Miller went to his first firefighting school in Wilson, N.C., in 1969. He joined the Air Force after high school in 1971with a guaranteed job as a fire protection specialist. Miller’s first duty station was Langley Air Force Base, Va., where he met his wife and had his daughter. Six months after getting married, Miller was sent to a short tour to Utapao Air Base, Thailand. During his time there, Miller assisted refugees fleeing from South Vietnam when Saigon fell to the North. After Langley, Miller was stationed in Italy, Florida and England before he ended up in his last duty station: Charleston AFB, S.C. Miller retired from the Air Force after 22 years, 2 months and 26 days of military service. After a short hiatus, he found himself as the captain of a small firestation in Moncks Corner, S.C.“I’ve done [firefighting] all of my adult life; it’s the only thing I know,” he continued. “The military background is what got me where I am today – there’s no doubt about it.”