Military veteran continues service by honoring comrades

After nearly a decade of service to his country and traveling the globe, Mullins native Donald Owens has a new job. It was that job’s significance that lured him to apply for it, he said.

After serving nine years in the U.S. Air Force as a Command Post Controller in the Command and Control career field, Owens said his dedication to serving his country with honor is like a flame that wouldn’t flicker. He now serves with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, National Cemetery Administration as a director intern in St. Louis, Mo.

“The mission of the National Cemetery Administration is to honor all veterans with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate their service to our nation. It’s significant in my duties to serve all veterans and their families with the utmost dignity, respect, and compassion,” Owens said.

Interns go though a rigorous year-long training program that eventually leads to an assignment to one of 128 National Cemeteries throughout the country, he said. Of approximately 140 applicants, he was one of 10 selected to attend the program.

“The job entails managing resources such as budget, employees, contractors, interment space and BOSS (burial Operation Support System), he explained by e-mail recently.
In his military experience, Owens has been stationed at Air Force bases in Georgia, Charleston, Belgium and spent time on temporary duty in Kuwait, Spain, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Key West Florida.

“The most interesting job held was being stationed at Kleine Brogel, Belgium. There, I got a chance to work with NATO Supreme Allied Forces,” he said.
Those experiences helped clear the path to a new direction in life, he said.

“I think everything from my military experience relates to this job. In the Command and Control Career Field, you are trained to direct all resources on base in accordance to the policy that is structured for the situation. A National Cemetery Director must act accordingly and within policy to achieve the mission of the National Cemetery Administration,” he said.

“I’m a military veteran; my wife, Jowauna Owens, is currently serving in the United States Air Force.  We’ve spent many nights apart due to our military service. Military families endure, when a love one is serving,“ he said.

He continued, “Sacrifice begins at home, way before a soldier enters the battlefield. This understanding deepens my need to serve again with great honor.”
As the scent of spent fireworks still lingers from Saturday’s Fourth of July celebrations, Owens said he recognizes that the holiday is celebrated in remembrance of the freedom enjoyed, thanks to the efforts of men and women in uniform.

“Military service is a sense of pride that one exhibits for the freedom that he or she inherited. When a name is signed on the dotted line, it’s a contract between that soldier and the men and women who died to create freedom or preserve it.“

Owens continued, “Our brave men and women do this knowing that there may be unfamiliar circumstances, foreign soil, lonely nights without love ones, and the possibility of supreme sacrifice. That is why we honor our brave men and women. Every day they train, everyday they prepare, everyday they endure.“

As he works towards new goals and accomplishments, Owens said he is continually prepared to serve his country, citizens and comrades.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a career in something I care about. Making sure veterans and their families are taken care of; doing something that shows the appreciation that we as Americans have for the individuals that serve our country faithfully. I’m honored and blessed to be part of a great organization.“

For infromation about the Department of Veteran Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, visit http://www.cem.va.gov/

An arieal shot of Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis Missouri is one of 128 National Cemeteries throughout the country.