Photo By Staff Sgt. V. Michelle Woods | Spc. Erick Matthews, a generator mechanic and Jersey City, N.J., native assigned to...... read more read more
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MOROVIA, Liberia - A generator mechanic assigned to Joint Forces Command – United Assistance was recognized by the JFC-UA commander for his exemplary performance while supporting Operation United Assistance, Jan. 16, at the Barclay Training Center, Monrovia, Liberia.
Spc. Erick Matthews was formally recognized by Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky, who awarded him with a division coin, followed by a helicopter ride, accompanying the commanding general on his flight around the joint operations area.
“He joined for all the right reasons: to defend our nation and protect his loved-ones back home,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Volante, a senior maintenance supervisor assigned to JFC-UA and Matthews’ supervisor.
Upon seeing the World Trade Center Towers get attacked from his home in Jersey City, New Jersey, Matthews said he felt inclined to join the military. Although he had a good job as a civilian, he said felt he wasn’t doing enough to help protect his homeland so three years ago he enlisted in the Army.
After serving for three years, Matthews deployed to Liberia in support of OUA, a Department of Defense operation to provide logistics, training and engineering support for the U.S. Agency for International Development-led effort to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in western Africa.
He had just missed his chance to deploy with the unit to Afghanistan so he was excited to get to deploy this time, he said.
“We’re not at war here in Africa but we’re still serving and protecting our country from the outbreak of Ebola,” said Matthews. “I’m not the one necessarily administering the medicine or helping the patients, but I’m providing support to those who are giving orders to support those working with patients.”
Matthews and his fellow generator mechanics are responsible for providing power for several buildings used by the JFC-UA personnel at the BCT.
“He’s a hard worker and highly adaptable,” said Volante. “He is always willing to learn and help out the team. He does his job well and if anyone else needs his assistance, he is more than willing to help.”
Although his family was concerned about him deploying to Liberia considering the Ebola outbreak, Matthews said he wasn’t worried. Now that he has been here for three months, he said he feels safe.
“I’m on a secure base where we check everyone coming in and out to make sure no one is sick,” said Matthews. “We do daily health checks in the morning and afternoon to ensure that if anyone does have symptoms, that person can get medical care so their sickness doesn’t spread.”
This deployment is the first time Matthews has been out of the U.S., and for a boy who grew up in the city, the Liberian countryside is beautiful but different from what he’s used to, he said.
“If you have the chance to join the military, I would say take it,” said Matthews. “You grow up in one place and you become accustomed to those standards. Having the chance to experience life somewhere else is an opportunity people should take advantage of. Life is too short to live under the same rock.”
| Date Taken: | 01.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.16.2015 16:46 |
| Story ID: | 152186 |
| Location: | MONROVIA, LR |
| Web Views: | 308 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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