Capt. Joel Garrison
“Almost no one who knew me as a child would have predicted where I am today. As a child, my parents would come and go, in and out of my life. My grandmother raised me in Earle, Ark., a small rural town in the delta of Eastern Arkansas. It has one of the lowest per capita number of high school graduates in the state of Arkansas.
The Arkansas National Guard gave me the first chance at a new beginning. At 17 years old, I shipped out to Basic Training and Advance Individual Training (AIT). I worked in a factory as a printing press helper, and my unit commander appointed me as his driver. He encouraged me to become an officer and eventually I enrolled in college.
The kid who spent 11 years as a ‘C’ student in the Earle School District and who had a childhood filled with tremendous adversity went on to become the president of the student body at Arkansas State University (ASU) and the Wilson Award Winner as ASU’s Most Outstanding Graduate. I completed a bachelor’s in Political Science, a master’s in Speech Communication, and a specialist degree in Higher Education.
Today, I serve as the education officer for the Arkansas National Guard. Everyday, I attempt to encourage young Soldiers to overcome all obstacles. I tell them, 'If you are determined and are not afraid to fail, listen, and execute good advice, you will succeed.'”
Captain Joel Garrison, Camp Robinson, North Little Rock, Ark.
