The allure for travel to faraway lands is a compelling prospect for many that look to serve in the United States military–most branches even advertise travel and adventure as one of the perks of joining. Like many potential applicants, Zach Watson ’20 and Tristan Carson ’20 both came from small towns, Watson from Constantia, New York and Carson from Fortuna, California. They both enlisted in the Marine Corps soon after graduating from high school, and both would eventually be awarded an opportunity to study abroad using the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship while attending Syracuse University as student veterans.
Inspired by his father’s service, Watson served just over four years in the Marines as an avionics technician working on helicopters across the country. While travel was also a key motivator in his oath to serve, he didn’t get the chance to deploy while in the Marine Corps. At the end of his active service he opted to get out and focus on his education.
Carson, on the other hand, did get to see the world during service. After graduating from high school in 1998, he joined the Marine Corps and became a motor vehicle operator stationed in Okinawa, Japan, for two years. Like many service members, Carson left the service to put all his experience to use and found the resiliency he honed in the military to be one of his most reliable traits. He attempted several different jobs and attended two different schools, but neither provided the passion or purpose he sought.