In honor of Veterans Day in the U.S., we reached out to a few of Team Peloton's very own Veterans to share their military background, what the day means to them and stories from their time in active duty. Check out their stories below!
MYCA-CHE LLEWELYN-MILLER, US Army
I grew up with parents who encouraged me to do my best, be it music, theatre, books, cutting up my clothes to sew my Barbie a new outfit, climbing the mango tree out back or taking a dare from my siblings and being the first to jump off the roof. That tenacity and curiosity served me well. I graduated high school at 15, then attended performing arts college and got bored. At 17 I convinced my cousin who was a recruiter at the time that I wanted to join the Army. After training I was stationed in Mannheim Germany as a Unit Armorer (92Y) with the 51st Transportation Unit and served in Kosovo. My time in the military taught me to listen, learn and serve. It also taught me that leadership is self discovery. Find out what you are capable of by showing up everyday with that intent, then push yourself past it.
scott turner, us marine corps
"Train your Marines as a team" - USMC Leadership Principle 7. I don’t think at the age of 19, I realized the leadership experience that I was getting in the Marine Corps. Building a true team bond, trusting one another and taking ownership of outcomes are all critical to success on military and civilian teams. Through my time in the Marine Corps, I quickly realized that the cohesiveness of my unit would determine a mission’s success more than any technical or tactical knowledge. I joined Peloton a few short months after leaving the Marines and saw that the success of our mission here would rely on those very same principles.
ANDREW PIERSON, US Air Force
I was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI and developed a passion for planes, trains, and automobiles at an early age. Although 9/11 sparked my initial interest in serving my country, my decision to join the Air Force was rooted in a series of pragmatic desires to align my professional life with my passion for aviation and desire for adventure. I joined the Air Force via ROTC in 2012 and had the honor of leading incredible teams of people for eight years in various roles around the globe. Having recently pivoted from the military to the private sector, I am frequently reminded of the formative lessons and experiences I received in the military that taught me to handle challenges with patience and to break down complex tasks into consumable chunks - "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.”
ALI KOBEISSI, US Marine Corps
After a short semester in college I felt lost and in need of something more. I joined the Marine Corps in May of 2006, it was something I didn’t want to go through life missing or wondering what if. I spent the next 11 years traveling through the Middle East, Africa, and most of the states. I was attached to 3 different units: artillery, infantry, and air support. I spent 2008 celebrating my 21st birthday in Iraq.
Veterans Day means something different to everyone and to me it means sacrifice. The sacrifice of time, body, and family. We sacrifice our time, miss birthdays, and miss family gatherings so others shouldn’t have to. We all join for one reason or another, mine was to be able to find myself. I will always remember the Marines I spent time with in the dirt and sand.
We honor the Veterans who are part of the Peloton Member community as well. Read Member Brett C's story here of his time in the USAF.