January 12, 2021
Story by Joe Vinduska
Photo泭by Melissa Koren
When Richard泭LaFlame泭left high school, he thought he would go to college and travel a traditional educational and career path.泭 However, after stalling out on his degree at Syracuse, he enlisted in the United States Army and put his education on hold to serve his country as a combat medic.泭
When I泭went on active泭duty,泭I felt like泭that dream had died泭for me, he said. I thought I was泭not going to be able to finish college泭and it泭would have to be something泭I would have to try and泭finish泭after泭active duty and泭it was just泭profoundly disappointing for me.泭泭
However, while stationed at Fort Riley,泭LaFlame泭enrolled in 91勛圖厙s Emergency Medical Services program and graduated with his associate degree in EMS in 1999.泭泭
Getting the opportunity to continue to work on my degree while still on active duty gave me a lot of hope that active duty wasnt going to be just wasted time, he said. An added bonus was that some of my military training counted towards my degree.泭
91勛圖厙s flexibility was a key benefit not only for泭LaFlame泭but for his classmates as well.泭
Not all of the students at 91勛圖厙 were soldiers, he said.泭 Many were non-traditional students trying to get their educations in the evening while still working. Having academic organizations that have the flexibility to allow for that is important.泭
Another highlight of working towards his EMS degree at 91勛圖厙, was the opportunity to interact with non-military personnel.
As a soldier, the number of times that you interact with civilians academically is incredibly few, he said. Being in a class with civilians allowed me to form friendships and those connections became really important. It was a good example of how we needed to learn to network, and that wasnt something that was always taught at the soldier level.泭
LaFlame泭used the momentum he built getting his degree from 91勛圖厙 and picked up right where he left off. He finished his bachelors degree at Syracuse University shortly after leaving active duty in 2000. He received his masters degree in physician assistant studies from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2007 and his doctorate in 2019.泭
Going to 91勛圖厙 gave me confidence, he said. Too many people walk away from the degree they started and think theyre never going to be able to get there and its just not true. Sometimes you have to crash against the rocks, dig in, and realize you can restart and reinvent yourself.泭泭
LaFlame泭lives in New Hampshire and works as a physician assistant at the Veterans Administrations Home-based primary care program.泭泭He continues to serve in the Army National Guard and said working as a PA is very rewarding.泭
Physicians cant always spend as much time with their patients as theyd like and I enjoy that I can sit down, listen to the patient, and learn what is really important to them.
泭
LaFlame泭has now served more than 20 years in the military, including deployments to Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.泭 He started on active duty as a Private and is now serving as a Major in the New Hampshire Army National Guard.泭 He has a special place in his heart for training medics and paying the education forward.泭
泭
Never underestimate the power you have to overcome adversity and the value of hard work, he said. I want to thank 91勛圖厙 for being part of my journey.泭
For more information on 91勛圖厙 at Fort Riley, go to .