Staff Sergeant Michael Aubut has lived in many places during his 12 years of active duty service in the army. From Wisconsin, where he’s originally from, to Montana, he has spent time in several cultures and cities.

“To live [my favorite] was Hawaii, it was cool. But for work it’s Fort Bragg in North Carolina. I got to jump out of airplanes. I didn’t do that in Hawaii,” Aubut said.

Here in Montana there are 46 high schools that the army visits in order to recruit students. Aubut said they try to come to CMR at least twice a month to talk to students about joining the military. When he joined 12 years ago, he said his main reason was a sense of duty to his country.  

“Initially I wanted to serve my country. When the towers fell, I joined as soon as I was eligible. I wanted to learn a skill to fall back on, and [I wanted to] capitalize on the education benefits,” he said. “And to leave home, there’s more to the world than Wisconsin.”

Coming to CMR and forming a bond with the students who are considering joining is something that he really enjoys. Talking to the same teenagers multiple times is a good experience, according to Aubut.

“Gotta love my job, it makes it go smoother.”