocate General’s Corps), and it seemed rather exciting. I joined the military while I was still in law school, in 2008.

In the JAG Corps, we were legal advisors to the command, so we had some functions that are similar to citizens’ lawyers. I now work at a firm based out of Texas in employment law and insurance defense.

Choosing to write

I wasn’t intending to become an author. My sister’s an elementary school teacher in North Carolina and she invited me to her school for Veteran’s Day. The kids wanted to know, when I had been a soldier, what I ate, where I slept, even what a rank is. I was trying to explain what brigade I was with, what division I was with, and I realized I needed to give the kids the language so we could have a conversation about, ‘what does a soldier do in a single day?’ I had no idea how to write a book, but I knew that civilians needed to understand what we’re trying to support, and veterans also needed to engage civilians. The book does that.

A new mission

It’s very hard for soldiers to reintegrate after serving. As veterans, we’re not looking for sympathy. We’re looking for understanding. The book actually helps adults as well as kids, because if we don’t have a common language to use, we end up dividing farther and farther apart. We don’t engage. So we can all get behind, `we should communicate.’ I’m a veteran who has been without a mission for a while. This kind of became a mission, and it feels great to have a mission again.

If you have suggestions for My Name Is…, contact Casey Van Divier at cvandivier@coloradocommunitymedia.com.