THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022 Page 3 ~ THE ADVOCATE ASKS ~ New Veterans Service Offi cer Michael Saunders shares his vision for reaching out to help all Saugus vets Editor’s Note: For this week’s interview, we sat down with Michael Saunders, the new Veterans Service Offi cer (VSO) for Saugus, after his second day on the job (March 30). We asked him about the experience and background that prepares him for this new job and the priorities he has set for himself. Saunof Saugus Town Hall on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saunders previously worked as the school certifying offi cer at the Danvers campus of North Shore Community College. His past experience also includes working as the veterans coordinator at Endicott College in He served as a combat engineer with the U.S. Army’s 70th Engineer Battalion out of Fort Riley, Kansas, for more than three years (November 2002– May 2006). He was deployed to Iraq twice: 2003 to 2004 and late 2004 to 2006. His duties included route clearance, house searches, munitions detonation, annual weapons qualifi cations and vehicle maintenance. He received numerous medals for his service, including Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (second award), Combat Action Badge, Driver and Mechanic Badge and Army Lapel Button/Service in Iraq in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. When he’s not working to MAKING FRIENDS: Michael Saunders (center) poses for a photo with Iraqi civilians in 2003. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) ders, 40, who grew up in Everett and now lives in Malden, is a U.S. Army veteran who was deployed twice as a combat engineer in support of Iraqi Freedom. He succeeds Jay Pinette, who has served as the town’s VSO since March of 2018 and plans to retire on or about April 14. Pinette is currently training Saunders to take over the task of assisting Saugus veterans and their families. Saunders plans to work in the Veterans’ Services Offi ce on the fi rst fl oor Beverly and as the assistant veterans coordinator at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Mass. He earned an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies from Middlesex Community College (2016) and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College (2018). He earned a Master of Science degree in leadership and organizational communication from Northeastern University (2020). help fellow veterans, Saunders spends time freelance writing. He is staff writer for AT EASE! Veterans Magazine of Denton County, North Texas. He has written a children’s book titled “Ten Days and a Wakeup,” which focuses on a child’s expectations of a parent when he or she returns from military service. It also covers the parents’ concerns. He is looking for a publisher. Meanwhile, he is also working on another book titled “The Doctors Are Afraid of Us, which he says is “a story about my Sapper Platoon.” ADVOCATE | SEE PAGE 4 LOVING THE LANDSCAPE: U.S. Army veteran Michael Saunders, who began work this week as the town’s new Veterans Service Offi cer (VSO), during an interview on Wednesday (March 30) said he likes Saugus because it’s “quite scenic.” (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler)
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