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Army Story

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Submitted By calibrak
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Army Story

My family has a long history of service to our great country. From as far back as WW2 a member of my family has fought in every war this nation has endured. So from a very young age I have always been inspired by Soldiers from the uniform that they wear, to the sacrifices that they make to keep our country safe and free. So from a very young age I always wanted to carry on that tradition. With that being said my story began when I was 24 years old. I was self employed working in the family business with my dad and going to a local technical college. I made good money and didn’t hurt for anything. I worked my own hours for the most part and could take time off whenever I needed. Basically I had the best job a person could dream of. However, something was missing from my life. I constantly felt like I could do more, I was always very bored and unchallenged. I also always had this feeling of dependency from my parents. Even though I worked and made my own money I always still just wondered if something happened to my father would I know how to survive? That’s when it hit me. I wanted to prove to myself and everybody else that I could survive, that I could be my own man. So I started looking into the Army.
I had a very good experience with my recruiter. He did what recruiters do and showed me all the options and benefits that the Army could offer me. He talked with my parents and addressed their concerns that all parents have when your child joins during a time of war. During my enlistment I was able to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) where the Army paid off 32,000 dollars of my existing college loans. I also received a $7,000 dollar cash bonus for signing up. I made two trips to MEPS during my enlistment. After my second visit I came home a very proud Future Soldier (FS) in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP). The Army gave me the time I needed to allow my parents to find a replacement for me in the family business which was very important to me. I attended multiple events as a FS for the 4 months that I was in the DEP program. They always made me feel like part of the team and it was always very exciting to do the events.
After those four months in the DEP I shipped off to Basic Combat Training (BCT) at Fort Benning, GA in the month of August. Upon arriving at the reception battalion at Fort Benning it was very intimidating. I believe mostly because that was the first time in my life where I was all alone and had no say in the things happening around me. BCT turned out to be the most challenging thing I had ever done in my life, but it was also the most rewarding experience that I have ever endured. The amount of sweat, blood and tears that I had to give to make it through BCT sent me out the other side with a since of pride, confidence and accomplishment that I don’t believe you can get anywhere else. The day I graduated BCT is one of the proudest days of my life. I had faced more adversity than I have ever encountered before and made it through it. After BCT I attended Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Rucker, AL. This training was 16 weeks long and it was where they taught me my job which is 15Q Air Traffic Controller. AIT again was very challenging yet very rewarding. After I completed AIT I got my first assignment to 1-11th Aviation Regiment Fort Rucker, AL. Upon arriving to my unit I was told that I would be working in a place 50 miles from post at a civilian airport. This was a great opportunity for me as it allowed me to work with all kinds of air traffic. I was able to earn a rating in a Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) facility as well as my first Certified Tower Operator (CTO) rating from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). I worked in this location for 3 years and 6 months and earned my first promotion to Specialist here. I also had tons of opportunity to gain leadership experience very young in my career due to a manning shortage. I held the positions of Training Supervisor, Shift Leader, and for a short time Facility Chief which is a SFC position. After that I was pulled back to Fort Rucker to work at Lowe Army Heliport as a shift leader where I was able to earn my second CTO rating at a very complex airfield. I worked here for another year and a half earning two promotions during this time to Sergeant and Staff Sergeant. During my tour at Fort Rucker I was also able to do tons of professional development and earn certifications and graduate from the following schools. I went to Warrior Leader Course (WLC), Advanced Leader Course (ALC), Combat Life Saver (CLS), Modern Army Combatives level 1 & 2.
After my tour at Fort Rucker I came on assignment to South Korea. Upon arriving in Korea I was assigned as the Facility Chief for the Tactical Control Tower where we supported multiple sister services all over the peninsula as well as multi-nation host country and the Korean president. I was also able to do a mission to Okinawa, Japan for 3 weeks in support of Marine Air Assault training. While I was there I was able to do many things that most people never get the opportunity to do such as Scuba Diving in Okinawa, visiting the DMZ, Seoul Tower and many other historical sites. After my 1 year tour in Korea I volunteered for recruiting duty and got selected. My first recruiting assignment is in Paducah, KY as part of the Nashville Recruiting Battalion. The Army has been a very rewarding experience for me. I have accomplished all the goals I set out to initially accomplish. I know without a doubt that I can stand on my own and take care of my family. The Army has taught me so many values along the way as well as discipline and how to be humble. But the biggest thing of all is now I am part of the family tradition I mentioned before. I am very proud to wear the same uniform that so many in my family have before me. I no longer have to worry whether my father is proud of my accomplishments or not because now I know without a doubt that he is. So now I am currently attending the Army Recruiter Course at Fort Jackson, SC and am very excited to begin the next chapter of My Army Story.

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