By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Being a Navy lieutenant in an Army battalion in Iraq, Thaddaeus Hoyt has to watch his back.
"Army-Navy week was fun over there. At least Navy won. They threatened to tie me up to a Howitzer and shave my head," Lt. Hoyt joked about the soldiers he serves with.
Hoyt, a 1993 graduate of Dowagiac Union High School, is home on a 15-day leave from Iraq, where he has served for the last six months. He will return to Baghdad for another six months to complete his tour.
Hoyt, 32, was in Niles Friday sharing his experiences with a group of Ballard Elementary School students. His younger brother, Zech Hoyt, is assistant principal at Ballard.
Hoyt entered the Navy directly out of high school. When he is serving stateside he is stationed at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He is a crewmember on a 560-foot long nuclear submarine that carries up to 24, 42-foot long missiles.
"You can actually get inside and crawl around and look at a bunch of the components," Hoyt told the students, who responded with a resounding "whoa."
Hoyt was trained by the Army for his time in Iraq, and he advises the battalion's artillery unit on the use of its electrical communications equipment. Some days, he dresses in 80 to 90 pounds of bulletproof vests and other equipment and leaves the camp to accompany soldiers on patrols.
"It's really nice to be able to be over there and serve the country," Hoyt said. "It's a real good feeling."
The Ballard students showed their appreciation, offering Hoyt before he left handshakes and hugs.