A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

From student to soldier

 Not feeling as though his life was unfolding the way he thought it would, Teygan Mason decided to leave the secure surroundings of academia and replace it with .50 caliber machine guns, 115 degree heat and warfare.

Mason, 27, of Santa Rosa didn’t feel content with the average route a lot of students take to succeed in life, so he decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps Reserves and serve our country while being a student.

Mason traded the beautiful surroundings of Sonoma County, family, friends and everything he ever knew for the arid, blistering conditions of Iraq to pursue a calling he felt necessary not only for himself but for his country as well.

“I didn’t feel as though I was on the right path,” Mason says. “The Marine Corps put me on the right path.”

And so the Santa Rosa Junior College student became a Marine.

When asked what the hardest part of going from a student to an elite warrior for the United States serving in Iraq, Mason says, “Being away from family was the hardest part.”

While in Iraq, Mason faced many challenges to his sanity. Days consisted of unfailing heat, heavy gear and combat conditions that forced troops to keep constantly alert. The ominous threat of ambushes, IED’s and environmental hazards put an uneasy tension on soldiers. The USMC offered many outlets such as gyms and phone access, as well as being able to call and see family members on Skype to help soldiers cope with daily stressors. Mason says working out at the gym and being able to talk to his family helped him through his time overseas.

Serving for six and a half months in Iraq, Mason was trained for one thing: warfare and watching his fellow soldiers’ backs. “Being in a combat mind state and always being aware of the danger you are in as well as a very strict regiment is hard to just turn off,” Mason says.

Mason’s trip back to the U.S. after serving his tour took a week and spanned three countries before he ended up at Camp Pembleton. What he explained as “de-mobilization” took about a week at a base in San Diego. The week consisted of two three-hour classes on subjects like suicide prevention and guidance. The classes and time spent at the base prepared the returning Marines for civilian life once again and let them know there were people to support them and that they were not alone. Mason says the switch was hard to turn off, especially as a reservist who had to go back and forth several times.

Back at SRJC, Mason considers himself a man changed for the better. The discipline and accountability learned in the Marines helped him in his civilian life.

“I see him looking out for his younger brother a lot more and making sure he is on the right path since he has been in the service,” Mason’s friend, Brian Anderson says.

As a USMC Reserve, Mason knows his surroundings can change at a moment’s notice from higher education to a country torn by war and factions disputing religious issues for the past 2,000 years. “You can’t put it into words, it’s my job. I got to go because they need me, but it would be really tough being away from people I love,” Mason says.

When a person signs that piece of paper that turns them from civilian to soldier, they know what they are getting into, especially during wartime. Often as civilians, we want to know what the soldier went through because it is such an extraordinary circumstance that a majority of us will never know. We want to know what it was like, how they got through it and would they do it all over again if they had the chance. “I would do it all over again. The brotherhood, camaraderie, experience and places I’ve seen are all worth it,” Mason says. He also explained how it was a once in a lifetime experience where he learned a lot about himself.

Although Mason loves the Marine Corps, he also loves the future opportunities that life has to offer in the civilian world. In three years, after his six-year contract with the USMC is up, Mason plans to be a P.E. teacher and football coach.

 

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