At an age when many of his peers were closing in on the final stages of their military career, Jefferson City resident Joseph "Joe" Owsley was launching his.
And though making the decision to begin his service when much older than traditional recruits, Owsley notes, "There is no place I'd rather be at this point in my life."
Born to a father serving in the Army, Owsley's family moved throughout the United States as he was growing up.
He graduated from high school in Las Vegas in 1988, and then moved to the Mid-Missouri area with his family.