Stephen Peyton Austin TX

When Stephen Peyton reported to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for Army Basic Training, he was 41 years old, which made him officially the oldest recruit to enter basic training. It was January, 2006, and the U.S. was involved in military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stephen Peyton did not join the Army to leave his wife and daughter to go fight in the Middle East, and he certainly did not enlist to exact some sort of retribution for 9/11. Early on in his education, he had earned a degree in Economics from the University of Texas in Austin, TX, and he was enjoying a comfortable life at the time. He was well past the age when young men answer their country’s call, but with the Iraq war going poorly and military recruiting in severe difficulty, Peyton heard his country’s call and answered. He reported to Fort Leonard Wood as a Specialist (SPC), an entry-level rank for enlisted personnel.

Basic training took more than six months for SPC Stephen Peyton, significantly longer than the ten weeks experienced by most Army recruits, because of several injuries, including two broken legs and a broken arm sustained in accidental falls. When he graduated, he transferred to Fort Sam Houston, in Texas, for Advanced Training as a combat medic. SPC Peyton had nearly completed medic training when the Army had second thoughts, due to his age. SPC Peyton was ultimately assigned to a different Military Occupation Specialty (MOS), and the Army sent him to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, to train in personnel and administration, the “S1” function of a military organization.

When he successfully completed his training, SPC Stephen Peyton returned home briefly and then reported for duty at the world’s largest U.S. Army base, Fort Hood, TX, following which he deployed to Afghanistan with his unit, the 62nd Engineer Battalion, in April 2008. He served a 15-month tour in the battalion’s Headquarters Support Company in Operation Enduring Freedom, during which time he earned promotion to Corporal, as well as numerous decorations.

Back in the United States, Stephen Peyton was diagnosed with combat-related injuries and retired on medical disability as a Sergeant, almost two years after his unit deployed to Afghanistan.