Resident Director receives exemption from Afghanistan tour
Ethan Kuhn, Cory Bretz resident director, received an exemption from the U.S. Army after being notified of a possible 2010 deployment to Afghanistan. He is pictured above with his wife, Laura.
By Manny Casillas | Editorial Assistant
Ethan Kuhn spent four years as an intelligence analyst for the United States Army in Kansas. In the midst of his first semester as a UIndy Resident Director, he faced the possibility of being deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.
“My orders currently say I’ll be attached to a National Guard unit in New Haven, Conn.,” Kuhn said. “[They are] set to deploy sometime in 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, but that’s subject to change.”
During Kuhn’s time as an intelligence analyst in Kansas, he simultaneously took night classes at Kansas State University. After finishing the work, he was honorably discharged from active duty.
“I spent two and half years focusing on intelligence operations concerning Afghanistan and surrounding areas, like Pakistan,” he said.
Kuhn has also worked overseas, training for being deployed to Afghanistan in countries like Jordan.
“I gave weekly and daily intel updates for a lot of the units, brigades and battalions who were going,”Kuhn said.
Kuhn is a native of southern Indiana and has been RD for Cory Bretz since fall. Kuhn is also a student in the Master of Arts and Teaching Program.
Kuhn received orders to report for processing on Nov. 22, which could have led to a possible deployment to Afghanistan as soon as February 2010.
This caused Ethan and his wife of three years, Laura Kuhn to gather as much support as they could muster in an attempt to have Ethan exempted from active duty.
“Hopefully they will at least give me a delay until the end of the semester, or just exempt me until the MAT program is over,” Kuhn said.
His wife expressed similar sentiments regarding the situation. She currently lives with Ethan in Cory Bretz.
“I’m terrified. I understand the circumstances because he had the four years inactive,” Laura said. “I was always under the assumption that if things got really bad, he’d be called. So, I’m terrified, worried and wondering what am I going to do if he goes.”
Kuhn received support from almost every facet of the campus, such as Dean of Students Kory Vitangeli and MAT coordinator Angelia Ridgway, who all wrote letters of support.
“I’ve got nothing but positive help from the university,” Kuhn said.
He also garnered assistance from the offices of Indiana Senators Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh, both of whom contacted the military on his behalf.
“It’s awesome,” Laura said of the outpouring of aid. “It’s very nice that we have support, it’s very loving. I went here for four years, and I know the community that can be built, so it’s wonderful.”
The hard work to receive an exemption from duty paid off. Shortly after Kuhn spoke with The Reflector, he received notification that his orders were revoked.
“I do not have to report in November nor at any other date,” Kuhn said. “I got back in the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) pool for a possible future recall, but as of now, I’ve got nothing.”
While Kuhn doesn’t rule out one day serving overseas on active duty, he is happy for the chance to finish his education.
“All the hard work and prayers from my colleagues [have helped],” he said. “The university and my senators are definitely what made it happen and I am forever grateful to them.”
