Delta Kappa Epsilon - University of Alabama

Sighs of Psi 3 ALUMNI NEWS psi '95 graduates reunite for tailgate F or the Bama v. Ole Miss game, the boys from the Psi graduating class of '95 were feeling good pre-game, reuniting for a 20-year reunion tailgate. There was little room for discussing personal accom- plishments, as the group was laser-focused on the pre-game party and making fun of each other, using material from both the past and pres- ent, in the lighthearted way we have always enjoyed over the years. We had boys who traveled from as far east as Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, and as far west as Houston, Texas, and, of course, many Southern sweet spots in between. We were even lucky enough to have our class surfer Andy Pierce '95 in attendance just before heading back to his paradise in Costa Rica. Also, we were treated by a special guest visit to the tailgate, our beloved Miss Julia, who has been working the Psi kitchen for three decades and still remembers each of our names. A true lady in every sense, Miss Julia could write a book about all the "wonders" she has seen and been entertained by at the house during her tenure, but she never would! At the latest of late night games, the Rebels ultimately secured vic- tory. Although Bama continued to come back time and time again, five turnovers made any comeback an impossible feat. However, the next morning before leaving T-town, I was treated to a poignant reminder that the loss to Ole Miss did not overshadow the reunion. This reminder came straight from the mouth of the one and only Mrs. Burns Carnes, mother to our fellow brothers Matthew Carnes '95 and Jason Carnes '92. As we packed up our car to travel home, Mrs. Carnes exclaimed, "Well, we may have lost the game, but I know you boys won the party!" So true. Mrs. Carnes knows us all too well and 20 years has not changed our ability to perform at the party. Roll Tide, Lee Strayhan '95 '95 alumni at the reunion tailgate. From left: John Flynn '95, Chris Corbett '95, Dave Stewart '95, James Pittman '95, Scott Fuselier '95, Miss Julia, Andy Pierce '95 crouching/Jeff Jackson '95 standing, Lee Strayhan '95, Matthew Carnes '95 and Taylor Sewell '95 (as last to right in the red shirt). Billy Ward '02 Finds Success as a Navy Surgeon B illy Ward '02 was a senior member of DKE when he started to consider a career in military medicine. Now, more than a decade later, he works as a surgeon in the Navy and holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander. After graduating from the University of Alabama, Billy began medical school at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. In 2005, he was formally commis- sioned as a naval officer and started his career as a surgical trainee in the naval service. His early career included working on the trauma service in Bethesda before he graduated from medical school in 2007. After that, Billy was a designated naval flight surgeon and was then assigned to a Marine Corps squandron. In 2009, his squadron deployed to Al Anbar Province, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Billy began his residency training at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., in 2011 and graduated last summer. Now, Billy serves as an attending surgeon on faculty at the Naval Medical Center and is also assigned as ship's surgeon on the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). While at sea, he is the only surgeon on board and is responsible for emergency and general surgical services for 5,500 embarked sailors and any other Marines or sailors on ships within Carrier Strike Group Two. Billy credits his time with DKE as playing a role in his accomplishments in the medical field. He says his experiences as a pledge, Dr. Psi, and other officer positions within the fraternity exposed him to the challenges of leadership and helped him recognize the qualities of an effective leader. "I am absolutely convinced that those months as a newboy in Tuscaloosa (and the inter- esting predicaments in which I occasionally found myself) provided a healthy introduc- tion to the challenges posed by long, sleepless nights on-call in the hospital, unanticipated patient developments with real consequences, and malad- justed senior surgical faculty with interesting teaching styles," Billy says. Despite the challenges that come along with having a successful career in medicine or in the military, Billy says it allows him to leave a lasting impact on others. He never expected to go far from southern Alabama, but he now has a career that allows him to work with people from all over the country. "My experience with DKE, as well as with the Navy and Marine Corps, has definitively changed my life and provided opportunities for me to contribute to something much bigger than myself," Billy says. Billy is married to Mary Elizabeth, and when his ship is in port he lives with his family and serves as an attending surgeon in Portsmouth, Virginia. You can reach him at williamhward@gmail.com. Billy's official photo as the ship's surgeon for USS George H.W. Bush. Billy and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, with their children. DKE

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