In honor of Veteran’s Day this year we spoke with one of our own, Steve Mulhall, Facility Security Officer at NAL Research and U.S. Army veteran, to highlight his experience, perspective, and service.
Steve grew up in a military family. So, growing up surrounded by all things military the last thing he wanted to do was join, but you can’t run away from destiny. Here’s what he had to say about that…
“My father served in the Air Force for 27 years and all 3 of my older brothers were Army officers. I was surrounded by all things military, so yes, the last thing I wanted was to join. Instead, I found my own way of serving my community as a firefighter/EMT and enrolled in a criminal justice program in college. However, it was only when I moved to the DC area that I felt like something integral was missing in my life. I found that indefinable something in a recruiting center and celebrated my 24th birthday doing drills at basic training. One year later, the September 11th attacks changed all our lives and altered the trajectory of mine forever.
Less than a year after September 11th I was in Kandahar, Afghanistan supporting civil-military operations in the region. Over the following 12 years, I deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq an additional 3 times, for a total of 4 deployments during my military career. While we Veterans often get thanked for our service, the sacrifices our families make on our behalf are often overlooked. After 14 years of service and 4 deployments, I decided it was time for me to step back and focus on my family.
Now, as a defense contractor, I have a chance to be part of something bigger than myself. The products we create at NAL Research help our service members perform their jobs better and keep them safe, so they too can come home to their families. My civilian career with NAL Research allows me the ability to now focus on my family while still supporting my military family.”
We at NAL Research are proud to have veterans like Steve help us make a difference in the lives of service members and veterans around the globe. We are happy to have you as part of the NAL Research family and we thank you for your service and your family’s sacrifice.
