Where Are They Now?

Danny Barbee spent six years in the military, but his service to his country didn’t end when he was discharged. For the past 3 years, he’s been helping out fellow veterans as an engineer at the US Department of Veterans Affairs in Big Spring, Texas.

“It’s all about helping local veterans,” he said. “I had some issues after I got out, and the VA has really helped me. Since I’ve been out of the military for years now, I’ve had time to adjust to the civilian world, and If I can help other veterans do the same thing it makes me feel good.”

Barbee attended Dublin High School through his sophomore year. Although he ended up graduating from Coahoma High School near Big Spring in 2001, he considers Dublin his hometown. “I still go to the class reunions — we actually just had our twentieth,” he said.

As soon as he graduated, Barbee enlisted in the military. He’d seen his older brother Gary Barbee do the same, and wanted to follow in his footsteps. He signed his contract in August of 2001, and started basic training in December, a few months after 9/11.

Barbee had decided on the Air Force, and was placed in satellite communications. He attended a six-month training in San Antonio on the technology he’d be using, and then another six months of school in Fort Benning, Georgia.

His first assignment was in Montana, working on a natural gas plant there. “It was beautiful,” he said. But he only stayed for a few months before his next assignment, in South Korea. There, he was stationed about 200 miles from the North Korean border.

The border zone was unlike anywhere he’d ever been. “It’s a whole different world,” he said. “There are cars broken down in alleys and things like that. It changed my outlook on everything; the way I look at the world, the way I look at people.”

When he came back from Korea Barbee was stationed in Abilene, then Kuwait, then back to Abilene again. When he came back the last time, Barbeen got out of the military, married, had one daughter, and divorced.

He was considering rejoining the military, and decided in the meantime to use his GI bill to go to college. He went to Tarleton State University and graduated with his bachelors in computer information systems, then attended the University of Texas at San Antonio for his masters in management of technology.

He ended up not rejoining the military, and instead worked as an engineer in the oilfield for a couple of years, until he found his current job at the US Department of Veterans Affairs in 2018.

As an engineer there, he works primarily on security. “My main thing is I do the security systems for the pharmacy,” he said. “I do the CCTV — which is closed circuit television — for the police department that’s at the VA, and I provide the camera systems and the alarm systems for the pharmacy.”

He also works on the nurse call systems for patients who can’t leave their beds, and handles general security paperwork.

Barbee’s favorite part of the job is the closeness he feels with the veterans there. “When veterans see other veterans, it’s like an instant connection,” he said. “It’s just a kind of camaraderie.”

When he’s not working, Barbee likes to watch football (“Go Cowboys!”) and makes time to stay in shape. He also enjoys spending time with his five-year-old niece. “She’s what keeps me in Big Spring,” he said. “We’re very close.” Barbee also has one daughter, Raven Barbee, who is 20.

Throughout his life, Barbee has had several people close to him pass away. “That’s been pretty hard for me,” he said. “My first wife died, one of my military buddies, and my buddy Jeremy Ware from Dublin. He was the greatest guy and died way too young.”

Still, he’s found solace and inspiration in his family, especially his older brother.

Barbee’s advice to Dublin graduates is to take advantage of opportunities presented to them. “When you’re young, enjoy it and take advantage of it,” he said. “Always try things, and if you’re scared, try it anyway. That way you won’t have regrets when you’re older about things you could have done, but you didn’t.”

Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@dublincitizen.com.