Clay County Sheriff and veteran Will Akin, shared his thoughts on Veterans Day and explained ways people can honor and support those who have served in the military. Akin, an Army veteran, began his journey as a parachute rigger after enlisting in the military in 1994. He then went on to become a Blackhawk helicopter pilot serving first as a noncommissioned officer and then chief warrant officer before being honorably discharged in February 2003. “I was in it for the long haul,” he said. “If I wasn’t medically pushed out, I would still be enlisted today if I was able, and as of last month, it would have marked 29 years.” He explained his decision to join the Army began when he was 16 years old, after he dropped out of high school to work three jobs. His mission at the time was to help support his mother and his brother. He got word an acquaintance of his got into trouble by way of shooting a guy with a shotgun to steal a motorcycle, and a realization struck. “I realized that had I…