A Stammer Won't Stop Him - NCO Overcomes Speech Impediment to Excel in the Army
Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2009
by Ryan Stroud
Over coming obstacles is a major part of growth in the Army. Triumphing over fear and hindrance helps develop a Soldiers desire to strive towards greatness. Sometimes you have to battle everyday, like Staff Sgt. David Miron, of the Non Commissioned Officers Academy, to excel in your career.
Miron battles a stammer when he speaks. It's something he has been dealing with since childhood and something he refuses to let stop him from achieving his goal in the Army and in life.
"She was making great progress with me, but she ended up moving. The next speech therapist I had wasn't making as much progress with me, so I plateaued in progress," the Cadillac, Mi. native said. "(My condition) is more of a stammer than a stuttering. Stuttering is more saying a word again and again until it comes out, where with stammering, I just lock up inside. The harder I try to say something, the more it doesn't want to come out.
"It's very frustrating to stammer," Miron said jokingly. "I'm a very smart guy and I feel others might look at me differently. A lot of times, there's words I can't say or there's a mental block in saying, like cretin words that start with voles, those words I have a really hard time saying. To be honest, I really have a fear of those words and I try to avoid them. I really have a very good vocabulary but I have to say different words that are easer to say."
In Miron's final years of high school, he made a decision which would alter the course of his life forever.
"My brother was in the Army and I thought that was really cool, so from my junior year of high school, I knew I was going to join," Miron stated proudly. "It was 1995 and I joined as a 94Y, Integrated Family of Test Equipment."
Thrust into a new world where others would yell at you for the littlest thing, Miron headed into basic training confident and ready.
"The hardest time I had in basic was standing in the chow line and saying my meal card number," he said laughing. "Sometimes I got it and others, my friends would say it for me. It sounds strange but that was the hardest thing for me.
"But I never really had any issues with (the cadre in basic training) because most of the questions in basic ended with a yes drill sergeant' or no drill sergeant.' Because of that, I really didn't have problem with the drill sergeants. I don't think it was a big deal for them."
One big challenge for Miron was his promotion board.
"Back in 1999, that was my first board and I really did well," he said. "My sergeant major also was a stutterer. He was on the board and helped me out. Because of that, it wasn't so bad.
"My second board, my first sergeant tried to make it a little easer for me. He went first and said he had no questions for me because I was such a good guy. That made me so nervous, I knew the rest of the questions were going to be so hard after that. The others on the board thought I was a superman or something, so they really made it harder. It was a good experience though.
Through his entire military career, Miron's biggest issues with his stammering weren't from other Soldiers, but more from himself.
"The biggest problem with stammering in the Army is my own mental block," Miron stated. "A lot of times I think someone is going to get upset with me if I stutter but that's never happened. The Army has been very receptive of me but the fear still never goes away.
One of Miron's challenges with his job is use of the phone.
"I really don't like talking on the phone, I just really hate it," he said. "In 2006, I was supposed to go to recruiter school. I went for a week and I stuttered and stammered so bad because I was so nervous, they strongly suggested I not do the whole recruiting thing. I was actually pleased with this decision. I'm just not good on the phone. I don't think I would have done a good job for the Army when it came time to make phone calls.
"Other than that, stammering hasn't really stopped me from achieving my goals in the Army. In 2004, I was a small group leader at the Warrior Leaders Course. I was there for two years and that was probably the best experience of my life. I would be there with a bunch of E-4s and E-5, and for the most part, I wouldn't stutter. I was the Instructor of the Cycle three times and Aubrey Red Newman Leadership Award winner. I was just great, the very best assignment in my life."
While on assignment at Ft. Drum, Miron met the woman of his dreams.
"I've never really been nervous with the ladies and never stammered too much in front of them," said a joking Miron. "When I'm at home with my wife, it just flows naturally. I really don't stutter or stammer as much unless I'm talking about work or something I have a hard time with. At work, I try to think about the easiest rout to take when talking."
Miron says his wife has been a huge support to him.
"She helps me best by pretending it's not even there," he said. "Some people will try and rush me with my words, but she always waits patiently."
Soon, the Miron family will be extending with the birth of their first child, a girl.
"Isabelle Rose is her name. Of course it's a vole name, so it's hard for me to say," he laughed. "I'm going to try to be very fluent with her."
While looking back, Miron felt his stammering might have bung within his own family.
"I think my speech issues might have come from my father stuttering. Since it's only during certain situations and times, I don't think I'm a medical stammerer or stutterer, I think it's more of a social stutter."
Looking to the future, Miron has high hopes for further success in the Army.
"I like the atmosphere here on Redstone. I like the Soldiers and helping out with training and trying to develop the future of the Army," he said. "My plans and goals are to go past 20 years and see where it takes me. I love the military; I want to be a part of it as long as I can."
Miron also plans on putting in a Warrant Officer Candidate School packet in the near future.
Miron also had some words of encouragement for those in the Army who might also stammer or stutter.
"If someone stutters, just slow down and relax. Try and remember you're speaking with someone who will be patient and is not going to be mad at you for your stutter," he said. "For someone who doesn't stammer or stutter, just know we're smart people who just have a hard time getting stuff out. Just relax a bit with us and show that person its ok. If they make the situation less threatening or hostile, things run a lot smother."
Ryan Stroud is a military trained journalist who has served in Iraq with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army. Prior to his military experiences, Stroud grew up playing, coaching, and refereeing soccer. Also, Stroud focused many years of his life playing, touring, and recording/producing local music acts. He has a wonderful wife of 4 years, a 2 year old son and a newborn daughter.
Stroud's biggest writing influences are Jim Butcher, Chuck Palahniuk, Edward Lee, Jack Ketchum, Christopher Moore and Ben Fox.
He currently resides in Huntsville, Al, with the 59th Ordnance Brigade at Redstone Arsenal.
Stroud would also like to take a moment to thank his friends who are currently in battle over in Iraq. God bless all of you.
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