Ashland — Back home after his third tour in Iraq and preparing to retire from a 20-year military career, 1st Sgt. Steve Howard says his military service has been a dream realized.

A 1988 graduate of Paul G. Blazer High School, Howard and his wife, Angie Sparks Howard, have set up housekeeping in locations around the globe during his two decades of service with the U.S. Army.

Now living in Columbus, Ga., the couple and their two children, Zachary and Kaitlynn, are getting used to the idea of staying in one place.

“Two days after high school graduation I was in Fort.Benning, Ga.,” he said with a grin, remembering he signed up for the local school’s JROTC program when he was just a freshman.

“Six months after we got married he went to Egypt for six months,” his wife noted, adding they’ve also stayed strong through countless monthlong training missions and deployments to places including Kosovo and Saudi Arabia before his more recent missions to Iraq.

The concept of life as a civilian is odd, Howard said, although he hopes to remain close to the military as a civilian instructor.

In Iraq, the threat of improvised explosives is “probably the biggest thing. It keeps you on edge all the time,” he said. “Fifteen months — when you say you’ve been on the edge, that’s a long time.”

Their time in Hawaii may have been the best assignment of Howard’s military career, the couple agreed. When you live in Hawaii, they said, it isn’t difficult to talk people into paying a visit.

“Our friends and family came to see us,” he said with a grin as she added, “And we were good tour guides.”

As a family, the Howards said they especially enjoyed taking advantage of opportunities to visit Hawaii’s destinations. After time there, he said it was difficult to head out for the next destination, Kosovo.

“As a soldier. I probably most enjoyed when we got married because I had a wife and kids and a career,” Howard said, explaining his family time on the island state was a source of inspiration for all of them. “Hawaii was priceless. That was a great three years.”

Reflecting on many highlights of his military career, Howard recalled training with elite forces in Italy and serving as an instructor at Army Ranger School among his favorite experiences.

“The opportunity to be 1st sergeant was rewarding,” he said. “From there forward you get away from the soldiers — you’re not grabbing a rifle and flak jacket and hitting the gate.”

Howard said life for soldiers deployed to Iraq has improved, particularly regarding communication with family back home, although he does have some worries about what happens next for Americans in that country.

“I am really concerned about the downsizing over there. As they pull out I wonder if those who are staying will get the funding and equipment they will need,” he said.

Howard smiles softly as he says he does not fully understand the way things work in Iraq, citing tribal concerns among the most confusing.

“There’s just a lot of hatreds that we’ll never figure out,” he said, adding any resolution to fighting there “is going to be a challenge. No matter what we do, it’s going to be tough.”

Angie said military families must have faith when their loved ones are away, and strongly advises them to avoid watching television news about the war.

“You have to get it in your head ahead of time that it is going to be OK,” Angie said, explaining she has always been an independent person and quite comfortable with moving from place to place. “It’s all about your attitude. We have always tried to make the best of things and make friends wherever we were.”

The support of other military families has also been invaluable, she said. “You learn how to make friends quickly and you depend on each other,” she said.

With a chuckle she adds, “We’ve been in the same house for five years now. I’m starting to get restless.”

In recognition of his military accomplishments, Howard has been nominated to receive the National Infantry Association’s prestigious Order of St. Maurice Award. He was previously inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club while serving at Fort Campbell