Delta Company Cadet Mike Kitchens (in yellow life vest), 30, of Utah State University, pulls a rucksack floating behind him at Call of the Wild. Kitchens is considered a father figure within the company, being a father of three kids, who are at home with his wife. Photo by Sammy Jo Hester/LTC PAO
By Thomas Gounley
Staff writer
Charlie Cadet Mike Kitchens left his three kids at home when he came to the Leader’s Training Course, but he hasn’t completely shed the role.
“I think of it as having a father figure, because he is a father,” said Charlie Cadet Charles Hunckle, of Wentworth Military Academy, of having Kitchens in his squad.
At 30, Kitchens, who had to get a waiver to attend the Leader’s Training Course because he exceeds the age-admission limit, stands out in a field of Cadets who are teenagers and in their early 20s. But his age also means he comes with a background that benefits his company as a whole.
“I’m in a little bit of a different position,” he said.
After graduating from high school, Kitchens, a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, spent two years in Mexico City as part of a mission trip. Upon his return, he attended Brigham Young University–Idaho, graduating with a degree in sociology. While there, he met his wife and got married at age 24.
The couple moved to the Washington, D.C., area after graduation, where Kitchens got a job with a county law enforcement agency. Having gone through a six-month police academy, Kitchens is no stranger to training, but finds LTC has more of a focus on leadership and team-building.
“The military is unique because it has its own way of doing things,” he said.
After two-and-a-half years in law enforcement, Kitchens decided the role wasn’t the right fit for him.
“I didn’t like the personality I was developing,” he said.
The family, which at that time included two kids, moved back to Utah so Kitchens’ wife could attend school. Then Kitchens followed suit, enrolling in his current program at Utah State University to become a physician’s assistant. The return to education prompted Kitchens to take a fresh look at joining the military, an option he had been considering since his undergraduate days.
His wife, herself a former member of the National Guard, was supportive.
“If anything, she’s been excited,” he said.
Whereas he worked with many former members of the military in law enforcement, Kitchens finds himself doing it the opposite way.
“I’m doing it a little bit reverse, as far as most people do,” he said.
With his age and four dependents, he wasn’t the typical person walking up to military recruiters, but the Army was willing to take him on. From there, things progressed quickly.
“To be honest, it was a roller coaster of a ride,” he said of the recruiting process. “It was Tuesday night as I was going into work that I found out I was going to LTC on Thursday.”
His main adjustment at LTC has been being away from his three kids, ages 5, 3 and 9 months.
“I’m a bit of a homebody, to be honest,” he said.
However, Kitchens’ experience means he brings a level-headed approach to the training at LTC, which has a way of influencing those in his squad and platoon. For Huncke, 18, that moment came during the Team Development Course.
“He kept telling us it was nothing,” Hunckle said. “Him doing that made me stay on the board.”
Hunckle, who wants to become a doctor, also sees in Kitchens’ medical ambitions a version of what he wants to do in the future.
“When he talks about PA, I know what he’s talking about,” he said.
Kitchens’ father-figure role works both ways, however. While he gives advice from his life experience, he also has a tendency to celebrate their accomplishments.
“There are some young Cadets here that are absolutely impressive,” he said. “Of course, there is a little bit of a generation gap.”
