By Spc. Cody Campana
He overcame the obstacle that many in the world aspire to conquer. It was a long journey, but he bounded over the hurdle of financial uncertainty in order to support his family and to insure that they have a better life style.
The medium-built man with brown hair carries himself with a sense of pride and motivation, knowing that he has accomplished his goal to make himself better and to give his family a decent life. Spc. Michael Vermette became a soldier at 20-years old when his civilian job was not paying the bills.
“I had the second best job in my town, and I still couldn’t make rent sometimes,” said Vermette.
At the time, he worked at a steel factory in Colorado that just didn’t pay him enough to support a family. After some time, his wife Natasha urged him to join the Army, he said.
The Army gave Vermette a chance to make a good living and to have a career. He enlisted in the Army as a transportation management coordinator in July 2007, he said. After completing his initial training he was assigned to a duty station in Aviano, Italy, as a part of the 99th Movement Control Team. Vermette was with the 99th MCT for three years and deployed to Iraq with them from September 2008 to September 2009.
In Iraq he was just a private first class, but was responsible for all of the transportation in and out of the forward operating base Al Asad.
“I was in charge of all movement in and out. I tracked everything and everyone on every vehicle,” he said.
With the responsibility and motivation of a non-commissioned officer, Vermette honorably completed his tour in Iraq.
After Vermette returned from Iraq he was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 24th Transportation Battalion in Eustis, Va.
“Virginia is very nice,” said Vermette. “My family likes it there, because we have a nice house and live in a good neighborhood,” he added.
Vermette is now the armorer for the HHD 24th TB. He uses his warrior skills and advanced training to enhance the effectiveness of his unit.
“I maintain the unit’s weapons, issue and receive weapons, and keep sensitive item accountability,” he said.
Vermette said the intense motivation that he displays is an example for all soldiers. He said he hates it when people are unmotivated, because he knows what it’s like to struggle as a civilian and he is grateful for what the Army has given him.
Currently, Vermette is doing his part for operation African Lion 2011 in Morocco with the HHD 24th TB as part of Task force 24. Operation African Lion is a joint service operation that not only involves U.S. service members, but Royal Moroccan Armed Forces as well. The optimistic Vermette is enthusiastically taking part in this mission, which consists of ship-to-shore movement of equipment, peacekeeping operations, and humanitarian civic operations.
“I have seen the coast of Italy, the coast of the United States, and now the coast of Africa,” said Vermette.
He said the Army has given him the chance to see things that he may have never had the chance to with his old civilian job in La Junta, Colo. Even though he gets to travel the world to places he may have never dreamed he would, it is still difficult being away from his wife and child.
“It’s difficult for my wife when I leave. For the first month she cries a lot and is upset, but after she gets into a routine it gets easier,” he said, “ She does like that the house is cleaner when I’m gone though,” he added.
Although it may not be easy for Vermette and his family when they are separated, they have been able to find stability, and more importantly, a home in the Army.
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2011 07:05 |
| Story ID: | 70096 |
| Location: | MA |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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