Joel Taft

“Thanks to the Veterans affairs support I received, I got the words ‘I can’t’ out of my head. And now that I’m here at MassBay it’s become a home away from home for me.”

Class of 2011
McKenzie Award Recipient

Joel D. Taft enlisted in the Army National Guard after graduating from Blackstone Valley Regional Technical High School in 2001 with a concentration in electronics. He was slotted to attend Basic Training in April of 2002, but then 9-11 happened. He moved up the schedule and on September 18, 2001, boarded a plane bound for Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for Basic Training. “I don’t even know how to spell it, because everyone just called it Fort Lost in the Woods,” joked Joel.

Following Basic Training, on February 15, 2002, Joel returned home and continued his service as Military Police, assigned to the 772 MP Company out of Taunton for weekend duty. On July 7, 2002 Joel was activated and deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan.

For the next 10 months, Joel was attached to the United States Special Forces and assigned to convoy and base security detail. “I spent a lot of time driving to the border and back for supplies,” he said. He rarely went a month without seeing combat – mostly in the form of rocket attacks.

Upon his return home in May, 2003, Joel bounced from job to job and tried to deal with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as best he could. He was eventually referred to a Veterans’ recovery center for help. Ultimately, however, it was his decision to deal directly with his stress disorder that helped him develop the coping skills he needed to manage his PTSD. “I decided to take a proactive approach,” he explained. “Instead of taking medication and avoiding stressful situations, I decided that I would face it head-on.” He would do things like drive into downtown Boston, purposefully putting himself under stress. Today, Veterans groups are using his approach as a model for others.

Joel says he knew at age 18 that he wanted to attend MassBay, but his military service put off that plan for eight years. “The staff seemed pleasant and helpful, and I had always heard good things about the College,” he explained.

 
Today, Joel is pursuing his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice and has four more courses to go. “Thanks to the Veterans affairs support I received, I got the words ‘I can’t’ out of my head. And now that I’m here at MassBay it’s become a home away from home for me.”