Written by Roger H. Still, Illinois Assistant Transportation Manager 

Warren Freeman was raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. In his own words, Freeman describes Springfield as the “The birthplace of basketball.” 

After high school, Freeman worked miscellaneous jobs. Then, in his early twenties, he decided that he wanted to do something different. He wanted to serve his country, to be part of something and to see the world. 

Freeman joined the Army in the spring of 1992 as an Infantryman. He reported to Ft. Benning, Georgia, near Columbus, Georgia, for Basic Training and his Infantry Advanced Individual Training where he learned the skills required to fulfill his duties as an infantryman for the Army.

Upon completion of his training, Freeman took leave while in route to his next assignment to go back to Springfield where he was getting married to his wife, Sonia. After two short weeks with his new bride, Freeman had to report to one of the most austere locations in the military. He was assigned to Alpha Company, 4th Battalion of the 27th Infantry Division the “WolfHounds” in Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii

Facing Fears at Air Assault School

As a light infantryman, Freeman was asked about going to Air Assault School, but he turned it down because he was afraid of heights. It was at that moment that he realized he couldn’t turn it down—he was going. Freeman reported to Air Assault School on Schofield Barracks, where he was instructed to conduct airmobile and air assault helicopter operations while including aircraft orientation, sling load operations, proper rappelling techniques, and fast-rope techniques. The course is known as the 10 toughest days in the Army, and the dropout rate is around 50 percent. Approximately 15 percent of the class does not make it through the challenging first “Zero” day. The school also requires students to complete a 12-mile march with a 35-pound rucksack in under three hours on the morning of graduation.  Warren describes his graduation from the Air Assault Course and presentation of the coveted Wings as one of his proudest and most rewarding moments.

Becoming a Police Officer

In January 1996, Warren was retrained as a military police officer with a specialty in corrections. He was sent to Ft. McClellan near Anniston, Alabama, where he would learn the finer details of daily operations of a correctional facility. After school, Warren was assigned to the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

Serving in South Korea and Cuba

During his tenure there, he would go from team member to team leader and eventually become the watch commander at the facility. During that same time, he would do four separate year-long stints overseas. Twice he served at the U.S. Army Correctional Activity-Korea in Camp Humphries, South Korea. In addition, he served twice with the 189th Military Police Company of the 525th Military Police Battalion in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Freeman retired from the Army after 26 years of service in March of 2018 and looks back on his time with pride. He said he is most grateful for the opportunity it provided him to have served his country and to provide for his family. 

The Search for a Second Career

Once Freeman retired, he found himself looking for a second career, and he turned to truck driving. He joined the Dot Transportation, Inc. (DTI)  family in April of 2018.

Freeman relates how the military prepared him for truck driving by instilling a sense of initiative. He described it as “if you see something that needs to be done—you just do it. You don’t wait for someone to tell you to.”

He feels that DTI has the same expectation for their truck drivers.

Dispatch provides the driver with the basic instruction and lets them figure out how to execute. It’s up to the driver to figure out how to skin that cat—so to speak,” Freeman said.

In his free time, Freeman enjoys riding motorcycles, playing chess, reading, and keeping in shape. He also volunteers for his church, helping provide security and serving in whatever other capacity they need. Warren and his wife have been married 26 years, have two adult children, Felix and Sylvia, and seven grandchildren, ranging from 4 to 14 years old; five girls and two boys. 

Warren and Sonia live in Kansas City, Kansas, and Warren works out of the Saint Joseph, Missouri, terminal.

From Dot and Dot Transportation: Thank you Warren, and all of our great veterans, for your service to our country!

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