Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Burk | Capt. Thackery Faugstad of Lakeville, Minn., acting executive officer of Headquarters...... read more read more
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Pursuing a doctorate normally requires countless hours dedicated to research, exams, colloquium and dissertations. Accomplishing this even in the most ideal setting can be a challenge. Imagine making the process more complex by adding an additional layer to the pursuit: Earning a doctorate while deployed to the Middle East.
This was the reality for Capt. Thackery Faugstad, a fire support officer from 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Iowa Army National Guard. He earned his doctorate while mobilized with the 194th FA at the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forward headquarters in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve.
Faugstad’s doctoral journey began in the spring of 2017 and culminated December 18, 2020, when he received his doctorate in business administration from Capella University. Prior to attaining his doctorate, he received his master’s of business administration from Norwich University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa.
Military, family and the pursuit of knowledge were some of the influences Faugstad cited in his hunt for an advanced degree. He said his goal in obtaining a doctorate was in alignment with military principles of chasing excellence. He also said his hope is that his children will see that learning, whether institutional or self-improvement, is a never-ending journey.
Chasing excellence doesn’t come easy, but requires a lot of hard work and determination. Fortunately, Faugstad had the required prerequisites for the task according to those he has served with.
“He has an incredible work ethic as evidenced through his dedication to the Iowa Army National Guard and commitment to civilian career aspirations,” said Maj. Arthur Mason, executive officer of the 1-194th FA. “During this mobilization he has been called upon to fill many roles within the battalion. He has always accepted the challenge and worked to make the organization better at all levels.”
Pursuing a degree while on a deployment had some unexpected advantages according to Faugstad.
“One of the best things about the deployment is that it took many daily life obligations off of the table,” he said. “This freed up mental energy and time to increase focus on writing my dissertation. Admittedly, I relished having something to focus on that was so engaging.”
While chasing his doctorate provided a distraction to the daily grind of a year-long deployment, it still was not without its obstacles. Time management is typically very important no matter what the situation; however, it is more so when there is an eight or nine-hour time difference from you and home. That made it all the more challenging for Faugstad when he had to schedule appointments with advisors or defend his thesis in front of a committee.
With time constraints and other factors involved, striking a healthy balance of his daily tasks was of the utmost importance to Faugstad in achieving his goal.
“Prioritization of what matters most helps to create focus,” he said. “That focus, in any walk of life, is key to success. To balance everything, I found it critical to look holistically at life and what matters.”
Faugstad said he not only had to prioritize his efforts, but also the amount of intensity he put toward any one task.
“Ignore your workouts, and health decreases,” Faugstad explained. “Ignore sleep, and mental health and daily performance decreases. Spend too little time on homework, and watch your grades suffer. Ignore the family too much, and you are missing out the most important part of your life.”
Faugstad indeed found that perfect balance not only by receiving his degree, but also accomplishing his day-to-day tasks with the battalion. He served roles as both the battalion assistant operations officer at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, and the acting battery executive officer for the counter – rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) mission at a site within the CENTCOM area of operations.
“It's an incredible feat,” said Mason. “The mission that the battalion has been given is very non-standard. We've had to learn new skills and adapt to a high rate of change. Capt. Faugstad has been able to accomplish that challenge, all while earning a highly advanced degree. This is nothing short of incredible.”
Remembering that there was a light at the end of the tunnel kept Faugstad focused on what mattered most to him.
“Assuming that you are getting an education to improve your life, losing things like health and relationships during it nullifies the purpose,” Faugstad said.
Before deciding to pursue a doctorate degree, Faugstad weighed the sacrifices he would have to make with the benefits of achieving that goal.
“Institutional education is best looked at as a financial decision based on return on investment,” he said. “Though that return on investment may not always be purely financial.”
Faugstad believes the right choice will not always be the same for each person’s financial and career aspirations, but there are many different ways to pursue continued education.
“Lifelong learning is a pursuit that should largely be achieved outside of school and is a better indication of success,” Faugstad said.
Despite Faugstad’s experience in formal education, he urges fellow Soldiers to look at various ways they can strive to learn, grow and excel in their careers.
“Degrees can help you learn in a structured approach and speak the language of those already in the career path you are choosing to go,” he said. “However, reading, networking, certifications, and other choices can be of equal or greater value.”
Outside of school and military duties, Faugstad has been running a consulting firm since 2014. He hopes to incorporate what he has learned during his doctoral research towards helping others.
“Another large part of my motivation is to give away a lot of what I learned to health care organizations to learn and improve the quality of health care around the world,” he said.
Now that he is finished with his studies, Faugstad will be able to spend more time with his family after the deployment. His family includes his wife Laurianne, and sons Beowulf (10) and Thor (8).
“Ice fishing, bike riding, video games, art and many little family adventures are how we keep the balance,” Faugstad said.
Besides recently taking up art, he is looking forward to finally being able to enjoy non-business reading material again after so many years spent dedicated to scholarly articles and journals.
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2021 11:56 |
| Story ID: | 397452 |
| Location: | AL UDEID AIR BASE, QA |
| Hometown: | BUFFALO CENTER, IA, US |
| Hometown: | IOWA CITY, IA, US |
| Hometown: | LAKEVILLE, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 523 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Iowa Army National Guard Soldier earns PhD while deployed, by SFC William Prahl, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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