First Lt. Kacey Proctor has visited 11 different military installations in the last seven months with his National Guard unit.
Its soldiers have traveled to Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to help strengthen ties with partner nations and assess mission progress.
Their motorcade has passed signs that read, "God Bless U.S. Troops," and often sees people kneeling on the side of the road or in the middle of town for prayer multiple times a day.
It is both similar in some ways, and yet a world far away from their lives stateside, where one officer holds a degree in nuclear physics, another is a biology teacher, and yet another has been awarded four Purple Heart medals and two Bronze Stars from previous deployments.
Proctor has long believed the National Guard helps bring balance to his life as a prosecutor. His day job has often put him in the room with some of the worst people, while his service has put him side-by-side with some of the best people the country has to offer, he says.
Proctor joined the National Guard in 2013. A Poplar Bluff native, he has two children with wife, Ashley, and a third child on the way.
This marks his first overseas deployment.
"It was kind of instilled in me as a young kid, that service is part of our duty," Proctor has previously said, when recalling stories of the Marines that he grew up hearing around the dinner table from his paternal grandfather Herb Proctor, and his stepfather, Gary Shelton. "As a young man growing up in America, I feel very blessed and very thankful for all of the freedoms I have been given as an American."
His current duties as a brigade TAC officer are similar to the responsibilities of an aide to the 35th Engineer Brigade commander. This means coordinating travel, setting up key leader engagements, managing the commander's schedule, attending meetings with senior leaders, maintaining the commander's vehicles and organizing ceremonies and social events, as well as other tasks.
"I've had the pleasure of visiting Kuwait City, Dubai and Doha. I've interacted with people from the British, Australian, New Zealand, Kuwaiti, Qatari, Emirati, Jordanian and Iraqi militaries," Proctor said. "My interaction with the foreign militaries and the foreign people has been very positive."
Many middle age adults still remember Operation Desert Storm and the U.S. military-led effort that freed them from the Iraqis, Proctor said.
"As a result, many Kuwaitis seem happy that we are here. I have had positive experiences with almost every local national that I have come in contact with," he said.
The countries he has travelled to are predominately Muslim. Alcohol sales are illegal in most of those areas, while some are more conservative than others.
"For example, many women in Kuwait wear conservative black garments that cover the entire body except their hands and feet," Proctor said. "The United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the other hand, is more progressive and has a very strong European influence. Many women in the UAE do not wear the traditional garments that cover their entire body."
It common to see camels while traveling through the desert, and even to see them herded by shepherds utilizing expensive SUVs like Mercedes or an Infiniti.
Highlights of this experience have been attending a leadership conference with his boss that was also attended by one to three star generals, colonels and others. Proctor has also participated in a joint training exercise with the Kuwaiti army, and was invited to an event where 16,000 pounds of munitions were destroyed.
The explosive ordinance disposal unit oversaw the controlled explosion.
"We were able to have a straight line of sight and even though the explosion was almost a mile away, the shock wave felt like someone punched me in the stomach," Proctor said.
Proctor expects to return home for a short visit in August for the birth of his third child. His deployment will end in September.
"It is fascinating to me how the National Guard trains soldiers to fight wars and then lets them carry on their normal lives until the Army needs them. They bring many unique experiences and skills to the table that can be utilized once deployed," he said.
Proctor believes the army has taught him to find solutions and instilled the basic values a soldier lives by -- loyalty, duty, respect, integrity, selfless service, honor and personal courage.