Interviewer
Myles Pearsall
Files
Description
William Thibeault describes his experiences serving in the United States Army. He talks about how he wanted to join the military since he was a young boy, and how he was inspired by the book, Band of Brothers, and its emphasis on camaraderie among soldiers. Thibeault discusses how he enjoyed the challenge of basic training at Fort Benning, and his excitement about learning to use different kinds of weaponry. He details his one station unit training [OSUT] that focused on tactical training, then staying an extra month for airborne school. Thibeault talks about being assigned to the 4th Division of the 10th Mountain Brigade at Fort Polk, Louisiana and his three deployments to Afghanistan between 2010 and 2015. He describes his various duties as an infantryman during his first deployment at the height of the troop surge. Thibault recalls transferring to the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne of the elite 187th Infantry Regiment when he re-enlisted at Fort Campbell. He reminisces about the legacy of the regiment. Thibeault talks about his second and third deployments with the 101st Airborne, comparing them to his first deployment during which he encountered much more fighting. He talks at length about the respect he had for his commanding officers and the unique bond that soldiers within a unit have. He notes that most civilians don’t understand this bond and that it can be difficult to explain unless you’ve served in the military. He concludes the interview by discussing why he chose to attend the University of Montana for forestry and the resources it provides to military veteran students.
A portion of this interview is restricted.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
U.S. Military; U.S. Armed Forces; Military veterans; War veterans; Active duty; Basic training; One station unit training [OSUT]; Fort Benning; Fort Polk; Fort Campbell; Airborne School; 10th Mountain Division; 197th Infantry Regiment; Elite military units; U.S. War in Afghanistan (1999-2020); Troop surge; Combat; Military weaponry; Bagram Air Base; Angel Company; Theater Reserve Force [TRF]; G.I. Bill; Military outpost; University of Montana, Missoula; Maine; Band of Brothers
Original Date
3-20-2020
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Georgia; Louisiana; Afghanistan; Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
The Veteran’s Experience Oral History Project, OH 472
Holding Institution
University of Montana. Mansfield Library. Archives and Special Collections
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights Statement
Rights Holder
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 472-013
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 MP3 file (00:45:48): digital + 1 transcript (14 pp.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
00:45:48 minutes
Local Filename
OH_472_013.mp3; OH_472_013.pdf
Citation
Thibeault, William Ryan, "William Ryan Thibeault Interview, March 20, 2020" (2020). The Veteran’s Experience Oral History Project. 12.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/veteransexperience_oralhistory/12