Tree cutter to machine gunner: Just another day in the life a paratrooper

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Butler | Spc. Sammy Gardner, a native of Aiken, S. C., HHC, 4th Brigade Combat Team (ABN), 25th Infantry Division, sits in the turret of his truck.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

02.08.2007

Story by Staff Sgt. Marcus Butler 

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. Marcus Butler
4th BCT (Airborne), 25th Inf. Div. Public Affairs

KALSU, Iraq – For many people, choosing a career is not an easy decision to make. It is even harder to make that decision at age 17. Picture a junior in high school in any town, big or small, and a local job market that is not overflowing with employment opportunities.

That is the situation that Spc. Sammy Gardner faced going into his senior year of high school. Gardner, a native of Aiken, S.C., knew he would not have many jobs to choose from and that the time to make a decision was fast approaching.

"The summer before my senior year I took a job as a tree cutter," said Gardner. "I can still remember myself waking up in the early morning, strapping on tree spikes and scaling 30 to 40-foot trees."

Gardner knew that he did not want to be a tree cutter for the rest of his life, so he decided to make a drastic change.

"I was sitting in the lunch room of my high school and I saw an Army recruiter walk in," Gardner recalled. "I approached him and gave him my information and in a few days, he called."

Still feeling cautious about a commitment to the Army, Gardner stalled the recruiter for close to three weeks. However, he eventually pushed aside his concerns and enlisted in the Army.

"When he (the recruiter) showed up at my house, I was more than a little hesitant," said Gardner. "My mother was the most surprised, as she knew nothing of my decision."

Gardner entered the Army as a human resource specialist and completed his basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, S.C.

After completing his initial training, Gardner volunteered for airborne training and the Ranger Indoctrination Program. Even though he was not able to enter into RIP, Gardner got a chance at Airborne, and did not let anything stop him.

"After all of my training and Airborne school, I wanted to be in an Airborne Unit. So I chose to come to Ft. Richardson, Alaska," he said.

Fort Richardson is home to the Army's newest airborne brigade, the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. Coming to this unit not only meant Gardner would be among other paratroopers, but also that he would be going to war.

The 4-25th recently deployed to Iraq for a year-long tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Even though Gardner's primary military occupational specialty is human resources, his job in Iraq is on the opposite end of the spectrum.

"When we arrived in Iraq, different sections of the brigade's HHC (Headquarters and Headquarters Company) were being tasked out as a security team to help out other battalions. Naturally, I could not pass up the opportunity and I volunteered," said Gardner.

The security team, on which Gardner is a gunner, is more of a utility section that aids in different missions ranging from escorting the explosive ordnance teams to adding more fire-power to elements going on patrol.

"I love doing what I do now," said Gardner. "It gets me out of the office and off the base."

Cutting down trees, jumping out of planes, working in a human resources office and being a gunner on the security team may seem like an odd journey to some, but for Spc. Sammy Gardner, it is just a series of events that made him what he is today.

• Date Taken: 02.08.2007
• Date Posted: 02.08.2007 13:20
• Story ID: 9095
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ