Where Are They Now?
Tyson Lueck has spent over more than 20 years of his life serving his country as a soldier and noncommissioned officer of the US Army. Recently retired from the service, Lueck is back in Dublin and enjoying a quieter life.
During high school, Lueck worked on his parents’ dairy farm, Aztex Dairy. Lueck decided against college, and left high school in 1993, his senior year, to begin working on the dairy full time.
When he was 23, Lueck enlisted in the Army. “I knew I wouldn’t have the chance to do this again,” he said. “I didn’t go to the Army just to have a job, I wanted to be an infantryman, shoot guns, jump out of airplanes and all that.”
Lueck was in the army until 2021. Over those 23 years, he was deployed several times, to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt.
The most brutal deployment was in 2005, to Iraq’s so-called Triangle of Death just south of Baghdad. “That was a terrible year,” he said. “We lost 53 people throughout the brigade that year. There’s actually a book written about our bravo company called ‘Blackhearts’.”
Although he lived through some dark times, Lueck also formed strong relationships in the Army, and learned skills that would serve him well throughout his life. “For the most part, it was a lot of fun,”he said. “I liked learning stuff, and it’s awesome when you’re trying hard at something and become really proficient at it.”
Lueck was medically retired from the Army last December. He was a Sergeant First Class.
After leaving the Army, Lueck moved back to Dublin. He took time off for a few months, but soon Lueck found himself looking for ways to fill his time. He found a job nearby at the United States Infrastructure Company, an Indiana-based organization with offices in Texas that specialize in locating and preventing damage to underground utilities.
Lueck enjoys the work, but he’s not sure how long he will stay with the company. Eventually, he hopes to put his Army training to use as a firearms instructor. “That would be my ideal job,” he said. “I would never work a day in my life.”
When he’s not working, Lueck enjoys spending time with his family. His parents Fred and Judy Lueck have sold their dairy and live in Stephenville now. Lueck has three children from a previous marriage: Brittany, 21, Tessa, 19, and Tiffany, 11.
Throughout his life, Lueck has found inspiration from people around him that he looks up to. “When I was in the Army, I was around people I think are heroes,” he said. “It was definitely inspiring.”
Lueck’s advice to Dublin graduates is to not take anything for granted, and make their life choices for themselves, not anyone else. “Make your own path,” he said. 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.