By Krystal Delfino
I recently had the opportunity to communicate with Colonel Stephen Milton about his experiences at the University of Kentucky and the U.S. Army. Currently, the colonel is serving as a staff officer on Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, tasked to bridge communication and efforts between the Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Strategic Command. When he has free time, he enjoys the outdoors and the company of family and friends. Here’s what Colonel Milton had to say about UK’s ROTC program:
What was your motivation for pursuing a career in the military? Why did you choose UK’s ROTC program?
Joining UK’s Army ROTC program was a defining moment in my life. I was not involved in high school JROTC nor do I come from a family with a significant military background. Like many freshmen, I was undecided as to what major to pursue. I signed up for the two-hour Military history class taught at Buell Armory. The professionalism, commitment to service, and military bearing of the ROTC instructors made an immediate, positive and lasting impression. I knew I wanted to receive my undergraduate degree and earn a commission as an Army 2nd Lieutenant on active duty. I wanted to become an Infantry officer. I wanted to learn to become a successful manager and leader. While many factors and events would lead to my achieving these goals, my experiences in UK ROTC were my key enablers to success.
What is the most valuable lesson you learned from UK’s program? How has it shaped your life?
UK Army ROTC provided me numerous, unique life opportunities that no other institution could have. As a cadet, I had the opportunity to attend Army Airborne School, Ranger school, and serve in the KY National Guard and Army Reserves. UK’s ROTC instructors provided me with mentorship and the curriculum, challenging yet achievable, gave me the confidence to try new things, set difficult goals and follow through to completion. I also learned a great deal from my cadet peers, many of whom I consider good friends to this day.
What is your favorite memory from the time you spent at UK?
While UK sports and Delta Tau Delta rank high on my list of favorite college memories, my two favorite memories are from ROTC – being the cadet commander of the Kentucky Ranger Club and team captain of the UK Ranger Challenge competition team. With the Kentucky Ranger Club, we took a four day trip to the U.S. Army Ranger School Mountain Training Camp in Northern Georgia and used the same facilities and equipment and walked the same steep terrain as Army Ranger School students. Ranger Challenge teams compete in events such as: patrolling, marksmanship, weapons assembly, one-rope bridge, grenade assault course, Army Physical Fitness Test, and land navigation, with a culminating endurance event—a ten kilometer road race with full equipment and weapon. Our team took first place the Kentucky-West Virginia region two years straight and placed second in the Brigade competition at Fort Know, KY.
It’s been over 20 years since you graduated. What have you been up to since then, in your career and your personal life?
It really doesn’t seem like it’s been nearly 23 years since I graduated! Over the years I have served as a platoon leader, company executive officer, company commander, staff officer, and battalion commander.
Really I have had two careers in the Army. My first 11 years, I served as an Infantry officer, primarily in Airborne and Ranger Infantry and training units. In 2000, I became a member of the Army Acquisition Corps, where my focus has been on research and development of new technologies; program management of existing military systems; and the testing and evaluation of those systems. I’ve had the opportunity to deploy to several countries, including combat and combat support operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait.
I would have to say my favorite assignment was as the Army’s senior test parachutist (test jumper) at Fort Bragg, NC where we tested cargo aerial delivery systems and techniques, as well as personnel parachute systems.
What would you say is your greatest career accomplishment thus far?
I would say my greatest accomplishment was having the privilege to directly lead soldiers in combat operations very early in my career. Just a few months after graduation from UK, I was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, NC, where I served as a rifle platoon leader, in charge of 38 men. At that time it was the Nation’s Global Response Force, deployable worldwide in 18 hours or less. As such, the Division was the first unit to deploy in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Our no-notice deployment to Saudi Arabia, our extensive training during the buildup of coalition forces, and our subsequent execution of combat operations in Iraq was certainly a noteworthy career accomplishment. I was able to directly apply the leadership, technical and tactical skills that I had learned in ROTC the months prior. Since 2001, many ROTC commissioned lieutenants have had similar leadership opportunities and challenges, deploying and leading soldiers in combat and support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Col. Stephen Milton (right) before a high altitude military freefall (MFF) parachute test jump. High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) is where military jumpers exit from altitudes as high as 25,000 ft mean sea level and conduct small force insertions with precision. Parachute operations at this altitude require oxgyen.
What do you think is the greatest part about serving in the United States military?
Definitely it’s the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines—the individual men and women that place their Nation before themselves—it is inspirational and it keeps you motivated and energized.
Do you have any advice to UK students now about why they should join the ROTC program?
Army ROTC was the right decision for me. It provided me with direction, challenging yet achievable goals, and exciting opportunities I would have never had. I learned a great deal from my fellow cadets, and all of my instructors, particularly Sergeant Major Colin Hall and Captain (Colonel Retired) Kevin Connors. The Army works very hard to identify quality officers and sergeants to serve as ROTC instructors in the universities. That was true in 1989 and remains a fact to this day.
College is about learning and exposing oneself to new ideas and life-enhancing experiences. My advice to UK students would be to take an hour and sit down with a ROTC instructor and ask a lot of questions—learn about the scholarship programs, the training and career opportunities, the challenges and the rewards. I believe you will find a wealth of leadership experience and management opportunities that you can apply to your professional career. For me, at least, if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing!