Veteran of the Week: Clif Miller
Clif Miller (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)
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By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
MADISON – Like many veterans, Clif Miller didn’t fully realize a career in the United States military was for him until he was all but forced to be exposed to it.
That exposure for Miller came when he enrolled in Alabama A&M University in 1971. The university adopted Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) that year, and at the time freshmen and sophomores were required to take the ROTC curriculum.
Miller stuck with it and began his active-duty career with the United States Army when he graduated, hoping to travel the world. He got his wish, as Miller’s first assignment was in Germany.
“I asked for Hawaii, and they gave me Germany,” Miller said with a laugh.
Miller spent three years in his first tour of duty in Germany. He was by himself the first few months, and the rest of his family joined him after his wife gave birth to their first son.
“After my three years there, they dangled that promotion in front of me, so I continued on,” Miller said.
After his first overseas assignment, Miller served at Fort Lee, Va. He was originally commissioned as a quartermaster in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps, which is a logistics arm of the Army. Miller attended quartermaster advanced courses, among other professional courses, at Fort Lee.
Miller next served in Fort Campbell in Kentucky and then overseas again in Korea. He then made his way back to Alabama at Fort McClellan in Anniston, where he was a training officer for a supply battalion.
It was then back to familiar places for Miller, as he returned to Fort Lee and again to Germany.
“I really enjoyed the people, the food and the travel in Germany,” Miller said.
Out of Germany, Miller was deployed to Saudi Arabia in Operation Desert Storm. Miller was a training officer for a support battalion, which meant planning and supervising training. He served in Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
A few months after returning from Operation Desert Storm, Miller made it back to Huntsville, which had been his desire. His last active-duty assignment was 1992–95, at which point he retired as a Major after 20 years of service.
“I enjoyed my military service,” Miller said. “It provided me the opportunity to see the world.”
