By Corbyn Aquino
When a former soldier, sailor, or airman enters the classroom, he or she carries more than just textbook lessons.
Substitute teacher and theatre club sponsor Mr. David Flowers, a United States Navy veteran, believes there is more to teaching students than traditional academic lessons.
“The military has driven my passion to teach kids lessons more important than any textbook could,” Flowers said.
Flowers believes that time management and planning ahead is one of the most important lessons he teaches.
Flowers is just one of a few teachers who have a military background at Delta. He was a part of the US Navy Marine Corps team from 1997 to 2009.
The Navy stuck out to him because they had a stern medical program that could get him to boot camp in a matter of a week or two.
Another positive factor when joining the military was that he was given money to help with paying off his college tuition. Flowers studied film and TV production at Miami International University. He also attended Ball State and majored in social studies education.
He has been all over the world with the military, including places such as Okinawa, Japan, Australia, and Thailand, where he had to learn to drive on the left side of the road.
Flowers struggled with being separated from his family but stayed in contact with them by sending letters when he could.
After leaving the military, Flowers discovered that many people “just don’t have the same work ethic” as people who have been or are in the military.
He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, also known as the Iraq War, when the U.S invaded Iraq in hopes of removing Saddam Hussein from power and addressing concerns about weapons of mass destruction.
Mr. Kurt Griffis, a construction and technology teacher, also served in the military. He was a part of the U.S. Army and combat arms for seven years.
The military guaranteed Griffis a job, a paycheck, a place to live, and a chance to see new scenery, which was right up his alley.
He fulfilled his hopes of traveling when he was deployed to Bosnia, a country in southeastern Europe, and stayed there for a year.
Griffis found that one of his biggest struggles was accepting the concept that he was property of the U.S. government.
“If you don’t agree with something, it doesn’t matter,” Griffis said. “You still have to complete that task anyway.”
He also struggled with changing the regiment of his lifestyle. He found it hard to adjust to due to his “free spirit.”
After being in the military, Griffis believes that it has affected his urge to get things done quickly, like eating and showering.
He said he also believes that he approaches things more coldly, as he sees everything as tasks to complete and doesn’t like getting caught up in side issues.
Griffis has also picked up the habit of being more direct with students in a non-harsh way due to being in combat zones, where you have to work hard to keep composure.
The only combat duty Griffis was a part of was the Bosnian War, the result of the breakup of Yugoslavia and the ethnic and political tensions that arose, and was mainly fought between Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs.
Mrs. Lorie Crouch is another teacher who was affected by the military. Although she didn’t serve, it still played a big role.
Crouch’s father, Richard Alan Seavers, was a fighter pilot in the US Air Force for around 20 years.
Crouch spent most of her early years traveling with her dad and family to different states and countries around the world, due to the many military sites her dad was assigned to.
Crouch has lived in six different countries and multiple states. Outside of America, she has lived in Spain, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Outside of work and travel, Crouch and her family would landscape together, no matter the circumstances.
“My dad would keep us outside, even if it was pouring,” Crouch said. “He would always try to find the good in circumstances and keep a good attitude.”
Crouch was just 7 when she was confronted with the news that her dad had passed away after being ejected from a fighter plane while in training.
Her mom ended up remarrying after meeting another fighter pilot for the Air Force. This was the start of another new journey for Crouch.
Due to moving to different states and countries, that meant that Crouch also had to attend new schools frequently.
She found struggles while trying to make friends or joining clubs or sports teams because she wouldn’t be able to stay with them for long due to her stepdad’s schedule.
Crouch went on to have six kids and found a permanent home here in Muncie.
But this wasn’t the end of the family’s military journeys. Crouch’s daughter, Elizabeth Crouch, joined the National Guard in 2023 and is majoring in criminal justice at Ball State.
She has recently been sent to Georgia and also received an offer to help with securing the border but decided the job wasn’t a good fit for her and declined.
As students decide what they want to do in their future, joining the military is one of many options. However, Flowers believes there is more to wanting to be in the military than just being a part of something.
“If you are joining the military, make sure you’re not just joining to go,” Flowers said. “Make sure you’re picking something that you enjoy and don’t settle for anything else.”
