Spending a year in the Middle East may not be easy, but it is a reality for one BYU professor.

Ken Plowman, an associate professor of communications at BYU and lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, was deployed on Saturday to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.

Seeing him go wasn't easy for his wife Suzanne.

"This will be a growth experience for me," his wife said. "And definitely a growth experience for him."

Plowman is attached to a unit out of Fort Mead, Md. He is the deputy commandant in the Public Affairs Leadership Division for the Defense Information School in Fort Mead.

Plowman will take over the responsibilities of deputy chief public affairs officer FWD for the region encompassing Kenya in the south to Kazakhstan in the north.

Plowman joined the ROTC when he was 28 years old and still working on his master's degree.

"I joined because of a bout of patriotism," Plowman said. "And I needed money for my master's degree."

He has now served in the military for 27 years.

Plowman and his wife Suzanne have four children.

Two of Plowman's sons have followed in their father's footsteps and serve in various capacities within the military.

His youngest son joined the Air Force Reserve and is currently serving as a missionary in the Hungary, Budapest Mission.

Not all of Plowman's service has been dedicated to the military.

He spent eight years as a professor at San Jose State University, and the past five years at BYU.

He attributes his desire to teach to his interaction with students.

He often spent time outside of class helping his students, going above and beyond the call of duty.

"He teaches for the students, and it shows," BYU graduate Karen Sorenson said.

This is Plowman's first long-term deployment into active duty.

He spent a short time in Italy, Panama and El Salvador.

His responsibilities in the Communication's Department were extensive.

He taught both graduate and undergraduate classes.

He also served as the associate chair of Graduate Studies for a short time.

"Ken seems to take a lot of time to focus on students," said Ed Adams, chair of the Communications department. "He hears their pleas. He epitomizes the role of a mentor."

Plowman has a strong desire to serve in the field he has been trained to do, his wife said.

"He's very excited about going and finally doing the job he was trained to do," she said.

Plowman said the Army can "drive you to your knees" and that his family and then The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are his main motivating factors to continue moving forward.

He sees the war in Iraq and his service as opportunities to bring a special gift to the people of the Middle East.

"The Iraqis have a God-given right to the freedom of choice," Plowman said, "a gift we have that we are giving to them. It all comes down to free agency."

Copyright Brigham Young University 11 Sep 2007