I served: U.S. Army veteran Doug Espinosa

Company Picture, HHC, 2nd BSTB, 37th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Camp Ramadi, Iraq 2011, Doug Espinosa

Albuquerque, N.M. — America has heard of military brats, combat veterans, and Homeland Security employees but they haven’t heard of Doug Espinosa who happens to wear all three of those titles.

High profile veterans are in the news all the time. Americans learn about their heroic behavior that saved countless lives and how that bravery lead to them receiving prestigious medals. These feel good stories allow Americans to rest easy at night knowing there are heroic men and women keeping their friends and family safe during wartime. 

Now is the time for America to learn the stories of the ordinary soldiers that keep the United States of America safe. It is time to spotlight average Joe’s and average Jane’s childhoods and what lead them to join the military, what they did in the military, and what life has been like since they got out of the military. 

This month’s ordinary soldier is Doug Espinosa. Doug didn’t have an average childhood, he grew up on countless military bases across the globe while his dad served the United States. Most of his childhood was spent in Germany and Doug said it was very different in the 1980s and early 1990s since the United States was still dealing with the Cold War and the threats that came with that.

Doug attended high school in Wiesbaden, Germany and continued living there post graduation. Once he graduated, Doug worked various jobs on post including working at the Exchange store and Popeyes. As a young man Doug was quite the character and said “I ended up getting in a little bit of trouble, that’s when I moved back to the United States.”

Once Doug was back on American soil he had some choices to make about the life he wanted to live and the man he wanted to become. When Doug started toying with the idea of joining the U.S. Army his father was against it but ultimately accepted Doug’s decision to join. Doug’s childhood friend, Amber Bittner, said “I didn’t necessarily see the discipline but it didn’t shock me either knowing his dad and knowing his family” when asked if she thought Doug would join the military.

Upon completing basic training and A.I.T., Doug was sent right back to Germany for his first duty station. Most soldiers have one M.O.S. for the duration of their service; however, Doug had a total of three military occupation specialties. His first M.O.S. was an infantrymen, then he became a grounds system surveillance operator, and once he was injured he transitioned into being a Human Resources specialist. When asked which M.O.S. Doug like the most he said being an infantrymen was the most fulfilling for him.

When asked if Doug liked the military and if he would join the Army again if he was younger and not dealing with service related disabilities he said yes and no. Doug said he misses the camaraderie and stated “you love the people that are to your left and your right, your brothers and sisters that you served with but you hate the politics that are involved with it. But ultimately I loved it.”

The Army has a Transition Assistance Program that is designed to help soldiers transition from active duty to civilian life but it is far from perfect. Due to that, once Doug completed his time in the Army he dealt with some issues while reintegrating into the civilian world. Since he grew up on military bases, spent 10 years in the Army, and did four combat tours Doug had a vocabulary and personality type that rubbed his civilian coworkers and bosses the wrong way.

Although Doug bounced from job to job for a while, once he graduated college he landed the perfect job for him in Human Resources working for Homeland Security’s citizenship and immigration department. When asked if Doug would have been successful in so many careers post military service Amber Bittner stated “I don’t think he would have had that jack of all trades without that military experience.”

Doug Espinosa, Fort Benning, GA 2002.