Growing up in Luverne, AL, James Mills never thought he’d be working thousands of miles away from home. Little did he know his experience post-graduation would be taking him all the way to Africa.
Mills is a UA alumnus, with a degree in History. He’s currently stationed in Gabon, Africa, as a member of the U.S. Army, as an officer in charge of transportation. Though he’s currently in the military, it wasn’t his first choice post-graduation.
“My dad had just retired after 22 years and my little brother is actually in the reserves right now,” he said. “When I graduated college, I went home and tried out a couple of things and to be honest, I just needed a sense of direction. I knew that judging from what I had seen from my brother and my dad, that this was what to do.”
Graduating in May 2013, Mills spent a little over a year trying to find what felt right, before leaving for basic training in June 2014. In October 2014, he fell on an obstacle in Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia, breaking one of his ribs.
“I had to start the whole process over again, so I actually ended up staying at Fort Benning a little longer than I had expected,” Mills said.
After graduating from Officer Candidate School in February 2015, he was transferred to Fort Lee in Virginia, where he learned transportation skills that have aided him with his job in Gabon. Mills is currently the officer in charge of transportation, supporting over 16 partner nations.
“I’m responsible for getting 1200 people, who most of which don’t speak English to where they need to go every day on time,” Mills said. “There are a lot of people here to support, so it’s been a little difficult. Most of the people here speak French.”
Mills said Google Translate and his high school French courses have assisted him, but the translators who come along for the ride have been helpful in communicating.
“When we do have a translator, which isn’t very often, but when we do, it’s a nice time when we have a minute to sit around and ask them where they’re from, what they do for fun, things like that,” he said. “The Gabonese like to get their maps out and show me where we’re at, and then I show them where Alabama is and that’s been fun… There is common ground, you just have to find it within the language barrier.”
Living in Africa has been different, but Mills’ life hasn’t made drastic changes. Though he’s thousands of miles away from home, the comforts of warm water and internet access still exist.
During his time away, he has kept in contact with his girlfriend and family, keeping them updated on what’s been happening while he’s been overseas. His brother, Thomas Mills, is a junior majoring in Management Information Systems, as well as a member of the reserves.
“I did ROTC my first semester while I was on campus,” Thomas Mills said. “I think my brother might have been inspired by me to join the army, because I had joined before he did.”
Thomas Mills hopes to one day go into the army further, but for now, the reserves has been a positive experience.
“I have drill every month and then two weeks in the summer every summer,” Thomas Mills said. “This year has been a little different, because the unit that I’ve been in is actually about to disband so we’re about to not be a company anymore, but this summer we did drivers’ training, so I got licensed on how to drive a Humvee and other vehicles.”
Though his unit is disbanding, Thomas Mills said he would still be keeping in touch with several of the people in his company. Much like his brother, James Mills has formed a solid bond with his fellow .
“I’m extremely close with my platoon and a lot of those guys got to come with me,” Mills said. “I live with them every day, I eat with them every day. I know about their family and they know about mine, I know what’s going on with them back home and how many kids they’ve got. It’s the best part about being in the army – those relationships you build.
James Mills will be home in early July to attend a wedding and see his family, but will soon be returning back to Gabon.
