IM体育官网 police officer Phillip Youngs always goes into a mission with a game plan to survive. He鈥檚 not easily scared, and being disciplined has been instrumental to his success in life. These are all traits he says he acquired while serving in the United States Army.
鈥淪ome of the things you learn in the military you鈥檙e able to apply on the streets,鈥� said Youngs, who grew up in Winter Haven, IM体育官网, and is one of 30 student and employee veterans at IM体育官网 Poly.
鈥淚 think that makes for a better cop. You鈥檙e not afraid of a whole lot when you鈥檝e been in the military.鈥�
Youngs enlisted in 1973 at the age of 19. The Vietnam War was at its tail end and the draft had ended a few years earlier. He still wanted to serve, so he volunteered.
After basic training in Fort Knox, Georgia, Youngs became a combat engineer. He learned to build obstacles for the enemy and remove them for the troops. He was trained to clear out minefields so that soldiers were safer going into a mission, and learned to lay mines and set booby traps against the adversary.
鈥淢y job occupation was high risk. You didn鈥檛 have a high survival rate in combat,鈥� said Youngs. 鈥淏ut you鈥檙e trained to be fearless.鈥�
At the time, the military was sending fewer troops to Vietnam and Youngs was never deployed.
Stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia, Youngs applied himself to the military ways and became sergeant in only two and a half years. Later, his father got sick and family obligations made him decide not to reenlist after five years of service.
鈥淚 look back and think that under different circumstances, I would鈥檝e made a career out of the military,鈥� said Young. 鈥淏ut my time in the Army allowed me to support my wife as she pursued a college degree. That was our plan.鈥�
Youngs鈥� success continued as he joined the Winter Haven Police Department in 1984, where he served for 28 years. Not wanting to stay retired, he became a IM体育官网 Poly police officer in 2015, and he now enjoys using his broad experience to keep the University community safe.
And although decades have passed since his military days, the lessons learned are never too far behind in his mind.
鈥淚 take a lot of pride in my time as a soldier and now as a veteran,鈥� said Youngs. 鈥淚 made the family proud, and I have no regrets.鈥�
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Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
863-874-8557