by Rebecca Rakoczy

Afghanistan in the early 2000s was a hotbed of insecurity. The Afghan people had participated in their first Democratic election, but there also was a Taliban insurgency causing pockets of unrest in the region.

 

It was to this area, and to BagramAir Base, that Sgt. Maj. Mark Eister was assigned with the 25^th Infantry Division. Eister, who is now Georgia Perimeter College’s director of Military Outreach, had been given a mission that involved diplomacy and morale. He was assigned to foster support of the Afghan people and the government leaders, as well as to motivate and inspire U.S. and allied troops.

 

“Our unit went to some very remote places in Afghanistan.” In 2004, one of the missions of the 25th Infantry Division was to track down insurgent Taliban and Al-Qaeda members in the mountainous terrain of that country.

 

The mountains of Afghanistan were a far cry from Eister’s first post in Fort Dix, N.J.—and quite a bit different from his first assignment—playing in a U.S. Army Band.

 

It was 1990 when Atlanta native Eister, and his wife, Tina, joined the Army. “We both always wanted to serve in the military—there was a strong tradition in both of our families,” Eister says. “Both of my brothers and my father served, and my wife’s dad is a Vietnam veteran.”

 

Playing the saxophone was Eister’s passion, and he was able to combine his desire to serve his country and his love of music by becoming a member of the Army Band.

 

Eister and his wife were stationed at military installations throughout the United States, from Fort Dix to Fort Lewis, Wash. Sometimes, they received separate post assignments, but they luckily were never too far from each other, he says.

 

“I served in Army units across the country and around the world,” Eister recalls. “In addition to performing ceremonial music for U.S. and ally troops, I also performed for numerous dignitaries, from U.S. presidents (such as George W. Bush) to foreign dignitaries serving in at least 18 different countries.”

 

The role of musician didn’t preclude Eister from participating in combat training with his unit or from receiving his college degrees. He received his associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees while in the Army. “All of my civilian education was while I was on active duty,” he says.

 

When the couple was stationed at Fort Lewis, they started a family. His wife made the decision to leave the military, but Eister continued.

 

When Eister earned the rank of sergeant major, he transitioned to serving in an observation role for the Army, inspecting and evaluating military units to determine their readiness for war deployment. It was in this role that he was stationed at Fort McPherson, and returned to Atlanta with his wife and four children.

 

He workedwith National Guard and Reserve units slated for deployment, evaluating their preparedness and helping them make necessary changes. “We looked at everything from weapons to physical fitness to administrative readiness,” says Eister.

 

“Many of the Guardand Reserve units had not been deployed for quite a while, and they were preparing for deployment based on outdated Cold War tactics,” he says.

 

Eister retired as a U.S. Army sergeant majorin 2011. In 2012, he was hired to build Georgia Perimeter College’s Military Outreach program into a model within the University System of Georgia.

 

Every semester, the program serves some 800 veterans and their dependents. Under Eister’s leadership, the college has been recognized for four consecutive years as a Military Friendly institution.

 

Eister’s passion for the program is apparent. He has logged thousands of miles in his trusty van, visiting military bases across the nation to meet service members and also to present at conferences geared to the military, veterans and their families.

 

“I love to travel for the school,” Eister says. “And when I go to these conferences, I talk about what military-friendly means. Are you just military-friendly on paper—do you just want to enroll students—or are you really helping students? GPC is extremely supportive and has allowed me and the Military Outreach Center staff to build and grow the program to what it is now.”

 

Eister lives with his wife and two of his four children in Kennesaw. The military continues to play a personal as well as a professional role in his life.

 

Check out this issue’s other articles about military and veteran students and GPC’s outreach services:

 

Easing the Transition for Military Students

 

Military Advocates Bring Understanding to Their Role

 

Help from a Friend

 

Marcus Foundation Grant Will Help GPC Serve More Student Veterans