MC’s HEPNER LEAVES SCHOOL TO HELP FIGHT WAR ON TERRORISM
Release Date:
October 31, 2001
It’s
frequently said that a Monmouth College liberal arts education teaches students as much
outside the classroom as it does inside it.
Krista Hepner, a second semester sophomore and the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Rex Hepner of Wataga, is taking that statement to a whole new level.
“On Sept. 28, my Army Reserve unit in Canton got called up to
active duty,” said Hepner, a business administration major. Her unit, the 733rd Maintenance
Company, flew to Fort Bragg, Ky., on Oct. 3.
“Basically, we’re there to take over for the people who are
shipping out,” said the ROWVA High School graduate, who is a “92 Alpha” or Automated
Logistical Specialist. “Beyond that, we don’t know what our mission is.”
Even after the events of Sept. 11, Hepner had no plans to be
shipping out. She maintained a busy academic schedule with courses in finance, psychology,
history and wellness at Monmouth, plus a military science class at Western Illinois University
as part of the ROTC program. In addition, she was out for her first season of cross country
and was the Fighting Scots’ No. 3 runner at their season-opening meet at WIU.
“I didn’t think my company would get called up,” she said. “I
thought we were too small. There’s only 200 of us.”
Hepner, who has been with her unit for 15 months, missed the
second semester of her sophomore year to attend “delayed entry” basic training at Fort Jackson
in South Carolina and Fort Lee in Virginia. She expected to be on active reserve for a total
of six years, followed by two years of inactive service.
As the four hijacked planes crashed around America last month,
Hepner was running, squeezing in a morning practice because her ROTC class would cause her to
miss the afternoon session with the rest of the team.
“I found out because my roommate was really upset,” said Hepner.
“Her parents were supposed to be flying that day. The first thing I did was call home to make
sure my brother was OK. He’s in the active Army at Fort Drum in New York (she also has a
sister in the National Guard). Then I called to see if my class at Western was cancelled. It
was, so like the rest of the country, I watched TV for the rest of the day.
“I personally didn’t think our unit would get called, but other
people around me thought we would.”
When the call came, Hepner had a decision to make.
“If I would have contracted by midnight that night, I wouldn’t
have had to go,” she said.
Because contracting carries with it three years of active duty
and because it held some other uncertainties for her, too, Hepner elected to remain on reserve
and travel with her unit.
“My orders say one year or until they release us,” she said.
“The order is kind of vague, though. It says it could be somewhat earlier than that or
somewhat later.
“At first I didn’t want to go, but I’ve adjusted.”
Hepner said the call up came so quickly that she didn’t move
many belongings from her dorm room back to her family home. She used an “unusual” four-day
pass – granted, she says, so her unit could return to their homes and bring their cars back
with them to Fort Bragg – to tie up some loose ends at the college, including what to do about
a sophomore year that keeps getting longer and longer.
“I looked into trying to finish my finance class with Professor
(Dick) Johnston through e-mail or something, but he’s a very good professor, and I really
don’t want to miss the classroom experience,” she said. “If I have time, I’ll take some
classes while I’m at Fort Bragg and, hopefully, I’ll be back at Monmouth.”
“It’s all too easy for those who forget that freedom isn’t free
that it’s real people, including those who are at or attended Monmouth College, who put their
lives at risk to defend a superior way of life,” said Johnston.
“Having Krista called up to defend her friends, my family and
our nation makes it hit home how real and important this is,” said Mike Connell, chair of MC’s
department of political economy and commerce. “When I think of how she is sacrificing her
normal college experience so others in this community can lead a safer life, I cannot help but
admire her. This kind of action gives a whole new meaning to service learning. We must all
remember her in our prayers.”
While Hepner is being commended for her patriotic effort, she
says she’s found American heroes of her own.
“I want to say that a lot of reserves actually volunteered to go
active,” she said. “A lot of people are losing a lot of money to do this. I’m on the low end
of the scale and I make $1,200 a month. I know a lot of people were making considerably more
than that in their regular jobs. A couple things the government is doing to help is providing
up to $10,000 loans at 3 percent interest and lowering the interest rate on any credit card
debts to 6 percent.”
Whether it was their own choice or if Uncle Sam said “We want
you!,” Hepner and the other Americans who are serving their country have a fight on their
hands. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before this “Fighting Scot” can stage her battles on
the athletic field instead of on a military one.
Released
by the Office of College Communications
Barry McNamara, Associate Director of College Communications
Phone: 309-457-2117
Fax: 309-457-2330
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