For Army Sgt. Brian Brooks, coming back to MSU for classes means taking a break from assault rifles, 100-degree heat and guarding prisoners.
After five years in the military, Brooks said he's ready to finish his degree so he can become a dentist in the military as a career officer.
"I've got a long time to go," the 24-year-old said jokingly.
Brooks, a block sergeant from the 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery, Michigan Army National Guard, returned to East Lansing on Nov. 1 with about 200 other Michigan National Guard Soldiers after spending 11 months at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
Brooks, originally from Jackson, said he is still moving things into his new East Lansing apartment and is trying to readjust back to "college life." He's re-enrolling in classes at MSU he had to put on hold to go to Cuba.
Brooks said he has visited his friends and is taking advantage of some of the little things that he couldn't do in Guantanamo.
"There was no Taco Bell. There was only a McDonald's down there," Brooks said. "That was hard for me. I love Taco Bell."
His father, Doug Brooks, was at the bus station to pick his son up last week. He said he was glad to have him home.
"I'm very proud of him, proud that he's in the Army and proud that he went to Guantanamo Bay," Doug Brooks said. "I can't say I didn't miss him.
"I'd much rather have him home and safe, but I am definitely proud of him."
Brian Brooks spent his time at Guantanamo in Camp Delta, a detention facility, where he was in charge of a number of detainees and troops who worked under him. The troops helped feed the prisoners, guard them and monitor their care.
"They're better taken care of than we are, believe it or not," he said.
Many of the prisoners that Brooks supervised were apprehended in the fight against terrorism, but Brooks said he couldn't discuss details. Brooks said he's unsure what he thinks about the war in Iraq.
"I hate to see troops dying, but there's a lot more good than bad being done there," he said.
With the recent attack on Fallujah in Iraq, Brooks said he is supportive of the troops on that mission.
"I'm fully confident in the U.S. forces," Brooks said about the mission to chase down insurgents. "They will do great things. Whatever their mission, they will complete each one above and beyond the standard."
Brooks said his mission's biggest challenge was the Cuban climate, which reached up to 100 degrees each day.
"It was worse even, because you have the fatigues and the boots on, and you're always moving around in it. You're outside most of the day, 12 hours," he said.
In his off-duty time, Brooks said he focused on physical training, while some soldiers studied for the U.S. Army Boards. He said there were other things to do at the base. There was a movie theater and some soldiers went scuba diving.
"It was definitely not Iraq," he said.
His initial pride about serving his country was worn down with the steady routine of his work, and the mission began to feel long, Brooks said.
"It gets to be a routine, kind of like school. You get sick of it," he said.
One way the soldier beat the routine was staying in touch with his friends and family through daily e-mails and occasional phone calls.
"The support from home contributes a lot to a successful mission," Brooks said.
He is active in Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and said he missed it a lot, but kept in touch individually with members through the fraternity's list-serv.
President Cody Dawson said the e-mails kept Brooks up-to-date on the fraternity's activities, and made feel like Brooks wasn't even gone. He said the members are glad to have Brooks back.
"Just seeing him is huge for all of our guys," Dawson said. "We know what he's going through and understand his commitment.
"We appreciate and definitely have a lot of respect for him."
Brooks has been a member of the military for five years. He spent three years deployed on active duty in Hawaii, a year before his 11-month tour of duty at Guantanamo.
He said his experience in the military has strengthened his passion for serving, adding he would like to become a career officer. He hopes to join MSU's Army ROTC program before attending dental school to chase his dream of becoming a military dentist.
"It made my drive stronger, that's for sure," he said. "When you see some of the good things the troops do, it's amazing."
