Education Key to Fort Hood WTU Soldier's Transitioning Success

By Ms. Gloria Montgomery (Army Medicine)April 27, 2015

Education Key to Fort Hood WTU Soldier's Transitioning Success
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fort Hood WTU Soldier, Staff Sgt. Walter Butler, credits WTU resources and leadership support for allowing him to continue his education. At left, Texas A & M University-Central Texas President Marc Nigliazzo presents Butler with his diploma during g... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Education Key to Fort Hood WTU Soldier's Transitioning Success
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Fort Hood WTU Soldier, Staff Sgt. Walter Butler, credits WTU resources and leadership support for allowing him to continue his education. (At left) Butler thanks Jessie Saucedo, guidance counselor at Fort Hood's Soldier Family Assistance Center, for ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Staff Sgt. Walter Butler admits he was angry at life before he ever entered the doors of Fort Hood's Warrior Transition Unit four years ago.

"It was just one thing after another," said the former Marine who enlisted in the Army in 1990. "I was really angry at the world."

That all changed one weekend when his WTU HHC Intake squad leader sat him down and told Butler about the multitude of WTU programs and opportunities available to him.

"My squad leader was great. He was like a big brother to me," he said. "It was like, 'Ok, I'm not going to tell you what you need. You are going to tell me what you need, and how I can help you.'"

Thanks to his squad leader's push and guidance counselors at the Soldiers Family Assistance Center (SFAC), the Desert Storm veteran quickly found his calling: education.

"It was a moment of clarity," the Spring, Texas, native said. "Either I was going to continue feeling sorry for myself because I felt like I had lost everything, or I was going to get off my butt and do something about it. I credit HHC's leadership team for getting me out of my slump. They were really good to me. They knew my story and were concerned."

Four degrees later--three associates and one bachelor's degree, the activated Reservist is now working on adding a fifth degree to his resume: a master's degree in business administration from Texas A&M.

"School was great therapy so I got addicted to it real quick," he said, "I just couldn't get enough of it," adding he never imagined a college education would be a part of his future. "In high school, I was counting down the days until graduation. I never did my homework, and I was always in confrontation with my teachers. I didn't make my first A until I was in college."

Initially, school wasn't even on Butler's WTU comprehensive transition plan, but his squad leader saw his potential and kept on steering him toward education.

"He kept on pushing me and coming to me every day with something new," he said. "He showed me I wasn't just a number and that I had self-worth," adding that even after he transferred to a new company his former squad leader continued following up on his progress.

Butler, with the help of SFAC's counselors, identified his short- and long-term goals and developed a roadmap for success. Step by step, he accomplished one goal after another becoming the first WTU Soldier who has ever completed all the non-commission officers' Leadership Skills Enhancement 35-credit hour program at Central Texas College.

With WTU leadership's continued support, he immersed himself in school, while at the same time, never missing an appointment during his four years here.

"One thing is inevitable: We all have to hang up our uniforms, but once you complete your degree, education is for life," he said.

Recently found fit for duty, Butler is leaving the WTU and working on his next career move: applying for officer candidate school.

"The WTU was great in letting me go to school," he said, adding how appreciative he is to the WTU for working with his schedule. "There are a lot of great resources here for Soldiers as they transition. Being here has made me a better person and more disciplined."

"Staff Sergeant Butler is a remarkable Soldier," said Capt. Christopher McClure, Company A commander. "He's a role model to others and the ideal Soldier who has taken advantage of all the WTU programs."

The WTU brigade commander, Col. Douglas Woodall, said Staff Sergeant Butler's educational successes are prime examples of the importance of the WTU's programs and resources that help wounded, ill and injured Soldiers in their healing process and their eventual return to the force or transition to their local community. He also highlighted that the Warrior Transition Campus serves as an enduring platform for Soldiers to always remain connected to the program and each other, just like the alumni of a university or college.

"Soldiers can pursue something here that they've always wanted to do because we have the tools and the resources to start them on their path to fulfill their dreams or to get them in a better place," Colonel Woodall said.

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