Joseph Berlin

The author grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969. He spent two years in Germany as a medic. During college he joined the National Guard. During his twenty-eight years as a public school teacher he also served over twenty-one years in the military. He was activated for the Gulf War in 1990 and served in Operation Desert Shield. After 9/11 Sgt. Berlin was activated for Operation Aero Safe which was a six month activation to guard the Santa Barbara Airport in California. In his last year in the National Guard before retirement Sgt. Berlin was again activated for Operation Iraqi Freedom in February of 2003. He spent five months in Kuwait and Iraq driving convoys for the National Guard. After his five months in Operation Iraqi Freedom he was sent to Ft. Lewis, Washington for injuries suffered in training for and service in Iraq. After fourteen months of active duty for Operation Iraqi Freedom he was discharged and retired out of the military.