Editor’s note – This is the final in a series of profiles of students who have been activated to serve in the armed forces.

Steven Gutierrez’s plans to eventually become an optometrist were put on hold when he was deployed to Kuwait City.

His mother Patt Gutierrez said her son, who is a sophomore at UW-Eau Claire, has been in the Middle East for about three weeks and that his final destination will be Baghdad.

The 21-year-old sergeant has served in the Army Reserves for the last two years, Patt Gutierrez said.

“I would have to say he really believes in what he’s doing,” she said. “He takes his military career very seriously. I think that between school and military, it’s shown what a great leader he is.”

To prove her point, she said Steven outranked her in the two years he began in the Reserves, although she herself had served actively for four years.

As of now, Carl Endres said he doesn’t know where either of his stepdaughters are located.

Tammy Grady and Joan Grady, a senior at Eau Claire, both were stationed in Kuwait as of last week, Endres said.

Joan Grady, from Madison, is a 23-year-old specialist 4 studying to be a physical trainer.

She was activated in the first part of February, and sent overseas in the middle of March.

Endres said his stepdaughters are “both very proud of what they’re doing” but the anti-war protests here in Eau Claire upset them.

A sergeant in the National Guard, Matthew Huettl is a 25-year-old education major with a focus on the cognitively impaired.

His father, David Huettl, said Matt, a senior, is still at Fort McCoy, Wis., and was mobilized at the end of last semester.

It could be a year, if not more, before Matt comes back, he said. Matt’s hometown is Park Falls.

“Matt understands his duty,” David Huettl said, “(and) accepts his responsibility with no complaint.”

Yvette Edwards described her husband Chris Edwards, a 37-year-old senior, as a leader on and off campus. He was studying a major in biology and minor in pre-physical therapy while preparing to graduate when he was mobilized in March.

“For Chris, he really enjoyed being a student,” Yvette said, adding that he is missing the camaraderie that comes with being a college student.

Chris is a platoon sergeant in the 3rd Platoon of A Company in the 724th Engineering Battalion.

He is waiting at Fort McCoy for deployment orders, which he expects to receive this month and may be gone for at least a year.

As he waits for his orders, however, Yvette said Chris is trying to keep up with his studies in between drills.

– Matt Ollwerther and Jill Steinke