Joe Bowling and Joe Karle

From combat to classrooms, veterans Joe Bowling and Joe Karle continue to serve while guiding others to think critically, write purposefully and lead with compassion. 

English studies at UNCW have given the two Joes a new purpose, as they have swapped their uniforms for classrooms. Both now use their writing and teaching as a way to focus, be disciplined and show empathy. Together, they show how military training can be transformed into a life of education and service.  

"Service never really ends,” Karle said. "It simply changes shape."  

For Karle, “attention to detail” defines every part of life. “Something constantly harped on in the Marine Corps was attention to detail,” he said. “Paying keen attention to details makes a tremendous difference when conducting a reading analysis.”  

After 22 years of service and three deployments to Iraq, Karle retired as a Master Sergeant and turned to academia. “My entire academic plan was derailed after taking ENG 232,” he said. “From that time on, I was determined to study English.”  

He now lives in Holly Ridge with his wife, Theresa, and their family, pursuing his master’s degree and a future as a teacher. 

“Discipline, teamwork and leadership don’t disappear; they just find a new mission,” Karle said. 

For Bowling, literature became a connection between his past and his passion.  

“Studying English teaches you how to better communicate with diverse people,” he explained. “It develops empathy and understanding.”  

Growing up near a marine base in Jacksonville inspired him to join the Navy, where he served as a sonar technician aboard a submarine.  

“I became very familiar with the inner workings of the ocean and coastal communities around Hawaii, Japan and Australia,” he said.  

Now focused on early modern literature and the environmental humanities, Bowling connects his naval experience to his interest in the Blue Humanities and plans to apply to related doctoral programs nationwide. “The only thing that restricts my learning,” Bowling said, “is my imagination and curiosity.”