Rutledge’s military career moves beyond war
Justin Rutledge has spent his fair share in the theater of war, but his military career has evolved into something much different. SKIPPING to current day, Rutledge is packing and preparing for the move to Armenia, located in Eastern Europe. “IT’S A huge opportunity,” Rutledge said. “With the level of responsibility and the challenge of the position.”
On Sunday, Rutledge, Derby, will move to Armenia as a bilateral affairs officer with the Kansas National Guard — a position much more involved in the “humanitarian side” of the military.
Rutledge, originally from Humboldt, has been in the National Guard since he joined in 1995, prior to receiving his bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering from Pittsburg State University.
“I’m all about the humanitarian aspect of the military,” Rutledge said during a phone interview.
The Kansas National Guard participates in a partnership program with Armenia to train their officers. Rutledge’s career path has been a long time in the making, he said, but it seems to be in the right direction.
After joining the Guard, Rutledge took a job with Beecher Aircraft in Wichita, what was then Raytheon. He was then deployed in 2004 to Fallujah, Iraq, with the Guard. He came back to his position in Wichita in 2005, and then transferred to Spirit Aerosystems. He then served another tour in Fallujah from 2006 to 2008.
But, it was his tour in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010 that seemed to take hold. He began work with an “agri-business development team,” working with farmers to improve their knowledge and tactics for growing healthy crops. He said much of his time was spent speaking with locals and getting to know them.
“There were a lot of times drinking chai with the village elders,” he said. “You could take off your gear and relate to people.”
He spent around 200 days working with farmers to improve their lives in an arid environment — maybe not such a difficult task for people from the Midwest.
“Quite a few of the men were farmers back home,” he said. “Maybe that’s why they tapped the (Kansas) National Guard. We were very well received.”
His position will be to train officers from a peacekeeping standpoint, first and foremost.
He will be working with the Office of Defense Cooperation, through the U.S. embassy in Armenia. Armenian troops also will be sent to the U.S. for training.
The troops have been trained Soviet-style, Rutledge said, following strict orders to the letter. He said U.S. methods teach the officers to be true leaders, thinking on their own and “outside of the box.” Some medical training will be provided as well.
He said there is a cease-fire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but tensions are still high on the border. The goal of his department, however, is to provide training solely for strategic diplomatic reasons.
Rutledge jumped at the opportunity. His wife, Jamie, will be moving at a later date, which has yet to be determined.
“She’s excited about it,” he said. “But she’s also kind of torn.”
Leaving her job and friends in Wichita for a two-year stint in eastern Europe will be difficult, he said. He hopes the excitement of touring foreign countries will ease the transition.
He said he has been taking some Armenian language courses in preparation for the move, although a large portion of the population does speak English. He said the country is largely rural, and he and his wife will need to get used to spending more time outdoors, skiing and hiking. There will inevitably be some major differences, but they are ready for the change.
“There will be some things lost in translation,” he said. “We’re definitely going to miss a hamburger and a steak.”
His parents, who live in Humboldt, “have always been supportive” of his military career, and are planning on visiting him and Jamie in Armenia.
He said all of the upcoming changes will be worth the reward of a position not often achieved in the U.S. military.
Overall, Rutledge’s position in the military has evolved into a career off the beaten path. It’s something based around improving people’s lives, something he said he is very passionate about.
“It’s kind of what my soul is all about,” he said.
