Sergeant Daniel Wheeler was born and raised in Grove, Oklahoma. He enlisted into the Oklahoma Army National Guard at the age of 17 when he was a junior in high school. SGT Wheeler enlisted as an 11B or Infantryman and he performed that duty for 16 years, but for the last three years he has worked as a recruiter for the National Guard.
“One of the reasons I joined the Oklahoma National Guard is because I wanted to help people and as a recruiter, I feel like I get to help people on a more personal level. I love the fact that I get to help high school kids and people in general better themselves,” said SGT Wheeler.
For high school student who are looking for ways to pay for college or jumpstart adulthood, the National Guard is a great way to gain valuable life experience and continue to work on your education as SGT Wheeler points out.
“If you’re not sure what you want to do, why spend your own money trying to figure it out? The Oklahoma National Guard has many great programs that will pay you to go to school or to learn a trade so you can try and figure out what you want to do without taking money out of your own pocket,” said SGT Wheeler.
One question many recruiters hear is, “why should I join the Oklahoma National Guard?” Sergeant Wheeler has a great answer.
“Because we are here to help our family, friends, and our community as a whole when they need us. As I said before I love the fact that in the Oklahoma National Guard, I get to help people from all around the state of Oklahoma in their time of need.”
During his military career, SGT Wheeler has been deployed three times while serving as an Infantryman. In 2003 and 2011 he was in Afghanistan and in 2007 he was deployed to Iraq. These deployments have helped shape SGT Wheeler into the soldier he is today, and it gives him a vast amount of knowledge he can share with new recruits when they enter his office. His understanding of how the Army works when shared with new recruits, allows them to make the best decision for them when deciding if they want to serve.
Currently SGT Wheeler is covering areas in Northwest Oklahoma. Delaware, Craig, and Ottawa counties are his recruiting areas.
To reach SGT Wheeler you can visit his office or go to www.NationalGuard.com to learn more information.
“If anyone wants to reach me there are a few different ways, they can call or text me at 405-593-7653, email me at [email protected], or come by my office in Vinita at 815 N Wilson St Vinita, Oklahoma,” said SGT Wheeler.
