Finance major Brett Mixon hates an 8 a.m. Calculus class as much as the next person, though his method for motivating himself is different from the standard student success strategy.
"I'd much rather be sitting in the library studying all night than in a foxhole," Mixon said.
The Auburn senior and Marine Sgt. has seen tougher situations than a week's worth of finals during two tours of duty in the al-Anbar province of Iraq.
During his first tour, Mixon provided security for bomb disposal teams, citing the film "The Hurt Locker" to explain his duties.
After a couple months, his work changed locations as he moved into the combat operations center.
"I was a man of many hats," said Mixon, who also served as a section leader for a mobile assault platoon while in Iraq.
Mixon was a part of the 2007 troop surge that preceded the
Sunni Awakening during his second tour.
During that tour, Mixon patrolled the same estimated 30 miles of road for six hours a day from April to November.
His patrol was searching for IEDs and deterring enemy movement along the main supply route for eight months.
"It got very old," Mixon said. "But being bored out there is a good thing, you know?"
Mixon said being bored meant Mixon's patrol was not finding the exciting things that sometimes get soldiers either hurt, or worse, killed.
A week after Mixon's five year contract was up, his unit, 3rd Battalion 9th Marines, trained to deploy to Afghanistan.
His unit was instead deployed to Iraq again and has since returned.
After all of his experiences, Mixon looks back on his service with pride because he feels that he has represented his country with honor.
"I don't regret one minute of it," Mixon said. "I feel like I served honorably and it's something I'll always be able (to carry with me)." The Clarksville, Ga., native also takes pride in knowing he was a part of the nation's history.
He said he recalled seeing the Iraqi elections in 2005 as a memorable experience.
Mixon said he feels good knowing he helped create an environment in Iraq that allows increasing numbers of troops to return home.
During his first tour in January of 2006, Mixon saw his friend Ryan McCurdy, whom he had known since infantry training at Camp Lejune, die while McCurdy attempted to rescue another fallen solder and friend in Fallujah, Iraq.
Mixon said being able to witness heroism first-hand was a life-changing experience.
"I got to see those guys up close," Mixon said. "People making the ultimate sacrifice. That's going to stick with me forever."
Now that his contract is up, Mixon is focused on finishing his degree in finance.
He has experienced what he calls "academic growing pains," as he attempts to readjust to college life.
Mixon's college life is a life he left behind in 2005.
It was a life where he played college baseball for Gardner-Webb and Georgia State universities before deciding to serve.
Mixon is contemplating earning a master's degree in education.
Mixon remains positive about the future and looks forward to the stabilities of civilian life in Iraq. "People like McCurdy really give me a good feeling about our generation,"
Mixon said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
