Alumnus Returns to School as National Guard Recruiter

We often see military recruiters around the school. They share their experiences and knowledge to the student body and make an overall positive impact on the school. A certain one of these recruiters, Daniel Caldwell actually attended Sparkman and grew up here with a special connection to the military with his own experiences he shares to further better others.

Daniel attended Sparkman High in 1999 and graduated in 2003. He was a part of the JROTC all four years of his high school career.

 “When I first came in, the instructors there were lLt. Col.  Charlie Walker and 1st Sgt. Clarence Mathews,” Caldwell said. “Junior year was the most inspirational year with 1st Sgt. Walter Jones coming aboard with him almost as a father figure.”

Daniel attributes his success to his instructors and the JROTC program as a whole. He thinks very highly of them and were big role models to him.

 “If it was not for the drive that JROTC gave me, it probably would not have led to me graduating high school let alone join the military.” Caldwell said. “That program with Walker and Jones set me up for success and I would not be where I am right now if it was not for them.”

Towards the end of Caldwell’s junior year, he joined the Alabama Army National Guard with a handful of reasons why. For one, he decided to carry on the tradition for his instructors and also wanted to do his part to protect the country after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. He was a part of an active combat infantry specifically for a reason on its own.

 “All my life I have enjoyed being outdoors camping, hunting, fishing and shooting guns,” Daniel said. “And I knew by doing infantry I could carry on that same thing in a sense.”

Once he was in the military, he was shipped off to basic training which is known for being an entirely different experience and to put you out of your comfort zone. Living in Harvest his entire life and not often traveling far was a big factor in his experience at training.  Basic also includes a lot of rules and restrictions during the time you are there.

“Basic Training put you into an environment where you are surrounded by over a hundred other people you have never seen before and you work with them daily,” Caldwell said. “Communication with any friends or family you had is completely cut so you are forced to associate with those around you which turned me from an introvert to an extrovert.”

Caldwell was shipped into active duty and did two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. During his first deployment,he was strictly an infantry combat role in the Sunni Triangle of Iraq.

“We did combat patrols every day, raids during the day and night, and set up ambushes day in and day out,” Caldwell said

After three different deployments, he had been in the military for 11 years. He looked back and saw all the things being in the military had done for him. He was offered an opportunity to start recruiting and took the role. Caldwell would have never thought about recruiting when he first joined and he ended up doing it and now loves it.

“I want to share my experiences and share what I benefited from with other people,” Caldwell said. “I thought what better way to help others than to show them what I have gotten from this and what they can gain too.”

During his recruiting job, Caldwell actually came back to his alma mater to do so. It is a very unique experience to do what he does and he does it in such a way to where his job is now easier and more enjoyable being at such a place.

“I am not having to break down multiple barriers to accomplish what I want to accomplish,” Caldwell said. “Sparkman High has a way of doing things to where I can help those who are interested and put them on the right path and do for them what Sparkman JROTC did for me.”