Photo By Spc. Roy Mercon | Pvt. Glenn Butts, a gunner with A.Battery, 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. - Most of the Soldiers participating in the ‘Decisive Action Training Environment’ rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, La. did not have the choice to attend. But one Soldier in Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment is as new as they come.
Pvt. Glenn Butts, a gunner from Raynham, Mass., did not have to come to Louisiana. As a recent graduate from Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, he is a brand-new member of the Battery, and was exempt from this year’s annual training. Yet, Butts was eager to serve Massachusetts and meet his new family, so he volunteered.
He did not have to come down to this particular training,” said Sgt. Douglas Evans, a senior gunner in Alpha Battery. He received a call from the unit, asking if he would like to join us on this, and he volunteered.”
“The first day wasn’t that bad,” said Butts. “Everyone took me in like a son. I’m a young kid at 19; everyone else is 25 or older. They took me in and showed me everything. It wasn’t bad at all. It was like a new family.”
Alpha Battery, a unit belonging to the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) came to Louisiana to support advancing troops on the mock battlefield set up for the more than 21 states participating in the exercise. Leadership from all over the military came to witness parts of the rotation, including Gen. Frank Grass, Chief of the National Guard Bureau. So far, all indications point towards a rousing success for the brigade.
For Butts, just getting to know the rhythm of his new team has been his focus.
“It’s been quite an experience for him,” said Evans. “[Butts has] done an outstanding job. He still has that military posture and discipline coming from Basic, and we can see that. He’s a very hard-working individual.”
So far, Glen loves his new job, even though the time in the hot Louisiana sun can be demanding on these New England Soldiers.
“It’s not that bad,” he said. “Being up all night, pulling security and stuff like that, I can see how it can get irritating. But overall, I don’t mind it, because everyone here supports one another. We know it’s going to be bad, but we’re here for each other. We just keep each other together. We just work through it.”
Throughout high school, Glen always considered joining the Guard to be an option. It wasn’t until one day last year that he finally was pushed over the edge and into a recruiting station.
“I wanted to be active and help people,” he said. “I remember I was sitting there watching TV and I saw a National Guard commercial come up, and it was like, ‘help your community,’ so that intrigued me. I like helping out people a lot, so I just walked in to my recruiter’s office, and the rest is history.”
His parents were split on the decision in the beginning, but have sense come into an agreement that Glen joining was a good decision.
As I’m sure any mother will agree, hearing your son tell you that he’s joining the Army is a scary moment,” said Linda Butts, Glenn’s mother and a resident of Raynham. “But after he enlisted, and the reality sinks in, I couldn’t be prouder.”
My dad was behind it 100 percent,” said Glenn. “He kept on telling me throughout my senior year of high school, ‘hey, join the Army, it’s a good thing. It’ll make you a man, and just build you up,' all that stuff. “
“Glenn has always wanted a career in helping people,” said Linda. “He used to tell me he wanted to be an EMT, now he says he wants to be a firefighter. Becoming a Soldier was a natural thing for him to do. He’s always on the lookout for everybody else.”
It wasn't until he was shipped out to Basic, and he was in the thick of his training did he realize the full weight of his decision to become a Soldier.
“I just wanted to do something bigger than myself,” he said. “I like it a lot. When I got to basic, and they handed me my M16, and I shot it for the first time [I had never shot a gun before] that was my moment. I realized then that this was the real deal, that I was actually doing this; becoming a Soldier.”
Glenn is seriously considering turning his time in the National Guard into a career. He wants to spend at least 20 years serving his country.
| Date Taken: | 06.21.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2014 16:01 |
| Story ID: | 134234 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LA, US |
| Hometown: | RAYNHAM, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 672 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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