On a cool morning, as fog lifts from the small arms range, MAJ Suzette Cox, an OCS instructor with the Arkansas National Guard, settles into position, controls her breathing, and prepares to fire. From the range tower, SGT Kervis Dunhoo watches closely, a former student now guiding the teacher who once led him through his high school algebra class.
Years earlier, Cox stood at the front of a classroom, guiding Dunhoo through lessons and encouraging him to push past doubt. Now, in uniform and on the range, their roles have reversed; with Dunhoo as the instructor and Cox as the student.
Suzette Cox, a long-time educator and coach, knew early in life she wanted to teach. She did not, however, join the National Guard until later, at age 39, when she found herself burned out from years in the classroom and on the coaching field.
“I was looking for something else I could do and knew the military always needed people,” Cox said. “It ended up being a great balance. I came back from basic training and AIT excited to teach again.”
Balancing civilian and military responsibilities comes naturally to her. She treats teaching and Guard service as distinct roles, fully present in each when required, and credits that separation with helping her avoid burnout in either profession.
The leadership skills she developed as a teacher translated seamlessly into the Guard. “Everyone likes to learn, they just don’t always know that,” Cox said. “So, as a leader, I help Soldiers learn even if they don’t believe in themselves yet.”
Years after Dunhoo left her classroom, Cox was pleasantly surprised to discover he had also joined the Guard.
“I had a great big smile on my face,” she said. “I knew immediately he would excel.”
Kervis Dunhoo, now a carpentry and masonry specialist (12W) assigned to the Arkansas National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters, joined the Guard in 2011. On the civilian side, he works as an ammunition technician for Sig Sauer. His interest in marksmanship began even earlier, through a local airsoft team, and grew into a passion that carried him through basic training, where he earned his expert marksmanship badge. That experience eventually led him to serve as a squad designated marksman, teaching shooting fundamentals to fellow Soldiers.
When he realized he would be coaching his former teacher on the range, the moment carried weight.
“It was an honor,” Dunhoo said. “It was a sensei moment for me. I remember telling her how awesome it was to get to repay her for teaching me.”
For Cox, the experience was equal parts humbling, amusing, and empowering.
“I was super proud and thankful he remembered me,” she said. “It justified that I had a part in his life and that he was doing great things.”
As Dunhoo worked with Cox, refining fundamentals and sharing techniques that worked for him, the results were immediate. Cox applied the guidance, gained confidence, and went on to score highly on her marksmanship qualification.
“It was a very proud moment,” Dunhoo said. “Once she had the fundamentals down, she was dead on.”
For both Soldiers, the moment represented more than a successful range day. It reflected the unique relationships formed within the National Guard; where mentorship is fluid and leadership can come from any rank.
“This experience shows that community is a living, breathing space where roles shift,” Cox said. “No one ever stops being a student or a teacher.”
Dunhoo echoed that sentiment, noting the importance of humility and mutual respect within the Guard. “I really appreciated that she was willing to listen and learn from her former student,” he said. “That says a lot about her.”
For Cox, the encounter served as a powerful reminder of why she became a teacher in the first place.
“As teachers, we get so many negatives that sometimes we forget the positives,” she said. “SGT Dunhoo reminded me that I do make a difference.”
In the end, the story is not just about marksmanship or a role reversal. It is about growth, service, and legacy; and how lessons taught years ago can return in unexpected ways.
“The ultimate goal of teaching isn’t to be needed forever,” Cox said. “It’s to equip others to think, lead, and contribute. When a student becomes the teacher, that’s real success.”
| Date Taken: |
02.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
06.04.2026 17:52 |
| Story ID: |
566919 |
| Location: |
CAMP JOSEPH T ROBINSON, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: |
21 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, From the Classroom to the Range: Teacher and Student Reunite in the AR Guard, by LTC William Howard, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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