Local soldier discusses value of service as citizen-soldier

Sgt. 1st Class Jim Stuart, Westphalia, has spent 19 years in the Missouri National Guard, which has included a deployment to Iraq, and most recently Egypt.
Sgt. 1st Class Jim Stuart, Westphalia, has spent 19 years in the Missouri National Guard, which has included a deployment to Iraq, and most recently Egypt.

During his 19 years of military service, Sgt. 1st Class James Stuart of Westphalia has participated in two overseas deployments - experiences that have led to a greater appreciation for the state and country he calls home.

Raised in the Jefferson City area, Stuart's military career did not immediately begin after he graduated from Helias High School in 1979.

"I decided to attend Lincoln University that fall and then transferred to Tarkio College the following year to play football," he said. He graduated in 1985 with a business management degree, and spent the next couple of years working as a union laborer.

Returning to Jefferson City, Stuart was hired as ....