When Lander senior nursing major Casey Hunt walks across the stage in May to accept her diploma, she will look much like all the others in this year’s graduating class. But as she puts it, “I had a completely different life than most people had prior to starting school.”
Before enrolling at Lander, Hunt was in the U.S. Army, serving as a combat medic.
“I was mainly stationed in Fort Stewart, Georgia but also spent time in California, Texas, Oklahoma and North Carolina. My job in the army was to provide medical care within a brigade support battalion in a field setting. We set up medical treatment areas for soldiers to come to, and we also provided care in tanks and wheeled vehicles. When not in a field setting, we trained. I also assisted with maintaining soldier records and was in charge of many operations including weapon security and maintenance and family resource programs.”
Hunt, a resident of Cross Hill, joined the military out of a wish to be independent and to try something that put her out of her comfort zone.
“I will never regret that decision. It set me up in so many different aspects of my life,” she said.
The experience that Hunt gained as an army medic has been beneficial in her role as a part-time Greenwood County Emergency Medical Services employee, and it will be helpful in her career as a nurse as well.
Veterans Day is a time to honor veterans for the sacrifices they made for their country, but for Hunt, it has a personal dimension, too.
“It reminds me of the time I had while serving and brings back memories I will always cherish,” she said.