thedrifter
05-23-09, 07:54 AM
May 23, 2009
Southside teacher joins military at age 40
By JOHN CARLSON
jcarlson@muncie.gannett.com
Back when he graduated from Northside High School in 1987, Mark Cumings wanted to join the Marines.
After meeting with recruiters, however, he was talked out of enlisting by well-meaning acquaintances, went on to earn a teaching degree from Ball State University, then eventually married, raised a family and found himself teaching Japanese at Southside High School.
Still, the idea of serving in the military always nagged at him.
That's why last December, after learning that he still could, Cumings enlisted in the Army National Guard Reserve -- a 40-year-old recruit.
"Age 42 was the cut-off," he recalled from the living room of his near-northside home recently, dressed in a white shirt and tie but with his short hair cut in the "high and tight" military style. "I thought, here's my possibility."
Since enlisting, he hasn't had a regret, the move providing the sort of varied experience he always dreamed it would. For example, at his monthly drills at the Muncie Armory, he is liable to find himself learning how to set up a Claymore mine.
Then there's the physical training.
"I do fine," said the fit-looking soldier, a longtime martial artist and runner whose condition tested in the 18- to 24-year-old range.
Serving also provides another opportunity he probably never figured he'd have.
"The cool thing is, I've started to teach my platoon Japanese," he said with a laugh.
For his service specialty, Cumings will train as a military police officer.
From his enlistment to his intended specialty, the teacher's actions say something about who he is, his relationship to his students and what he wants to teach them.
One lesson?
"You can do what you want to do," he said. "You just have to set your mind to it."
This notion comes as no surprise to Cumings' wife, Gretchen, with whom he has a blended family of two children.
"He talked about it probably for a year before he did it," she recalled with a smile. "He likes to try new things. He'll definitely give it 100 percent. That's how he is."
Lessons in discipline
Another lesson he hopes to impart, though, concerns the importance of a disciplined life, something that the kids he encounters are often sorely in need of themselves.
"They've not had the parameters put in place that they need to learn discipline," he said, noting his enlistment serves as an example of the strictures they need to embrace. "Seeing how the students respond to that discipline, it's something that appealed to me."
Under terms of his enlistment, Cumings will be a part-time soldier for six years, with the government's option to keep him in for two additional years if deemed necessary.
That's a significant commitment, one that some of his friends with military experience have joked that he's crazy to have taken on at his age. He added, however, that they also think what he did is pretty special.
His own feelings?
"I'm not going to lie," he said. "I'm a little nervous, but I'm really looking forward to it."
Of course, he could spend the entire term of his enlistment in the United States.
Then again, under the right circumstances, he could find himself deployed to foreign lands, places where American forces are at war. It's something he's fully considered.
"If I do, I do," he said, of possibly being sent overseas. "If it happens, I'm fully prepared to fill my obligation."
Even Gretchen said she has come to terms with it.
"There's always a chance he'll end up overseas," she said, "but we need people to do that job."
For his part, Cumings is simply grateful that he has been given the chance to make up for lost time, to serve in the military like he always wanted to do.
"I'm glad I'm not too old to pull this off," he said.
Additional Facts
Introducing Mark Cumings
What: Southside High School teacher and, at age 40, a new member of the Army National Guard Reserve.
Hobbies: Running, coaching girls' soccer and sponsoring his school's Japanese and martial arts clubs.
Introduce us
Know somebody interesting whom you would like to see introduced to readers of The Star Press? Just e-mail the potential subject's name and contact information to Lifestyle features writer John Carlson at jcarlson@muncie.gannett.com and we'll take it from there.
Ellie
Southside teacher joins military at age 40
By JOHN CARLSON
jcarlson@muncie.gannett.com
Back when he graduated from Northside High School in 1987, Mark Cumings wanted to join the Marines.
After meeting with recruiters, however, he was talked out of enlisting by well-meaning acquaintances, went on to earn a teaching degree from Ball State University, then eventually married, raised a family and found himself teaching Japanese at Southside High School.
Still, the idea of serving in the military always nagged at him.
That's why last December, after learning that he still could, Cumings enlisted in the Army National Guard Reserve -- a 40-year-old recruit.
"Age 42 was the cut-off," he recalled from the living room of his near-northside home recently, dressed in a white shirt and tie but with his short hair cut in the "high and tight" military style. "I thought, here's my possibility."
Since enlisting, he hasn't had a regret, the move providing the sort of varied experience he always dreamed it would. For example, at his monthly drills at the Muncie Armory, he is liable to find himself learning how to set up a Claymore mine.
Then there's the physical training.
"I do fine," said the fit-looking soldier, a longtime martial artist and runner whose condition tested in the 18- to 24-year-old range.
Serving also provides another opportunity he probably never figured he'd have.
"The cool thing is, I've started to teach my platoon Japanese," he said with a laugh.
For his service specialty, Cumings will train as a military police officer.
From his enlistment to his intended specialty, the teacher's actions say something about who he is, his relationship to his students and what he wants to teach them.
One lesson?
"You can do what you want to do," he said. "You just have to set your mind to it."
This notion comes as no surprise to Cumings' wife, Gretchen, with whom he has a blended family of two children.
"He talked about it probably for a year before he did it," she recalled with a smile. "He likes to try new things. He'll definitely give it 100 percent. That's how he is."
Lessons in discipline
Another lesson he hopes to impart, though, concerns the importance of a disciplined life, something that the kids he encounters are often sorely in need of themselves.
"They've not had the parameters put in place that they need to learn discipline," he said, noting his enlistment serves as an example of the strictures they need to embrace. "Seeing how the students respond to that discipline, it's something that appealed to me."
Under terms of his enlistment, Cumings will be a part-time soldier for six years, with the government's option to keep him in for two additional years if deemed necessary.
That's a significant commitment, one that some of his friends with military experience have joked that he's crazy to have taken on at his age. He added, however, that they also think what he did is pretty special.
His own feelings?
"I'm not going to lie," he said. "I'm a little nervous, but I'm really looking forward to it."
Of course, he could spend the entire term of his enlistment in the United States.
Then again, under the right circumstances, he could find himself deployed to foreign lands, places where American forces are at war. It's something he's fully considered.
"If I do, I do," he said, of possibly being sent overseas. "If it happens, I'm fully prepared to fill my obligation."
Even Gretchen said she has come to terms with it.
"There's always a chance he'll end up overseas," she said, "but we need people to do that job."
For his part, Cumings is simply grateful that he has been given the chance to make up for lost time, to serve in the military like he always wanted to do.
"I'm glad I'm not too old to pull this off," he said.
Additional Facts
Introducing Mark Cumings
What: Southside High School teacher and, at age 40, a new member of the Army National Guard Reserve.
Hobbies: Running, coaching girls' soccer and sponsoring his school's Japanese and martial arts clubs.
Introduce us
Know somebody interesting whom you would like to see introduced to readers of The Star Press? Just e-mail the potential subject's name and contact information to Lifestyle features writer John Carlson at jcarlson@muncie.gannett.com and we'll take it from there.
Ellie