By Makayla Flenoury
22-year-old Mario Flenoury sat in the courthouse awaiting his sentence. When the judge brought down their gavel, Flenoury was left with an ultimatum that would change his life forever: Join the Military or go to jail.
Flenoury grew up in Warren, Ohio, where he attended Warren G. Harding High School. This is where he met his future wife, Erica Flenoury. They didn’t connect at the time. They weren’t even really friends, but life found a way to bring them back together.
Years later, after getting in trouble with the law, Mario faced that big ultimatum. On May 13, 2004, Mario enlisted in the Army.
By this time, Mario was with Erica Flenoury, raising her 4-year-old son, Adonnis Washington.
Avoiding time in prison wasn’t the only reason Mario decided to join. He realized how he could build a better future for his family.
“You know, the job stability,” he said, “The medical coverage, which at the time you (Makayla Flenoury) weren’t born, for your brothers and your mom.”
When Mario left for basic training at Fort Sill, OK, the couple had only been together for three months. Mario didn’t tell Erica he was leaving at first, but he ended up making Erica a promise before he left.
“He didn’t tell me like a month before he was ready to ship,” Erica said, “And I was pretty mad. I ended up driving him up to MEPS, and his leaving was delayed. So, he called me and said, ‘It’s only been two days without you, and I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you, so when I come back, we’re gonna get married.’”
Fort Sill became a meaningful place in Mario’s military career — the base where it all started and where it would end twenty years later.
After completing basic training, Mario and his family were stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, where they lived for thirteen years, an unusual stretch for a military family.
Mario’s Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was 13 Bravo. He appreciated the job’s straightforwardness and structure.
“Regular, just like army stuff, you know, like motor pool Mondays, checking the vehicles, making sure everything is able to run,” he said. “I knew what I was wearing every day. I had a set schedule for a long time. I knew what I was doing.”
Shortly after Mario arrived at Fort Riley, he experienced his first deployment. From January 2005 to 2006, Mario spent his time in Iraq.
Erica, now pregnant, and her son were left at home.
“We were newly married, and he’s new to the Army. I’m pregnant with our first child together, and he has to go to Iraq,” Erica said. “It was hard. We were definitely a team, but I was by myself.”
Mario briefly came back for his daughter’s birth but had to return to Iraq soon after. Mario believed his biggest achievement was his children.
“Even though I was the soldier, y’all still have to experience those things too — As far as deployments.” Mario said, “Like I’m home and then I’m gone for a year. Seeing y’all grow up and seeing the young adults y’all become. But on the more Army side, passing my boards and getting promoted.”
Erica also believed that their children were their biggest accomplishments because of how much the military affected their childhood.
“When I was a child, we were a very tight extended family. I was always at my aunts and uncles, my grandparents.” Erica said. “I hate that they didn’t get to experience that. And your dad was gone. He missed birthdays, Christmases, but we tried to make the most of it. We would have a family game night with your dad on Skype.”
Mario deployed three more times after that, again, to Iraq in 2011-2012, Kuwait in 2014-2015, and South Korea in 2017 for nine months.
In 2018, the family was given another ultimatum: move to Fort Sill, OK, or deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan. So, the Flenourys went to Oklahoma, where Mario now served as an AIT instructor.
Around January 2024, Mario started his retirement process. Instead of going to work, he spent a lot of time at doctors’ appointments and undergoing surgeries. By the time June 1, 2024, arrived, Mario was able to retire with a hundred percent disability.
Mario already spent much of his time in the house and started to grow stir crazy. He spent four months looking for a job, being denied since he was recently retired.
This upset Mario because he doesn’t enjoy being treated as a special.
“I wish that people understood we’re just human,” Mario said. “We’re not special. And not everyone sees it that way, but we’re just humans.”
Eventually, Mario got a job as a government employee to make new IDs for incoming Trainees. His connections there led him to getting a GS job as an Arms Room Specialist.
He retired as an AIT instructor teaching the newbies guns to a civilian Arms Room Specialist. However, the government shutdown is preventing Mario from getting paid and threatening his back pay.
“I’m proud that Mario has dedicated his life and done his duty to this country for twenty years,” Erica said. “Not just for his country but for us, even though our country hasn’t always kept him or done things in his best interest.”