By Emma Bowen Meyer

For The Herald Bulletin

ANDERSON, Ind. — Having been in the Army for 12 years, 1st Sgt. Brent Koenig has been stationed around the United States and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Currently he is working as an Army recruiter in the United States Armed Forces office on Scatterfield Road.

He is originally from the state of Washington, while his wife, Amy, is from the Terre Haute area. The couple has an 18-month-old daughter named Macy and another child on the way.

He originally joined the Army because it is his family’s tradition, but didn’t plan on staying in the military for so long. He intended to be discharged and attend college after three years, but found he loved it and now plans to stay until retirement.

Military recruiters can expect to earn between $55,000 and $67,000.

Q: How long have you been at your job?

A: Three years and one month — but I’ve been in the Army for 12 years. I had basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; advanced training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina; went to permanent duty station at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; spent six years in California, served in Iraq and Afghanistan and then came here.

Q: What do you like best about your job?

A: The community — you get to talk to people. You get to know people really well here. And I’m a people watcher, so this kind of fits in perfectly for me.

Q: What do you like the least?

A: I’m not with soldiers. I’m not on an Army base where the day-to-day is a lot different. You’re more of a civilian in uniform out here versus an active-duty soldier on a base. It’s a much different lifestyle. I like the structured lifestyle of an Army base.

Q: What’s the funniest thing that has happened on the job?

A: Nothing I can talk about. (Laughs.)

Q: What’s the most serious thing that has happened on the job?

A: Everything about our job is serious. From a parent who is not sure about their kid’s decision and then usually turning and being happy about what their child is doing to getting someone where they want to be. Someone may not have had a great background and helping them to get qualified for the Army is a really great thing for us. That’s all serious.

Q: Do parents want their kids to go to college instead of service or do they want their kids serving in the military?

A: We deal with both. I’d say it’s a 50-50 mix. Some parents want their kids to go into the military and some parents want their kids to go into college and we can do both. Parents can come in and find out what the Army can really do for their kids.

Q: What kind of jobs does Madison County need?

A: I got here right after things started going bad. They just need more industry here, really. It’s all retail. And industry is where people can really get a career going instead of just a job.

Q: What would be your idea of the perfect job?

A: I think the job I have now is a perfect job. I get paid great. I don’t worry about my benefits at all — for me, my wife, and my kids. I get 38 days vacation a year. What’s to beat about that? But when I retire at 37 I plan on opening up a bookkeeping business with my wife. She’s the smart one. (Laughs)

Q: If you didn’t have to work for a living, what would you do?

A: Fish, work on classic cars. I’m a country boy — I like anything to do with hunting and fishing.

Q: How do you like to spend your hard-earned money?

A: I like tattoos. And I spend it on my daughter.

Q: Has it been tough moving around so much?

A: I enjoy it. I get sick of a place. I like to see new things and meet new people. That’s why I joined the army and why I stayed in — because I only want to be somewhere for so long.

Q: What’s the No. 1 reason for being in the Army?

A: Friends, close-knit relationships.



About this series

In this weekly Monday series, The Herald Bulletin engages local workers in a question-and-answer format.

Would you like to have your job profiled? If so, contact Associate Editor Stephen Dick at 640-4863 or steve.dick@heraldbulletrin.com.