Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Darlington Community Veterans Highlights: The 1990s
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
Some text some message..
 

Darlington Community Veterans Highlights: The 1990s

Becca Wood | November 26, 2020 | 287 views

William R. Monk (’98)

Veterans Day was Nov. 11, 2020, and we are honored to recognize the veterans in our Darlington family. Throughout the month of November, we’re highlighting our veterans in several blogs and on social media. We hope that you follow along all month and help us honor all of our veterans.

Today’s blog features experiences from alumni from the 1990s.

Justin Miller (’94) served in the United States Air Force from August 1999 - May 2005. Justin shared about his time of service, “I had a chance to work with some of the best people I have ever known. The military truly is a microcosm of American society. There are great people, and there are some really awful people. I choose to remember and talk about the great ones. I had a boss that imparted this wisdom, ‘If you work on every task to be 100 percent, then you are wasting time that could be better spent making something else better.’ I took that to mean that not everything has to be finished to perfection. Most of the time, you really need to get the job done so that you can keep working on other issues. And I realized that it was true. Lessons from the military have helped give me direction in my life and opened my thoughts on new ideas.”

William R. Monk (’98) is a Commander (O-5) in the United States Navy Submarine Force. His service includes active duty from 2003-2009 and Navy Reserve from 2009-present. William shared about serving in the military, “My active duty time on a Trident nuclear submarine, being deployed to Djibouti, and the connections I’ve made with other reserve officers opened the door to my civilian employment. I’ve had the honor of serving the public in two fashions: military defense and ensuring the public’s safety and security protection from civilian uses of nuclear power. I’m only able to do this because my two employers understand one another and work with me to balance all the duties of being a nuclear engineering Senior Reactor Inspector, Submarine Warfare Reserve Officer, husband, and father of two boys. The U.S. Navy has made me a better overall person by constantly reminding me of what it means to be an American and how important it is to stand up for freedom for all people around the globe. The pride of serving our country, being a part of something much bigger than myself, and maintaining the U.S. Navy’s core values of honor, courage, and commitment is most rewarding. When a person surrounds themself with people who are more intelligent, highly professional, and overall squared away, that person naturally gets better and I can honestly state that has been true for me and I owe my success to the U.S. Navy, U.S. NRC, and my family.”

Robert Hortman (’99, LD ’18) is a Commander in the United States Navy. He began his service in 2003. Robert shared, “Darlington laid the foundation of ‘service beyond self’ and a desire to give back to my community and country. I proudly continue to serve and I’m grateful that Darlington started me down that path.” Robert and his wife, Nancy, are the parents of pre-kindergartner Wills and second-grader West.

If you are a veteran and haven’t had the opportunity to share your story and pictures with us, please email alumni@darlingtonschool.org