Photo By Capt. James Mercure | Private First Class Aristarchus Metto is from Eldoret, Kenya, but plans on submitting...... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE ZEEBRUGGE, Afghanistan – He speaks five languages, has a bachelor’s degree in tax accounting, and is serving a nation that is not yet his own.
Private First Class Aristarchus Metto, a motor transport operator with Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines and an Eldoret, Kenya native says he joined the Marine Corps after a chance meeting near Mt. Kilimanjaro.
“When I was younger I used to see these guys in uniform when I took trips to the mountain with my father,” Metto said. “They told me they were with the United States Marine Corps. I joked with them one day and asked if I could join, and they told me if I was an American I could. Two years later, I came to America. After I finished my degree, I went to my recruiter, and I was in boot camp three days later.”
For Metto, who has lived in West Des Moines, Iowa for five years, moving back to Kenya after his visa expired was always a part of his plan. But after serving as a Marine, his goal is now to become an American citizen.
“After coming out (to Afghanistan), I had a realization that nothing will be the same in Kenya,” Metto said. “You just can’t start a life and then quit a life. I have started my new life in America, and I will stay.”
After more than six months of being deployed, Metto says the experience of meeting new friends, and seeing a different side of the world will be memories that will last a lifetime.
“My squad and I have been through it all. The friends I’ve made in the Marine Corps are much better than any other friends I have had. They go out of their way to make sure you are taken care of,” Metto said. “But, we still fight over who stands post; like brothers,” he added with a smile.
During his deployment, Metto worked with the Afghan National Security Forces stationed here and saw the positive impact they’ve had on the area.
“Working with them has been a really nice experience,” Metto said. “When it was winter it would be freezing out on post, and the (Afghan National Army) soldiers would bring us hot chai and some warming layers, making it a little less miserable during the night.”
“They have many cultural differences from the Marine Corps, but they are becoming better every day as soldiers. The Afghan people are glad they are here patrolling with the Marines,” Metto added.
Always using math to solve problems, Metto took what he learned from a college education in tax accounting and applied it to guarding the forward operating base.
“I take the statistics of the distance from our post, types of weapons the insurgents use and which buildings provide the most protection for them," Metto said. "I then use the data to create a formula that allows us to zero in on their positions quickly to take them out when the time comes."
Sgt. Michael Abeyta Jr., from Tucson, Ariz., is Metto’s squad leader and has seen his potential and how he keeps his squad’s morale high with his outgoing personality.
“He’s been a huge part of our squad’s success, and everyone always tells me how great he’s doing,” Abeyta said. “He takes so much thought in everything he says, because he thinks in Swahili and speaks in English. So when he speaks, it’s always honest, and sometimes there is a language gap that cracks us up.
“He will come up with a mathematical formula for anything. He’s a bright kid, and he has personality that will make anyone smile. He’s a great guy to have in your squad.”
Metto says he has his heart set on submitting his paperwork to become an American citizen after he returns from this deployment. He also plans on returning to college to pursue his Master’s degree after he completes his enlistment.
“America is the best country in the world, and it is my home now,” Metto said. “I have served my country, and my fiancé lives in America. I want to be an American when I get back.”
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2012 05:30 |
| Story ID: | 87118 |
| Location: | AF |
| Hometown: | WEST DES MOINES, IA, US |
| Web Views: | 369 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Amani Kila Siku (Always Faithful): Kenyan serves his new country as a Marine, by CPT James Mercure, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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