[Interview Begins]

SPRAGUE: Today is April 14th, 2023. This is an interview with Laura M. Ebert, who served in the United States Army Reserve from 2003 to the present.

EBERT: Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Laura entered the service as Laura Rozeboom. Mm hmm. This interview is being conducted by Luke Sprague at the Manitowoc Public Library for the I Am Not Invisible Project. As part of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Oral History Program, no one else is present in the interview room. Okay, let's start off pretty easy. Where did you grow up, Laura?

EBERT: I grew up in Minnesota.

SPRAGUE: Oh, we're about 10 minutes.

EBERT: North, about 30 minutes north of the city's Blaine, Minnesota.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And what did your family do there?

EBERT: My dad was a schoolteacher, and my mom was a secretary for a big corporation.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And what schools to Georgetown?

EBERT: I don't remember any of my childhood schools, but I attended Blaine High School. Okay.

SPRAGUE: And tell me a little bit about what what made you want to join the military?

EBERT: Actually, at the time, it was a boyfriend that was looking into joining the Army. And I ended up deciding, hey, let me look at this. And I was like, I kind of like this whole drill sergeant thing. Let me see what that's all about. So I kind of went down that path of becoming a drill sergeant.

SPRAGUE: Yeah, I'm. I'm curious why a drill sergeant.

EBERT: Okay, so they are the teachers and instructors of the army. So it's you helping raise the next generation. And that is kind of something that I would like to do, is kind of learn how to be a soldier and then be able to teach how to be a soldier. It was just kind of, I don't know. It just was something I wanted to do. Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Okay. What did your family say about you wanting to join and become a drill sergeant?

EBERT: My mom, of course, freaked out because every mom freaks out. And then basically, at the time, because it was 2003, there was the war going on. And my dad was like, you're going to go to war. And I was like, No, dad, I'm going to be a truck driver, a drill sergeant. I'll be fine. No life had other plans.

SPRAGUE: So just curious, did you know in your head you wanted the sequence of truck driver then drill sergeant or.

EBERT: No, I had no idea what I wanted to do as a as a job. It was actually I had a family event that I had to be home for, so I only had six weeks to go to my 80. So I had I left three days after I graduated high school and then shipped to Basic. And then I only had six weeks. So it was either that or a crane operator or my job is given to me to pick the crane operator.

SPRAGUE: Do you have any history of family members serving?

EBERT: Actually, my dad was Air Force. He did Air Force. He actually grew up in the time of being drafted and he was like, I want to be drafted. And given my job, I want to pick it. So my dad joined the Air Force. I didn't know at the time that my other uncle served two or three tours, and that actually came out after I came home. He opened up about that to me.

SPRAGUE: And what kind of connection did you feel with him when he did that?

EBERT: I actually he was a mechanic, so I felt even more connected to him because I could kind of relate to what he did in Vietnam, even though it was 100% different and Vietnam versus Iraq. But I was like, How did I not know this? It was just kind of interesting that he never opened up until I was in the service. My dad, he didn't exactly talk about the service a lot because he just did us for years and got out.

SPRAGUE: Mm hmm. Do you think that, like, with your dad, do you think that influenced you to consider the military?

EBERT: No. Oh, no. Okay. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: Tell me about where you went to boot.

EBERT: I went to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and I was. I did basic, and I had t there, so I literally marched from basic over to 80. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: And what was that like coming from that point? Minnesota? Mm hmm.

EBERT: To Missouri. Yeah, Missouri. At They're kind of the same, like, obviously. And boot camp didn't really see much of the surrounding area. But as far as the plane ride and all that, you know, and seeing what you did see, obviously, it was 2:00 in the morning when I finally got to post, but it was similar temperature wise and all that.

SPRAGUE: Yeah. What what do you remember coming from Minnesota, what the people were like?

EBERT: People are definitely in Minnesota. Nice over there. They're a little more nice. I didn't grow up in the big city, a suburb of so it was a little more friendlier than the. These are nowadays. So I was already, well, diverse and in multiple cultures. So that wasn't a shock. I know a lot of people when they go to basic and this is the first time I see somebody of color and to me it was normal.

SPRAGUE: Were the genders trained together or separate or trained together? Okay. And when you got through basic, did your family attend graduation?

EBERT: Yes, they did.

SPRAGUE: And what was that like?

EBERT: That was great, you know, because I obviously like everybody else throughout it, you're like, what am I doing? Why am I here? I don't want to do this. But as you look back on the things you're proud of yourself for, what you accomplished, like you never thought you would have been able to do what they forced you to do. And then you ended up. I loved it. So I was like, Hey, I might make a career out of this. Yes.

SPRAGUE: And you were thinking that early on you might make a career.

EBERT: I did. I wasn't my original plan when I joined, but it was kind of something that kind of blossomed early on in my career. Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: What were some of the experiences that stick out in your head from. From basic.

EBERT: From basic. So we did like a water survival training. And like, before then your feet hurt, your boots didn't fit. Right? Everything just sucked. But then something after that with the camaraderie with everyone working together as a team, you kind of felt like a little more in place at Basic and like you had a family that you were you were starting to grow on and your boots started to fit better.

SPRAGUE: They got worn.

EBERT: In. They got worn in.

SPRAGUE: Some calluses on.

EBERT: Those V out.

SPRAGUE: When you went to I.T. What what was that like? What was the training like?

EBERT: It was a lot of classroom. You'd sit in a classroom the first few weeks, learn about the vehicles, then you go out and you do like hands on with the vehicles and then you go out and you drive the vehicles. It was short. It was six, I think it was six, six or eight weeks really short. Sometimes I wonder why it's actual MLS, because everybody should know how to drive your car. But.

SPRAGUE: And that was for the 88 Micah. What what was a discipline like an eight year.

EBERT: Old was a little more relaxed. It was a little more like college. Kind of like, you know, they bring you to training and bring you back. That's do it. And it was a little more like on your own ish. You know, in the evenings you weren't pushed to do a whole lot of.

SPRAGUE: What was your what was your initial enlistment for on active duty?

EBERT: So I did the six by two six years reserves and then the two years inactive. But I ended up just going straight reserves the whole time. Uh huh.

SPRAGUE: Okay. So how about when did you get out of it? Do you remember it?

EBERT: Well, I think it was around October of oh three.

SPRAGUE: Okay.

EBERT: Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And then tell me what happened next.

EBERT: So basically, I went to my drill sergeant unit because I signed up and I joined in a drill sergeant unit, which was actually in Wisconsin. Uh huh. So I actually had to drive 5 hours to go to my battle assemblies, but that's how bad I wanted to be a drill sergeant. And I did that for, oh, gosh, what was that, five, six months? And then I got the phone call from my unit administrator saying, Hey, you've been paying to go on a deployment. And I freaked.

SPRAGUE: Out. Okay, before we get there, I'm with you. Yep. So that drill sergeant unit in Wisconsin, they were driving 5 hours to get to. Yeah, that would have been. What was that unit?

EBERT: That was at the time. Three, three, nine. Okay. Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: And three, three, nine. Is that a battalion or a company?

EBERT: That was a battalion.

SPRAGUE: Okay.

EBERT: They are disbanded now.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And it was it. Was it a standalone three, three, nine? Or was it a third of a third of the three?

EBERT: Yeah, right. I don't remember. I remember. Yeah. Okay.

SPRAGUE: So, yeah, I was curious because you put that on your pre-interview sheet and I'm like, Huh. Okay. So that's a pretty big commitment to drive 5 hours to drill. Mm hmm. But it sounds like you were pretty determined to become a drill sergeant. So on those first 5 to 6 months, what did they do with you in the unit?

EBERT: So at the time, you're basically learning your modules, which are things that when you go to basic training, the drill sergeants pitch to you of how to teach you to do basic marksmen or marksmen, basic movements. And so they're training you of how to teach that because that's the first thing you have to do when you get to the academy is do that. They're teaching you how to lead. They're teaching you how to march better because some people can't. March that. Well, all sorts of things.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And so I would imagine that fit pretty well with here wanting to teach and mentor people. It a good fit.

EBERT: Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Okay. So. Okay, let's get back to the phone call.

EBERT: That's fine. So when you get the phone call and you freak out because you're like, Oh, my gosh, it really is happening, you know? Like, what's going on? Where am I going? You know, there were so many unknowns. So I actually had to end up driving to meet with my unit administrator for a few days to do a whole bunch of paperwork. And then basically they were like, within the next month you're going to get orders and you're going to go do primo job. So I was pulled from my drill sergeant unit to a different unit to go deploy with.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And for the record, what was that unit that you deployed with?

EBERT: Oh, I did. I write down on my sheet.

SPRAGUE: You did?

EBERT: For 27th Transportation Corps. There you go.

SPRAGUE: Yep. And that was a website that you have for 27 transportation company, maybe. Or not. Or detachment. I don't know.

EBERT: Yeah. So long ago.

SPRAGUE: Yeah. And was that part and this is part of the mystery of figuring you out. Yes. Was that part of the 99th Readiness Division? Maybe. By chance, I've got a picture of you with a patch that it's got like a checkerboard with a shield.

EBERT: And that could.

SPRAGUE: Be maybe your. Yeah.

EBERT: Yeah. Yeah, I got definitely it.

SPRAGUE: Oh, okay. No worries. I'm just curious.

EBERT: Right, Because that unit is also disbanded. Oh, they're out of Pennsylvania. That's where they were from.

SPRAGUE: Yeah. Okay, that. That squares up. That makes sense. So. Okay, so you did the paperwork. Where? In Minnesota?

EBERT: In Neenah and Neenah, Wisconsin.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And then where did you do your pre mob?

EBERT: I went to Fort Drum, New York.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And what was that like?

EBERT: Crappy. It rained, like, every day. It was the middle of June, and the training itself was decent, but it weatherwise it was crappy. I mean, we had our nights off. We went out to eat all the time because of course you're going to go overseas and you're never going to eat any good food again. So true. And I won a lot and we went to Watertown a lot and had fun.

SPRAGUE: Okay. What in the back of your head? I would imagine you were thinking about being mobilized. What were your feelings about that or thoughts about that?

EBERT: It was kind of almost like a fear of the unknown. You didn't really know what was going on. I was never in a line unit, so I don't know what it's like to be in the Transportation Corps. What am I going to have to do? And then, of course, you have all the rumors. You know you're going over there. You're at that time blond haired, blue eyed female, you know, or you're going to have issues with all the Iraqis or there's a $10,000 hit on your head. You know, it was just nervous, but like kind of what am I getting into? You know, that could be interesting and fun, but kind of nervous. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: Mm hmm. So you're at Fort Drum? Mm hmm. What happens when you actually deploy? What? How did that sequence go down?

EBERT: So you basically you go there, you do like an SRP thing, and you go through all your medical stuff. You go through how do your shooting? We ended up doing the gas mask training and how to decon, all types of stuff. Basically just making sure you are good to go and you know what you're doing. And then we worked on, you know, we actually loaded up our vehicles on the railhead. So, you know, that was interesting. Had a little dose of never driving a vehicle on a railhead. But here I am doing it and loading them up. And then, hey, we'll see in a few months.

SPRAGUE: If you don't mind. What kind of vehicles were they?

EBERT: We were driving places when we got there, pallet loading system. So basically we hauled stuff. That's what my job started, as I say. Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Okay, so how do you and the pallets get in theater?

EBERT: Yep. So they went ahead of us, and then I think we left right from jam. Yeah, we left right from Jem. We got on a big plane, a double decker plane with all of our bags, and it was just us on the plane. There was nobody else in the plane, just our unit on a plane. And we flew over and we landed in Kuwait.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Do you remember where you landed in Kuwait? No. Okay. And what what timeframe was that about when you arrived in Kuwait?

EBERT: That was probably around July of 0404.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Okay. And tell me what happened next once you got into Kuwait.

EBERT: So then we got bused to wherever was it it, you know, during camp, during maybe, and basically waited for our vehicles to get there. And then once our vehicles got there, we went and we got them off the railhead and then brought them. I think it was spring. Yeah, I'm trying to think now I. Got all these different camps. Then we basically waited for them and we did a botch we did actual in theater training there. So that's how I got the overseas training ribbon, so that I actually did do training there. And we did that for about a month, month and a half. And then we loaded up and left and headed to tell you.

SPRAGUE: How you know, how do you think that training was for prepping you in theater?

EBERT: I think it was I think it was B.S. I really do it. I really don't think there was much, like in-country training that needed to be done. I mean, I think it was more of just getting us acclimated. That's what I benefit out of it is that you're going in the middle of summer overseas and you're going from the typical eighties to 115. So I think that's where the benefit was. But as far as the actual training, we could have done that stateside.

SPRAGUE: What was your impressions on the Heat?

EBERT: It was very dry heat, so I was okay with it, but it was still annoying.

SPRAGUE: Okay. So tell me about going to Tallil.

EBERT: That was that was your first time like actually driving. So what they call is white knuckle. So you're definitely nervous. You're like, what is this country like? These people hate me and I'm here. What's going to happen? So you're driving into Tallil and you're just waiting for something to happen. So we got rocks thrown at us. We had kids running out in between the vehicles. I mean, definitely when you're driving around, they didn't want you there. And you could tell, you know.

SPRAGUE: When you drove a dumb question, when you drove up from Kuwait to Toledo, what how did they provide security for you?

EBERT: So we provided our own security. So each of our palaces had turrets on them. So we did our own security.

SPRAGUE: And what weapon was in the turret?

EBERT: We had a 50 caliber mark. 19.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Did you man the turret?

EBERT: I did not. I was a driver and I had a gunner and an ATC. Uh huh.

SPRAGUE: And how just as an opinion, how effective do you think that Mach 19 and a 50 cal were for the situation?

EBERT: Oh, I definitely think we needed them. Yeah. Yeah. Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Okay. What were the working conditions like in the cab and driving that?

EBERT: It was stupid because we had M16, so we had long rifles and we were trained to stand there and shoot out the window. But that's kind of stupid because I'm driving. How am I going to shoot? But it's basically just cover Fire is basically your job. But the policies were a little more uncomfortable then when we got on to our Humvees because there really wasn't a whole lot of room. They were not up armored at all.

SPRAGUE: The Humvees weren't or the.

EBERT: Policies were not. Nope, that's what we did. I forgot about that when we were in Kuwait. We cut our own steel plates, we put in sandbags. We did all the typical, you know, building up our our vehicles.

SPRAGUE: That was a big deal back here. We heard about that. And I mean, what how where did you get the steel plate from and how did you.

EBERT: To be honest, I have no idea. I think it was just another unit that had them because they cut the steel plates. We would go over there with our vehicles, measure the vehicle's doors, take out the windows, and they would cut them because obviously we couldn't cut them. So I was a specialist at that time. I just did what I was told. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: No problem. Yeah. Oh, how about in terms of that was one of the issues that came back stateside. How about in terms of body armor?

EBERT: We did have our body armor. Yeah, we did have all that in our plates and all that.

SPRAGUE: Oh, okay. So you actually got an I guess you know what, what were your feelings or thoughts at the time when you were in those fabric Humvees and you're not up armored, Right. I mean, what's going through your head?

EBERT: Just don't hit an IED, don't get shot at.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And how long were you you know, I know there's different, but how long were your days? Like a normal working day.

EBERT: So those were. It was. It was yeah, it could start early in the mornings, two or three in the morning, because then we'd have to go, we'd have to load up our vehicles, get everything ready, and then you basically had to wait for an ESP time. So you basically had to wait to be told, Hey, it's your turn to go. So you could be sitting there for 5 hours waiting till it's your turn to drive. And then you could drive six, seven, 8 hours depending on if you get stopped on the road for an IED. 1012 You know, I don't think we ever did over a 24 hour actually, like from start to finish.

SPRAGUE: What was, if you can, without revealing anything? Was there like a road clearance team that went out in front of you or organic here?

EBERT: Not. Not nothing. That was a to our unit? Nope.

SPRAGUE: Or did they say this route is open or we swept it? Or how did that work?

EBERT: Yeah, sometimes we would get there is the a known road called IED Alley that everybody knows that. Hey, if you're going down here, you're probably going to see something, you know, So you get that, Hey, it was clear, but maybe it's not. Or there's known activity in this area. Be careful.

SPRAGUE: Okay. In general, what routes did you take?

EBERT: Oh, gosh. I don't even know the names of the routes anymore.

SPRAGUE: Okay. How how secure did you feel in your place.

EBERT: At that time? Not at all. Yeah, it was just again, please don't hit me. Don't have an IED. We did eventually get them up Armored. We sent a team down to Kuwait. They enjoyed life for two months, brought the vehicles down and got them up armored and brought them back home.

SPRAGUE: Any experiences that you're okay with relating in terms of stuff that happened while you were driving the truck?

EBERT: We were definitely shot at multiple times. Back then it was just drive on through, drive on through the kids running in between the vehicles. There was a very close call and to this day, I still have no idea whether or not that child make it made it or not. But again, that's what we were trying to do. Just drive on. They're trying to get you to stop is what they're trying to do. That's what we were trained. Don't stop. They are trying to because obviously we all have hearts. We all care. They're just they're human being no matter it's child or not. But they would use children to try and stop your convoy so then they could ambush you.

SPRAGUE: Any any particular experiences that stick out in your head where you were like, Wow, I got through that.

EBERT: Absolutely. There was a time that we stopped for an IED and we happened to be near a bridge just halted. So we're taking up security, waiting for the IED, EOD to come through and clear. And later on we found out that there was an IED on the bridge that was literally feet from us. Why it didn't go off, I have no idea.

SPRAGUE: How was a what was that like working in that company, in your team members?

EBERT: We were really good. I did. For the majority, there was definitely you had your cliques just like every unit. You had your cliques. But my team worked really well. My T.C. was kind of blah, but my gunner was really fun. That was his second tour, so that made me feel more comfortable knowing that he kind of already knows what he's doing.

SPRAGUE: And what about in terms of when the day is done? Where did you sleep or where did you eat?

EBERT: A lot of times we slept. They basically just had tents set up for us and we'd all sleep in big old tents and wait for the next day to either convoy back or come. You know, sometimes we'd stay there a few days to till we had our load ready or whatever. I mean, I wasn't in charge of figuring that out, but I would just kind of wait. There was a couple of times that being a female at I don't remember the camp again, they actually put us in individual quarters. All of us got individual quarters. And being the only female on that convoy, I got my own room and I ended up getting like officer quarters. So I had a fridge, I had all sorts of stuff in there. Air conditioning, I mean, it was nice. So those are the perks of being a female.

SPRAGUE: You had mentioned in the pre-interview some of the less than perks, not positive things. What can you relate as a female?

EBERT: Well, obviously, if you have to go the bathroom on a convoy, it's definitely easier to be a male than it is to be a female. So there's a lot of times that you just have to hold it or you would literally if you were waiting for EOD, you'd have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the street because you had nowhere to go and you couldn't really walk up to this to the, you know, to the fence line. So that was not fun at all.

SPRAGUE: Did your team members try to give you some privacy or.

EBERT: Oh, absolutely. They were really good. It's just, you know, we're guys you can go up and you can check the air pressure on a tire and go to the bathroom a little easier. You got to actually, as a female, they did give us like the little female cups where you can put it basically and then pee in a funnel cup. But I never use that just because I just I'm not that way.

SPRAGUE: How how about in terms of interaction with the locals, Did you have much or not?

EBERT: We did have a little bit. We would go to some of the markets and stuff like that. I never went without anybody ever, ever, ever. Are there perverts that Afghanistan and Iraqis? They're perverts. They definitely It was all the time. I want to see your hair. I want to see your hair. You know, because obviously we're wearing a hat or our Kevlar. But that was the biggest thing. And they would always like catcall at you, so. Yeah, but.

SPRAGUE: Any incidents with the harassment or.

EBERT: Just the typical I mean, I wouldn't say it went too far. They they would. Definitely know that they could tow the line but not go too far. You know, they could tell who they could get away with and who they couldn't.

SPRAGUE: I think you mentioned in the pre-interview. Growing up really fast.

EBERT: Oh, yeah.

SPRAGUE: What does that mean to you?

EBERT: Well, obviously, I graduated high school and three days later I met basic Marty. In less than a year later, I'm overseas in a third world country. So I basically 18, 19 years old. I grew up and I basically had to be 25, 26. Um, it's, it's definitely nice, but it's not like I missed a childhood or missed anything. It was just you basically had to learn how to take care of yourself and fend for yourself and and do a little bit more than some people nowadays don't learn how to do.

SPRAGUE: But did you have any incidents with the trucks rolling over?

EBERT: Yep. Not on my convoy, but on another convoy. There was some that rolled over. Got stuck in the mud. Stuff like that.

SPRAGUE: When you had that downtime in the tents or in the air conditioned barracks or whatever it is, contacts, What what did you do to wind down?

EBERT: A lot of times it was like watching movies, DVDs, anything that you could get your family to send over to you. I had a laptop at the time, so I do that. I did actually ask them to send me the original, the ten gaming system. Oh, wow. Yeah. So they sent me that and I'd play that. I don't read. I try and read. I'm not a big reader. I wish I was, but. Yep.

SPRAGUE: What? Tell me a little bit about the dynamic of, if you would, being deployed and what's going through your head, and then thinking about people in the States and their lives and how they're going on.

EBERT: Yeah, you can almost separate yourself from that. You kind of just live. At least I did live where you're at, because if you're too concerned about what's going on back home, you can't really focus on the mission. I did actually have a step grandma grandparent passed away while I was overseas. Obviously, you know, your parents are really understanding about how and when. They told me they were very, very understanding because I would call them all the time in the middle of the night because of the one and a half hour difference. Like, I don't have time at this time. I'm calling home and I'd wake them up all the time. And they were very understanding of that. They didn't care. Just call.

SPRAGUE: So that that that must have been quite a positive experience to be able to do that.

EBERT: Yeah.

SPRAGUE: Reach out and make that connection.

EBERT: Yeah.

SPRAGUE: In oh four. What, what was your connectivity back to the boy?

EBERT: You had to go to the phone banks basically and go with call on your phone card, your pay phone card and call them. There was no cell phones. There was no nothing like that. No face time. No, no.

SPRAGUE: How about Internet?

EBERT: You did have Internet cafes where you could go on, get on the Internet, check your emails or email back and forth. But it was always we were traveling during the days and then if we got somewhere, it was night when everything was closed. So unless you had a day off. What was hot? It was a long walk. So you just pick and choose when you wanted to do it.

SPRAGUE: Well, can you roughly going back to your unit, characterize maybe where you picked up the pallets and where you took them to or what? I'm assuming they're pallets.

EBERT: It's all sorts of different things. We we carried everything from ammo, water, bottles, mail, everything. We only ended up doing that for about three or four months. We were doing that. And then we take them basically to all different posts. Basically it was a go here, I go there, bring them back, bring something back. There was times that we would. I remember one time we picked up Humvees, we picked up Humvees. We picked up like Iraqi police cars. We pick up all sorts of things.

SPRAGUE: Was it in just the south end of Iraq or where where abouts was it?

EBERT: Yeah, it was mainly the south end. Yeah, we did get to the Baghdad area, but it was the more the south end.

SPRAGUE: Uh huh. You had mentioned earlier about nearly running over some Iraqi kids. Are you not sure? Did you have any interactions with any other Iraqi nationals or.

EBERT: Sometimes we would come to certain areas. I remember I actually have a photo of it. I laugh now. They love their Pepsi. So we would get canned soda from the chow hall and we would always trade them Pepsi for whatever the people wanted movies, DVDs, whatever. So we did talk to some of them. Some of them were really nice and really friendly and loved us there. Absolutely loved us there. So I have a picture of an Iraqi smoking a cigaret holding a Pepsi.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Do you would you be interested in sharing that picture?

EBERT: Truly. I'm pretty sure I have it in here. Hmm. Hmm. Oh, I brought the wrong book.

SPRAGUE: Oh, okay. I can ask. It's all right.

EBERT: I did. I just grabbed it quick. I grabbed the wrong book.

SPRAGUE: Okay, No problem. No worries. No pressure. You're fine. You're good. So what? When you think about your time in Iraq, what? What? What do you think you'd want the American people to know or remember?

EBERT: Hmm?

SPRAGUE: If there was one thing you could say to them and you were talking to Joe or Jill on the street and you could tell them one thing, what would you tell them?

EBERT: They're not all bad, and they only live in the world that they know. You know, like everybody looks at how could you treat your women that way? But that's the way they are. That's the way they were raised. It's no different than, you know, any religion here. You know, you do certain things because of your religion. And that's basically they do certain things because that's how you know they are.

SPRAGUE: So tell me about getting ready to come back to the United States. What was that like?

EBERT: That was like an excitement. You're going home. You're done with this, even though it eventually became almost like a job. You almost kind of got over that fear and it was just like, okay. Like, I like a police officer. Any day he could get shot. You know, it's it's you kind of end up feeling like that. Like, okay, yeah, something could happen, something couldn't. But excited. I'm going home. I'm done. I can go home, move on with my life.

SPRAGUE: Did you have, like, a short timer's calendar or something that you were marking or.

EBERT: No, I and Mark nothing. No, no.

SPRAGUE: So tell me a little bit about coming back home and what that's like.

EBERT: I remember when we came on the plane, we all still to this day, don't know whether it was a welcoming or there was something wrong with the plane. But we got the plane was escorted with fire or with fire with water. So we're like, was it on fire or was this like a welcoming home thing? And then there was people like in the airport, they were clapping and I'm saying, welcome home. So it was like a better welcoming than soldiers have gotten in the past.

SPRAGUE: And I just. Where was that?

EBERT: I have no idea. Somewhere in Pennsylvania.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And what you know, what what were your thoughts when you got back to the United States and you're on the ground?

EBERT: You finally it's over. You know, now it was. Now what do I get to do? You know? Graduated high school. I'm home. College. What's next?

SPRAGUE: What? Did you come back all the way to Minnesota or what happened then?

EBERT: No. So then you come back and you do your dream job? Yeah, I think that was through Fort Drum, actually, not Pennsylvania. So Fort Drum, we did our mob did that for a few weeks. You basically they go through they do medical again. They they see how you're doing. You get yellow ribbon type of things and what they can help you out with, as you know. And then and I think from there, we went straight home. Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Does the demo, does that include any counseling or service?

EBERT: No, It's more of do need it. And then we'll get you assistance when you need if you need it type of thing.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And what was it like coming back to the states after being driving trucks downrange?

EBERT: Right. I remember when I was on leave because I did have to take leave mid-tour. My mom refused to let me drive, but she still says it to this day that I was not driving very well. I thought I was doing fine. But she said that I was not driving because you definitely drive different when you're over there. There's really no stop signs, there's no rules. It's a little little different when you are a truck driver. So I guess there's a learning curve with that. Learning how to drive like a civilian again.

SPRAGUE: And you got back when? In oh five.

EBERT: July, August, July, August time, somewhere around there.

SPRAGUE: Okay. So tell me about what happened after your deployment. Redeployment back to the states in oh five, coming back to Minnesota.

EBERT: That was exciting. Yep. Know how we got on a plane and must have gotten a plane, You know, Fort Drum and basically home. Prior to that, we shipped a lot of our stuff home so that I wouldn't have so many bags. I think no parents, no parents could see you there. They couldn't until you got to you. Like, sometimes different times people could be there when they actually came home in the States. But no, ours couldn't. Nobody could see us, too. We actually were flown home. And then I was welcomed home at the airport by my family.

SPRAGUE: And why was that? Why do you think there was like that.

EBERT: Why it was so different? I think it was because everything was kind of a little more I don't say secretive, but you couldn't really tell, you know, civilians when when certain movements were happening.

SPRAGUE: Oh, for opsec. Yeah. So you're back in oh five, you're in Minnesota. And tell me a little bit at that point, you're on reserve status. Yeah, Drilling. Reserve status. Tell me about what what you were doing and then we'll go from there.

EBERT: Yep. I ended up going back to my job. My my boss at my job was a great he you know, he's said, get your job is going to be here. It was Einstein bagels. I worked at a bagel shop, so whatever. It was great. But then I ended up going to college. So basically I signed up for college and I went started to go to college right away. I basically just got back into life, you know, It was like I took time off, you know, before college. But yeah.

SPRAGUE: Did you find any difficulties? And after he had been back a while and thinking about Iraq or was it.

EBERT: Yeah, I definitely did go do counseling right away. Um, I did have issues. It was, it was definitely hard being a female over there. It's a little different world and then coming back, you know, people are everybody moved on, your friends moved on and trying to reconnect was hard to do. You know, I think no matter what anybody, it's hard to reconnect, especially when there wasn't that face time. The cell phones that you have nowadays to connect with people. But I basically just kind of went to college and just kind of tried to make friends there. And.

SPRAGUE: What do you mean, reconnect? You mean reconnect people in the States or reconnect here? Veterans, brothers and sisters?

EBERT: No. It was more of your friends in the States that you left. You know, their life moved on. They went to college, they got different boyfriends, and you're trying to fit back in and where you fit. And then them trying to make time for you. And you were gone for an entire year. So didn't have to make time for you. You know, a lot of mom, my brothers and sisters from the unit I didn't really keep in contact with. We were from all over. So it was hard for us to, you know, see each other a lot. And I think everybody was just so happy to be home that they just kind of moved on with their lives, too.

SPRAGUE: Did you do any activity when you got home initially that sticks out in your head is something you did because you were back in the States and it was post-deployment and you're like, okay, I need to do.

EBERT: I can finally eat this or do that. No, there's nothing that stuck out. That was like, I finally get to do that. No. Ah.

SPRAGUE: Okay. So the next place that I. I pick up. The story is it looks like you went on to pick to go to the Drill Sergeant Academy, maybe in oh eight and eight. Tell me a little bit about that, please.

EBERT: Oh, boy. That was like, what, 65 days long of going through basic training all over again. Right. But not only are you going through basic training now, you're learning to teach it so that you know, you're learning to do it and then teach it. So it was an experience. It was fun.

SPRAGUE: At that point, you're probably ae5 or so.

EBERT: Tony I was in. Yep, I was. I was 66. I was 86. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And then going through that drill Sergeant Academy. Did you do it like you were talking about it being made out of modules or chunks? What was that like? I mean, you're in E-6 and you probably got someone yelling at you or.

EBERT: Yeah, it was being from the drill sergeant unit and from that world. You knew what you were getting into, and it was just kind of okay. Yeah, they got they got to treat you like this. They got to talk to you like this. Just kind of whatever. You know, a lot of them were e sevens, you know, there were some sixes. So to be talk like that by another one is not the easiest, but it was just get through it.

SPRAGUE: Now what where was the Drill Sergeant Academy In.

EBERT: Fort Knox, Kentucky. Okay. Right. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: Did you have the memorization of the modules?

EBERT: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, I. I somehow was good at that. I don't know how, but I somehow had good good at that. I did not think I was. Could do it. Okay. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: How about the physical part of it, the PTA and stuff like that.

EBERT: I already was at that point struggling with back issues, so that was difficult. But I knew that as long as I could get through the academy and become a drill sergeant, that I could deal with my back issues later on as far as getting like profiles and then being a walker because of how messed up my back was from being overseas.

SPRAGUE: What's the was the back issues because of driving a lot.

EBERT: Because of driving and wearing all the abs and everything.

SPRAGUE: And for the civilian audience, what's an idea?

EBERT: That's your body armor. Okay.

SPRAGUE: And they had you wearing that in the vehicle?

EBERT: Mm hmm. Wow.

SPRAGUE: That's got to be uncomfortable, right?

EBERT: Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: So what was it like? I don't know what they call it. And Drill Sergeant Academy, when you. I'm assuming, do you earn the badge or do you earn that later after you've done it? No.

EBERT: Nope. You earn the badge in the hat right away. So once you graduate, you get your hat and your badge.

SPRAGUE: Mm hmm. What do they call it when they. They pin you and give you the.

EBERT: Hat, or it's just like a graduation. Yeah. So it's like a T year graduation, basically.

SPRAGUE: Yeah. Mm hmm. So at that point, you've been looking forward to this your whole adult life.

EBERT: Right?

SPRAGUE: I mean, what were you feeling? I mean.

EBERT: I was definitely proud of myself. Yeah. And then I was excited to be a drill sergeant on the what we call the trail and go train our next generation. Wow.

SPRAGUE: I also have that you took up in oh eight, an armor workhorse, maybe a week long.

EBERT: Yeah, I did take a course, you know.

SPRAGUE: And it looks like in 09a year later, you took a senior leader course.

EBERT: Yeah. Well.

SPRAGUE: And I'm assuming those are preps for promotion.

EBERT: Yep, yep, yep. Okay. Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Tell me about. Okay, so you get done with the academy, you come back to, in this case, Minnesota still.

EBERT: Well, I know, I know. This is where it's a little different. So. MN oh eight in March of oh eight, I got mobilized stateside. Okay. To Fort McCoy.

SPRAGUE: Okay.

EBERT: And I was there from March of oh eight to March of 2012.

SPRAGUE: Wow.

EBERT: Okay. Yes. And I was doing primo. Okay. I actually volunteered for that mission because they were taking only drill sergeants from our unit. I at that time wasn't a drill sergeant, but I volunteered because I was scheduled to go that that year to the academy. So they took me.

SPRAGUE: So I'm going to try to summarize. So you were on active duty?

EBERT: Yes.

SPRAGUE: From March of oh eight to March of 2012. Mm hmm. And you were doing pre mobilizing soldiers at Fort McCoy? Yeah. Okay. What what drove your decision to do that? What motivated you.

EBERT: Again, training soldiers. Oh, my whole unit was going, so why wouldn't I want to go with them? It's kind of the other thing. Uh huh. Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: And at that time, what unit were you in?

EBERT: That was still three, three, nine.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Okay. And that was out of Nena or somewhere else. Okay.

EBERT: Okay. I've always been in Neenah.

SPRAGUE: Okay, No problem. Okay, So tell me about, um. Tell me about some of the challenges and, you know, things you faced at Fort McCoy during your service there and what that was like.

EBERT: That was a blast. We were living on a hotel. Yes.

SPRAGUE: Wow.

EBERT: And most people are like a hotel for four years. Yes. I don't have to do my clean my bathroom. I don't clean my room out to do my sheets. I mean, yeah, it was awesome. We had a de fact by our barracks where we taught everybody. So we had a defect, our own defect, to go eat out all the time. And then we basically were training soldiers. We trained them on how to drive trucks, ranges, um, pre-deployment like, you know, IED type stuff. We did convoys with them, we did searching detainees. We did all sorts of stuff.

SPRAGUE: So lots of training.

EBERT: Lots of training.

SPRAGUE: Now, when you were training for these pre mobs, this was not and I'm just trying to understand this was not you doing initial entry training for basic training. It was it was soldiers that need to be fixed ready for.

EBERT: Basically what I headed for pre mode. I was now the instructor for it. So they were there. They came there for three weeks and we trained them up on all these tasks that had to be done and completed before they deployed.

SPRAGUE: Well, that sounds like a very good fit for you based upon what you were talking about at the beginning.

EBERT: Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: What what made you decide to stop doing it in 12? I must.

EBERT: Shut down.

SPRAGUE: Oh, okay.

EBERT: Mm hmm. And then we all hit. That's called the 1095 rule, where we were all on on eight US tour orders for four years, and we couldn't stay on any longer. So it kind of worked out that way.

SPRAGUE: And it helped me out with this ethos.

EBERT: At us that, Oh, gosh, now are you going to ask me terms?

SPRAGUE: I'm just not familiar.

EBERT: I know additional duty or I don't know what it stands for. It's a type of fund.

SPRAGUE: So you're a reservist on active duty. And they said, okay, you're up to four years.

EBERT: You can't you can't be on it anymore. Okay. So you go home basically. That also goes with that. I think ESG is a big thing where they can hold your job for five years. So I think it has part to do with that. Okay.

SPRAGUE: So tell me the dumb question. Why didn't you just go on active duty and enlist then?

EBERT: Oh, gosh, that's a whole different world. Yeah, well, I know. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: Tell me why it's different. I'm curious.

EBERT: Right. To be a drill sergeant on active duty. You work 12, 16, 20 hour days. It's fun. But to do that 24, seven for years and years, it's tiring. Very tiring, you know? And then could I have gone and been like, Oh, I could go to 80 and be an instructor or this type instructor? Yeah, but it just never really intrigued me because then you always have to bounce around. And I kind of, I kind of liked my family and, and my unit.

SPRAGUE: So I always. Yeah, I'm curious because I grew up in Wisconsin, but I served on active duty. But I'm always curious about the reservists and Guardsmen and how, you know, they're thinking about it. And so for a year, the big draw was the family.

EBERT: And I'm uncle here. Yep. And you get to as a reservist, we pick and choose where we go so we can volunteer for different missions at different places where an active duty, they're like, Oh, do you have to go over here now or now you have to go over here? Yeah. So that's why as a reservist, we like it.

SPRAGUE: Okay, so tell me about so you get done in oh 12. Mm hmm. What happens next?

EBERT: At that time, I basically end that moving to Wisconsin.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Okay. And you were still with the three, three, nine?

EBERT: Yep. Actually, no, no.

SPRAGUE: Are the three, three, four?

EBERT: Nope. Yes. No, it was still was 329. I think now it's when it switch over. Yes. So then yes, let's just put it that way because it can get too into the what happens. Yes. I came back two, three, three, nine.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And do you mind sharing or what you were doing on a civilian side at that time or how.

EBERT: Boy, I again, back to school. So I before that I had gotten my culinary arts degree. So I had gotten that. And then I came back and I ended up going to school to get my associate's degree and then to move on to get a business degree.

SPRAGUE: Okay. What? What school?

EBERT: I started at UW Manitowoc, and then I ended up changing over to Silver Lake College.

SPRAGUE: Okay.

EBERT: To get my bachelor's degree. And business. And then I got a minor in psychology.

SPRAGUE: Did did the Army help you with that?

EBERT: Absolutely they did. Yeah. I got the post-9-11 GI Bill and the state actually helped out. Walker's amazing. And we got a lot of money for going to school.

SPRAGUE: So let's see here. So you're back. What happened going forward from 12 and then coming back to Manitowoc and going to school? What happened next in the sequence.

EBERT: As far as like deployments or what?

SPRAGUE: Both deployments. And then coming up into the it looks like later the three, three, four.

EBERT: Yep. So in 2016, the 339 closed its flag and we got absorbed into the three, three, four.

SPRAGUE: Okay.

EBERT: Still a drill sergeant unit. But now we're based out of Milwaukee, Milwaukee's AH Battalion, so we ended up having three companies at that time in Neenah and then the battalion and the other companies in Milwaukee.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And what company did you serve in, in Neenah or.

EBERT: If you were? I bounced around actually because of the reorg. I started with Alpha when I came back, and then I ended up in Delta when we reported.

SPRAGUE: Okay, of the three three for us.

EBERT: Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Tell me you two to make sure we capture this. Tell me about what your annual training is like when you're you're doing your annual.

EBERT: So when we were three, three, four, we go down to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and we do basic training down there. So we go down there for 17 days and we just kind of fill in where active duty needs us is what we do.

SPRAGUE: I've heard people talking about reservists deciding to extend. Did you do that? Did you have any interest in doing that?

EBERT: I did not. At that time in my career I did at previous between 12 and 16. I did actually go I forgot about this. I did go and do Cadet Command. I volunteered for the cadet command missions, which were longer. Those were like three months long. I did do a couple of those stints. And now then training cadets how to be soldiers.

SPRAGUE: And what were your impressions on that?

EBERT: At that time, I was older and I was training young kids how to be in the Army. And it was it was fun, exciting, but like weird because you're training these really young soldiers that are going to be officers, you know, And it's just but it was fun. We got to do a lot of amazing things.

SPRAGUE: And then your monthly drill, what was that like?

EBERT: It was different every month. It was being now that I was a drill sergeant, I didn't actually have to be in the drill sergeant program. So I was more involved in other trainings. I mean, it's different each one month. It's working with weapons, the next month it's working with gas mask, it's driver's training. It's it's definitely different.

SPRAGUE: I have to ask what based on your combat experience in Iraq, how did that make you think about being a drill sergeant and inform your instruction?

EBERT: That didn't change that part of the instruction because that was all very by the book type of training. I mean, you could say, Well, overseas this is what happens. But it was more of my overseas came into play with my primo because I had the experience of this is what it's like and that's what you're training, this is what it's like. So that helped me more there than in the drill sergeant world.

SPRAGUE: What are the. You had mentioned you had done it when the soldiers come into your unit, but they haven't gone to the academy yet. What is that? What are they going through? What are they dealing with?

EBERT: So they're picking their school dates, They're learning their modules. They're learning how to train soldiers if they aren't up to snuff on something. So they're a little weak at like land nav or something like that. We're training them up, so we're basically training them to ensure that they pass the school.

SPRAGUE: Okay, I've got in oh ten. You went to an MRAP training course. Tell me about that.

EBERT: That, Yes, that was in Texarkana. Yes, That was awesome. So the MRAPs working just coming out and being that I was an 88 Mike, I think I was a master driver at that time. They asked for volunteers who wanted to go to this course. Yeah. Who doesn't want to drive these new vehicles. So that was fun.

SPRAGUE: Okay, so help me out with this because I'm maybe I'm a little confused on it. So 80 Mike is an MOS.

EBERT: Yeah.

SPRAGUE: Then you have the drill sergeant badge, I'm assuming, or whatever, that badge. So how does that look on your MOS? How would you, how does that work?

EBERT: I get what you're saying. So you have your MLS and then you have your additional duties basically. So additional MLS. So it's not really an MLS, it's like a additional skill qualifier. There we go. That's what it is. So it's a skill qualifier that I have.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Looks like you went to some combat Lifesaver Course was an 11.

EBERT: Yep, yep, yep.

SPRAGUE: Okay, so we've got you up to 33/4 in in 2016 maybe.

EBERT: Mm hmm.

SPRAGUE: Tell me and I don't want to jump ahead here, but you are now, or you were your first sergeant.

EBERT: I am now a first sergeant. Yeah.

SPRAGUE: Okay. And of which company of Delta Company. Delta Company. Okay. And what's it like to be a first sergeant?

EBERT: Oh, a lot more phone calls and responsibilities, so I don't exactly miss training the soldiers because it has changed so much that it's actually it would be hard because of the way I went through, kind of like the old school mentality. You got to change with the way the generation is now. So it's harder to train now because it's the the typical Y generation and trying to figure out how to train that. That type of generation can be hard for some people. And it is kind of hard for me because I'm like, I was taught and raised in the U. You do as I say, type of mentality. I am not raising my kids that way, but it is hard to raise a force that doesn't just listen. Basically blind obedience like you need to listen. And it's hard for me to navigate that. So I'm glad I'm a first sergeant, but it's a whole lot more paperwork and a whole lot more phone calls and and issues.

SPRAGUE: Yeah, I would imagine I'm probably in that older group as well. But it was very clear to me, These are your orders. You will follow them. You will do them. It doesn't matter. Good, bad or ugly. We're going to do this and you're going to do that. I can't imagine what a army looks like that we have a response or a question or a discussion.

EBERT: They need to know why. Why I'm doing it. That's hard.

SPRAGUE: Okay, so what? What do you like about being first sergeant?

EBERT: I like that I get to still be involved in planning the training. I'm not actually doing the training, but I'm involved with planning. Okay. What am I what does my unit need to be a little more proficient at What? You know, because you're getting new people in all the time, you know, and assessing what what the unit needs overall to become ready to go on our missions.

SPRAGUE: What do you not like about the position?

EBERT: Oh, all the extra phone calls and emails and tracking and matrix and readiness. It's what we need to do to make sure that your soldiers are ready. But it's annoying when you have soldiers that don't take their own personal, you know, accountability. You know, they're like, Oh, really? That was due. How many times do I have to tell you? That was, Do you know? So that's a little annoying.

SPRAGUE: So as a senior NCO in a leadership position, what what's your leadership philosophy?

EBERT: I'm basically there to help train my basically sevens to take my job is. Basically what it is and then ensure that my sevens train 36 is to take their job. That's basically what all we're doing is training those two. Can you do my job in case something happens to me?

SPRAGUE: So tell me about your working relationship with the company commander.

EBERT: My company commander.

SPRAGUE: Company commander.

EBERT: I actually have one. I don't always have one. It's really great. He came in and came in from the my world. So he doesn't know the drill sergeant world, but he was ready to learn. And he. He loves it. And we communicate weekly. He just had a baby. So it's a little less now because I'm giving him a space. But it's it's great. And you have to have that.

SPRAGUE: What you had mentioned not having a first sergeant. Did you generally have platoon leaders or were they platoon sergeants in that role? Most of the time.

EBERT: The drill sergeant world is very different than the typical units and the terminology that we use. So we are a company size element of 22 people. A typical company size element is 116 people. So it's definitely different. The basis on that is you can take your 22 people and you can stand up a basic training. So you can have your your four platoon members covering down a four platoon. So you have four platoon members, you know, like Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta Company, you know, And like, I'm trying it's hard to explain it. You're. Yeah. How do you do it? A platoon. I don't even know. How does it go in basic training now?

SPRAGUE: Great question.

EBERT: That is, you know, because I because we're so our world is so different. So, yeah, I have platoon size. We're supposed to have platoon leaders, but we never do because we just can't find anybody. So it's company commanders, first Sergeant, Then you have your platoon sergeants, and then they have their two or three people underneath them. That's it. And you're training NCO and your supply. So our world is definitely different.

SPRAGUE: Yeah, it sounds like. Let's see here. Yeah, I'd be curious to see. Yeah. The commissioned officers that the few that you have, how they, how they deal with dealing with the drill sergeant company that.

EBERT: Yeah.

SPRAGUE: That would be interesting. Let's see here. Anything else that you want to tell me about your unit that that you like or that you care to relate to?

EBERT: I definitely do like it. Especially in Neenah, we have a very strong bond with everybody that people come to our unit there. Either I fit or I don't. And they and they just know that first drill. They, they feel they don't. We we do things together. Everybody knows like it's the family, the kids, you know, they're all very supportive of, you know, I could tell you each one of my soldiers first names, kids, kids, names, job, everything is just a because it's so small and we're so tight knit. And that that bond you have is great.

SPRAGUE: Tell me how, having served on active duty for a time and then going to the drawing reserve world. What that is what it that is like while you're a reservist who's drilling and you've got a civilian career as well.

EBERT: Right. That is one thing a lot of people can't understand. Like, oh, it's so easy for you to be a reservist, but I have to do everything as an active duty person does, but only one week and a month and have a job and have a family. So it's definitely has its has its challenges, especially when the army starts to cut into your family time, you have to pick and choose. And that's where people struggle when they get higher rank because the army gets more into your family life and your family time. How to balance that. And if you're not good at balancing, you can really struggle. And I feel that's why there's a higher divorce rate in the military.

SPRAGUE: Looking back, what are your and it's a while ago. Looking back, what are your reflections on the Iraq war? Looking at it through the lens of today.

EBERT: I don't necessarily think that the US needs to infiltrate everything they do and get involved in everything. Was there some good that could have came of it? Yes. Was it done correctly? Not exactly. Why did it take so long? Why it for us to be there? I don't know. It's a country that doesn't want to change the way they're living. And you're trying to force your way of life on them. And it wasn't a good fit.

SPRAGUE: Where do you see your future in the United States Army?

EBERT: I am actually going to retire out of the United States Army here. I hit 20 years next month.

SPRAGUE: Wow. Are you excited?

EBERT: I am.

SPRAGUE: Are you going to have a retirement party?

EBERT: Well, see, I don't know. It's one of those bittersweet type of things. But yeah.

SPRAGUE: How do you think you'll deal with that, with not having not being in that unit.

EBERT: Being that I have younger kids. I'm looking forward to being home more with them. I'm going to miss the the Army family that I have, but they're all local, so a lot of them, I'll probably still keep in contact with her.

SPRAGUE: And you said you've used your GI Bill or post-9-11 GI Bill. Yep. What do you think will be your plans? You've mentioned some of them after leaving the drilling. Drilling for the reserves?

EBERT: Yeah, well, really, there's. There's nothing still at home besides family. Okay. Okay.

SPRAGUE: Do you see yourself if you're not already getting involved with veterans organizations?

EBERT: I think eventually when the kids are older. I think right now I've got a four and a one year old, so I definitely want to take time to be with them. But then, yes, I do foresee when they're older and can stay home a little bit more on their own.

SPRAGUE: Mm hmm. Do you do you think of yourself as a veteran and and what what do you do on Veterans Day?

EBERT: Um, I'm actual Veterans Day. I don't think we actually do much. We do more on Memorial Day, and I don't know why it's Memorial Day. It just tends to be that my spouse is actually a retired veteran as well. So it's definitely going to all the local parades and thanking everybody that's in the parades and oh, my gosh, those men that marched in the parade, I can't believe it. And raising my kids to love America and love the soldiers and support them is kind of what we like to do. I don't go to any grave sites like that. There isn't really anybody here in Wisconsin that I'd like to go see to to do that. But.

SPRAGUE: Okay. What would your life be like if you had served?

EBERT: If I hadn't served, I would not be in Wisconsin. I don't think I would be out there. I don't think I would be happy. I really don't think I would have been. I mean, I love what I did. I love what I've done. I love the way my life basically evolved. And to imagine it anywhere else, I couldn't know.

SPRAGUE: What motivated you to do this interview?

EBERT: I love telling my story and I love teaching and helping and spreading awareness.

SPRAGUE: Okay. Is there anything that we missed that you'd like to cover? I don't think so, no. Okay, then that concludes the interview.

[Interview Ends]