Meter

Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: Campus News

Members of the 304th Military Police Battalion prepare for a tour in Iraq. (Mario Stuart)

Since the beginning of the war in Iraq on Mar. 20, 2003, thousands of soldiers have gone to Iraq to stand up for the rights and freedoms on which this country was built.

This month, three of TSU's own will join the ranks of the many men and women delegated to report for duty from the 304th Military Police Battalion of the U.S. Army. Not only do these three men represent their respective families and the U.S. Army, they have - at some point in time - inhabited the halls of TSU.
"These three soldiers' character is above reproach," said battalion commander, Lt. Col Carol V. Haas. "They are dependable and knowledgeable in their responsibilities."

First Sgt. Norman Dashiell Jr. attended TSU from 1982 to 1986. While Dashiell did not earn a degree during his stay, he did study math, electrical engineering and computer science. This will be Dashiell's third tour for the U.S. Army.

While Dashiell has faced deployment before, Private Christopher Spears, a sophomore criminal justice major from Rantoul, Ill., faces this arena for the firsttime in his 19 year existence.

Second Lt. Brandon Chapman is a TSU alumnus. Chapman was raised in Jackson, Tenn., and graduated from TSU in May 2005 with his bachelor's degree.

While all of these men are or have been students at the university, they are all in very different stages in life. However, they are all bonded in the fact that they must take the same journey leaving behind friends, family and loved ones - in order to fulfill a commitment that they willingly made to this country.

With the upcoming presidential election, one of the key issues is the war in Iraq. While American citizens search for a candidate that fits their view on the war and other issues, the men and women that serve this country keep their political opinions neutral.

"What you're going to find from any soldier is that we've taken an oath to an office and to the U.S. Constitution," Chapman said. "Whoever is in office, we entrust them to have our best interest at heart."

Politics is not one of the focal points of the military; however, education is one of the major benefits.

All three men have taken advantage of that opportunity and have utilized TSU to help them to achieve their goals.

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