11.11.15 by msedblog Jones: Why I became a middle school teacher after 20 years in the military Editor’s note: Veterans Day honors those who have served in the United States military. Many veterans take up teaching when they return to civilian life. Darrell Jones served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 20 years. He worked as an aircraft mechanic and retired as a technical sergeant E-6 before training to be a teacher. He is in his second year teaching seventh grade history at Armstrong Middle School in Starkville, Mississippi.