Photo By Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett | Terah Duncan, 376th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, adjusts the settings on the...... read more read more
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan - "The Doctor" kept his house in Muskegon, Mich., up to high standards. Neither he nor his wife were military, but it didn't matter. With 15 children, discipline was key to keeping order in the house. "The Doctor," an ever-present drill sergeant, expected the best of each of them; when other kids dressed in jeans and t-shirts, his family never wore less than formal attire.
Young Terah Duncan, the ninth child born into the family, was used to it. His father, a Pentecostal preacher with three doctorate degrees in subjects like divinity and philosophy, had earned the nickname "The Doctor" and insisted his children dress and act professionally. The children, ultimately nine boys and six girls, lived as though military ranks ruled their family. They didn't label anyone lieutenant or sergeant major, but they lived the roles nonetheless.
As the children grew into adults and began moving out of the house, Duncan saw his opportunity and chose to rebel somewhat, following suit, moving in with one of his sisters. The move didn't provide the break he was hoping for. Instead, he saw an Army commercial that boasted, "Be all you can be."
"It got me," said Duncan, who joined the Army in 1996 and became a communications specialist. "Growing up, I had a natural talent for fixing things. I thought it was something I could do when I got out of the military."
In September of 1997, Duncan went overseas and has lived overseas since. Being in the military and traveling the world opened Duncan's eyes.
"My military career was excellent," he said. "My first duty station was Fort Lewis, Washington. I was assigned to the 571st Military Police Battalion because of my communications job."
Because he fell under an MP battalion, he got to go through their training with them, including getting pepper sprayed. He also got to travel.
"I've seen a lot of different parts of the world," Duncan said. "The military opened my eyes big-time. There really is something more in the world. You can be in Fort Lewis one month and the next month be in Germany. You're seeing all sorts of cultures that you didn't think ever existed. That opens your mind to understanding culture."
Traveling helped him to see the world in a new light.
"When I first moved to Germany, I found out that all people from Africa weren't black, dark or hungry," he said. "This girl told me she's African, she's from Eritrea and she's light and has green eyes and real long hair. I thought no way, because I'd had a different picture painted by society. Then I realized maybe the media is just telling one side of the story. It lets you open your mind up to better things."
While in the military, he remembered his family and kept his uniform in top shape. After separating, he maintained his communications career field and his family heritage of formal attire. He maintains professionalism and hopes to inspire others to do the same.
"When you open your mind and keep things professional, then coming from the military and going into the civilian world is a lot easier," he said. "You get to influence a lot more people, too. You can inspire a lot more people. There are no regrets when you're going out there and following your dreams and listening to real life."
Duncan considers himself a living example.
"When you are the example to follow, then people give you that standard," he said. "You find life to be more comfortable instead of worrying about what somebody else is thinking about you. It makes me shine to an extent because you don't see anybody else with a bow tie on. This is my environment."
He isn't just a communications specialist. He also fills the roles of frequency manager, radio engineer, and audio/visual engineer, a position he performs at events such as changes of command, as well as wireless communications systems manager. He also cares for his body, making exercise a priority.
"I've always performed at the top of what I could do," he said. "Not just in working out, but making exercise videos, finding out how to eat right, caring for someone less fortunate."
Duncan enjoys dressing the way he does, not just out of respect for his family, but as a personal statement.
"It's very comfortable; I don't feel outcast, I feel like myself," he said. "The bow tie is more of a personality than a dress thing. A person with a bow tie will usually have a dynamic personality. A tie looks more official. A bow tie is more relaxed. I dress how I feel, and I'm always cool and happy. I'm professional, comfortable and very good at what I do."
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2013 02:12 |
| Story ID: | 111917 |
| Location: | TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, KG |
| Hometown: | MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 355 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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