KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - During the holiday season, family and friends come together to share gifts and stories of the past year. The new year quickly approaches with some creating goals and making promises for a better future. On the first day of the year 2012, one couple completes their first New Year's resolution while deployed in southern Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Andre Footman and Sgt. Britney Footman, both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Resolute, re-enlist in a small ceremony held on Kandahar Airfield Jan. 1.
The new year brought a great deal of hope to this young family.
They redeploy with the brigade the following month, re-enlisted four more years, and will be taking college classes together under the school option in their new contract. They have put their future in motion.
“We have many goals we want to accomplish. With us re-enlisting we give ourselves a lot of options. This is just the first part,” he said.
Andre is TF-Resolute personnel action manager. He works on promotions, strength management and other personnel actions. Britney is a property book non-commissioned officer keeping accountability of equipment in the company. They have put together many goals for their future.
“I still have another re-enlistment left in my career leaving me with a few options. With us going to school, we may both want to go to officer candidate school in the future,” he said.
She added, “I have been thinking of becoming a nurse either in the Army or as a civilian. We also want to start a family so with school and advancing our career four more years, we will feel comfortable.”
Earlier in the deployment, date, the Footmans were both promoted on the same day. It was an accomplishment of a goal established early in their relationship that started more than four years ago.
Their focus was finely tuned in May 2010 with their wedding. Britney is the first to complement her spouse’s abilities as a husband and as a soldier.
“Andre is a very supportive and loving a husband. As a soldier he is a hard worker, a good leader and puts his heart and soul into his work,” she said.
Andre also had the same admiration for his wife.
“She is a beautiful person. I call her ‘dream catcher’ because she always chases her dreams and never lets them get away. As a soldier she is strong willed, and does not accept failure in a mission,” he said.
It was only a coincidence that they re-enlisted on New Year’s Day; they had established future plans before then. Their re-enlistment is another plan in the beginning stages of their hope-filled future.
Resiliency can be found on any given day of the year.
| Date Taken: |
01.01.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
01.04.2012 02:45 |
| Story ID: |
82013 |
| Location: |
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: |
101 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, Married non-commissioned officer couple celebrates new year with re-enlistment, by SGT Edwin Rodriguez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
