Durbin and Durbin: Former military child turns to service

Photo By Capt. Robert Wooldridge | CW3 David Durbin and Spc. Christian Durbin 2026 left / December 2006 right  

LAWRENCE, INDIANA, UNITED STATES

04.23.2026

Story by Capt. Robert Wooldridge 

310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

“It was an honor of my life to serve together.” - CW3 David Durbin

INDIANAPOLIS – Military children are different. The weight of learning the world is a lot, but adding in deployments, moving to new duty stations, and adapting to new routines becomes commonplace. Often, military children are well-rounded, given their exposure to a variety of cultures, people, and unique experiences not common in civilian life.

The Durbin family has a history steeped in military service. Following the footsteps of a great-grandfather- Sgt. Mack C. Durbin, who was a B-25 gunner during World War II, and a grandfather, Capt. Douglas D. Durbin- who served in the Air Force Medical Corps- and Chief Warrant Officer 3 David Durbin continued that tradition, having served nearly 27 years in the Army.

Spc. Christian Durbin, 20, combat medic, 676th Medical Ground Ambulance Company, knows firsthand the rewards and challenges of military service and has since chosen to continue the family tradition. Christian recounts memories of unit holiday events, correspondence with his dad overseas, and the honor of serving with his father.

David, a supply systems technician of the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC), deployed to Iraq when Christian was born, and recalled hearing his cries over the phone on a snowy day north of Baghdad. Such stories highlight the tough realities of military service and the sacrifices that military families often encounter.

It’s a story that is all too fitting as we honor the military child during the month of April.

The interview below was conducted during Christian’s first battle assembly in the same building as David, marking a momentous first for both. Although they are in separate units, both share the same location within Spc. Luke P. Frist Reserve Center.

Capt. Robert Wooldridge: What is your civilian job?

Spc. Christian Durbin: I have four jobs. I am a volunteer firefighter with the Town of Edgewood Fire Department in Anderson, and I also work for a fire department in the East Madison Fire Territory. Then, I work full-time for an ambulance service on their critical care truck, doing 24–48-hour shifts, and I'm also here with the Army Reserve.

RW: Tell me about your experience joining the Army Reserve.

CD: I loved it. I've always wanted to do this. I've seen my dad in uniform my entire life. He always talked about his deployments and all his experiences on them, and I thought, "that seems pretty cool." Then, I watched ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ when it first came out, and I knew that's what I wanted to do.

RW: Specifically, the medical field?

CD: I've had interest in the medical field most of my life. God is great, and he gave me the opportunity in high school to go to EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) class. Ever since then, I've been in love with the field.

RW: What’s been a highlight of your time in service?

CD: Just the people. I’ve met some of my best friends; two of them in AIT (Advanced Individual Training), and we talk every day, even though they live in Michigan. I would never have met them if I hadn't joined.

Camp Bullis, in San Antonio, was probably my favorite experience. It was hot, humid, and we were wearing full kit rucking miles. We were dragging each other, and of course, it was always the biggest guy they could find—but I loved it.

RW: What are your career goals in and out of uniform?

CD: In uniform, I want to do the best I can for my Soldiers. I want to go to schools, especially Air Assault. Funny enough, I'm scared of heights, but I like challenging myself. I’ve realized that with this uniform, I can get comfortable with the uncomfortable.

The Army is what you make of it. I realized that early in basic training getting smoked at three in the morning by our drill sergeants. I asked, why did I do this to myself? Then I looked at my buddies, and they were giggling because one of them got caught walking in his underwear to the bathroom. If you take it on the chin and laugh, it’s not that big of a deal.

RW: What are your hobbies outside of the Army?

CD: I'm very much into tattooing; I have a lot of ink myself. Once I get a full-time career firefighter spot, I want to attempt tattooing part-time. I like art shows, and I’m a complete geek when it comes to firefighting—learning about new trucks, tactics, and leadership.

RW: What advice would you give to people on the fence about joining the Army Reserve?

CD: I tell people in my firehouse who are nervous about joining that if you go in with a good attitude, you’ll love it. For firefighter EMTs, I tell them I’ve learned medical knowledge in the Army that correlates to my civilian job. The Combat Medic Specialist Training Course at AIT is some of the best medical schooling I’ve ever had.

RW: Tell me about your experience growing up as a military child.

CD: It was seeing my dad go on deployments and seeing him in uniform when I got home. I remember a Christmas event where I got to meet Santa.

CW3 David Durbin: At one family day, he got a fitness award. I have a picture of him standing on a Pendleton fire truck long before he considered the fire service.

RW: Tell me about some highlights from your career.

DD: Being in Iraq in 2005 was a big one. Camp Anaconda was getting mortared on average once a day. I recently pulled the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) data; there were 357 impacts during my time there.

2011 was my first Special Operations deployment. It was a joint deployment working with the Navy and other branches. I went to Afghanistan and would video chat with Christian every day. I used to record myself reading books to him on DVD because we didn't have broadband back then.

RW: Have you both had any previous interactions together in uniform?

DD: This is the first time that we've been at drill together on the same weekend. During my third special operations deployment, I went to his Basic Combat Training graduation ceremony in June of 2025 – I also enlisted him.

CD: That was cool.

DD: I got to be his first salute after that graduation. I couldn’t attend his AIT graduation because I was already downrange, but I was proud of him graduating on the Dean's List and was still able to FaceTime him for his graduation.

RW: What advice did he give you before you left for basic training?

CD: One of the best things he told me is that "the Army is what you make of it." I called him after The Forge when they made me a squad leader and got my squad killed every iteration. I said, "I'm sucking hard right now," and he replied, "Well, it’s what you make of it. You learned something out of it, right?"

When I went to AIT, I brought that mindset, and after analyzing myself, I realized I wasn’t being vocal or assertive enough.

DD: The thing I always told him is don't dwell on your mistakes; learn from them. In military applications and in life, you will make mistakes. I would always ask, "What did you learn today?" and focus on how to do better next time.

RW: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

DD: Just that I'm really, really, proud of him. It was an honor of my life to serve together. I still remember his cries when I was in Iraq, and then I witnessed the culminating event of him becoming a man. Another proud moment was our first drill together today. I walked up to him and his peers, and he immediately snapped to attention. I said, "At ease," and later texted him, "You did a great job setting the example."

CD: We butted heads a lot when I was younger, but now that I'm in the Army, we have common ground. We can sit there and nerd out about battle tactics. It has made us closer.

RW: Did you carpool here today?

DD: No, he lives in Indy, closer to his job. He's done a really good job of becoming self-sufficient. I would have never thought that five years ago.

CD: In 2021, I was still in high school playing Fortnite and being a complete degenerate—forgetting to shower, just grossness. Now I've got four jobs and I'm learning to manage my time to the minute.

I remember one conversation from basic training where I was complaining about a stinky roommate who wouldn't pick up after himself. My dad instantly laughed and said, "Oh, yeah? What's that like?"

DD: Just be patient with them and love them. They'll eventually grow up.

• Date Taken: 04.23.2026
• Date Posted: 04.24.2026 09:00
• Story ID: 563451
• Location: LAWRENCE, INDIANA, US