Courtesy Photo | Capt. Cesar Visurraga, a medical-surgical nurse with the 865th Combat Support Hospital...... read more read more
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SILVER SPRING, Md. – Have you ever wondered why Soldiers volunteer to serve in the Army Reserve?
Three Army Reserve soldiers provide you an answer of why they serve in today’s military and share their experiences with the ‘Why I Serve’ Discovery Channel Project.
This project allows the nation to meet three Citizen-Soldiers, Capt. Cesar Visurraga, 29, a medical-surgical nurse with the 865th Combat Support Hospital, Ashley, Pa.; 1st Lt. Leah Evert, 31, a dietician and nutritionist with the 4215th United States Army Hospital, Richmond, Va.; and 1st Lt. Alexander (Alec) Augustine-Marceil, 25, a civil affairs team chief with the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Green Bay, Wis., and share their story of why they serve in the military.
Capt. Cesar Visurraga, ‘Why I Serve’
"I feel very honored and humbled by being selected,” said Visurraga, a native and resident of Hyattsville, Md., who has served seven years in the Army, but has been involved with the military since he was fourteen year old.
It began in high school, where he was a member of the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps followed by joining a University ROTC program and was commissioned into the U.S. Army upon graduation, and presently serves in the United States Army Reserve as a medical-surgical nurse with the 865th Combat Support Hospital, Ashley, Pa.
Visurruga has many reasons for serving in the military, he talks to the Discovery Channel about his top three. First, it gave him the freedom of attending a civilian nurse anesthesia school full-time while remaining as an active participant with the military. Secondly, as a nurse, aiding soldiers on the frontlines is the ultimate challenge for an Army nurse. Lastly, to encourage his fellow Latinos, who can identify with his struggles, with a key objective to inform and support them through difficult times.
“The U. S. Army laid the groundwork for me paving a path to a wonderful civilian career that I am proud of … I am pleased to have the freedom to immerse myself into a civilian and military career,” said Visurraga. “It’s like having the best of both worlds.”
As an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran, he receives military educational benefits that provide him with school expenses. “The combination of the Army Reserve and VA benefits has allowed me the ability to focus on my education without the financial struggles which my fellow Americans are facing,” he stressed.
Visurraga deployed to Baghdad in support of OIF from 2007 to 2009.
“While in Baghdad, I was trained to be an Intensive Care Unit nurse … the ultimate reason for my training was to treat service members,” said Visurraga. “As a nurse, aiding a fellow soldier on the frontlines is the epitome of all Army nurses.”
Visurraga vividly remembers his first patient while deployed in support of OIF. “The most unforgettable, rewarding and challenging experience by far has been the first time my intensive care unit received a wounded soldier, attempting to save his life while in Baghdad, Iraq.”
It was Visurraga’s greatest honor to provide care to this wounded soldier who gave so much to his country.
“The combined efforts in trying to revive the Soldier were intense, emotional, and focused,” recalled Visurraga. “This was the first time I ever saw a U.S. Army soldier die before me, and the purest moment of my allegiance to my country’s effort.”
Visurraga has two personal goals, first, is to educate Latinos on the benefits of serving in the military, and how the military can assist Latinos in reaching their individual dreams. “Their dreams to greater advancement can begin with the tools the U.S. military can provide them,” he said.
He went on to explain that his decision to join the Army benefited him as a Latino who was determined to succeed.
“I am a passionate young Latino U.S. Army officer greatly concerned for the future of my fellow Latinos,” said Visurraga. “I am a U.S. born citizen … however; I shared the same personal, cultural, social and economic hardships as my single mother immigrated from Peru to the U.S. while pregnant with me.”
His second goal is to encourage American communities to support one another and to be actively engaged in the community, especially in the Latino environment. .
“This project gives me the opportunity to voice my accomplishments and personal story in order to empower my fellow Americans who can identify with my prior struggles in life,” said Visurraga.
Visurraga’s family is proud of his accomplishments and his military service, he stated, “In my mom’s eyes I am like a General, but I remind her that we have a chain of command, and that I am a young developing officer.” His mother, Ana, and sister, Cecilia were concerned for his welfare during his deployments, but realized his experiences were an open door leading to more success.
“I feel my personal story is genuine and will resonate to the growing Latino community interested in serving our country,” said Visurraga. “This is Hispanic Heritage Month and I feel honored to be a participant and representing the Latino community.”
Visurraga is pursuing his Masters in Nurse Anesthetist at the University of Scranton, Scranton, Pa., where he intends to remain in the Army Reserve to serve as a nurse anesthetist.
Why 1st Lt. Leah Evert serves
“It was an honor to be selected, but I was also slightly intimidated,” responded Evert on how she felt about being selected for the Discovery Channel Project, “Why I Serve.”
“What a surreal experience,” stated Evert, a resident of Arlington, Va.,
Evert, was not sure what to expect when she arrived with her father, Raymond Evert, a resident of McLean, Va., to the Discovery Channel interview.
“I know there are other soldiers with more Army experience who would be great candidates,” she added. “I do think that I have a story to tell and can relate to folks who are thinking about joining the Army Reserve, but I was nervous about appropriately representing such a large group of people.”
Evert, an Army Reserve soldier, is a dietician and nutritionist with the 4215th USAH, which falls under the Northeast Medical Area Readiness Support Group of the Army Reserve Medical Command, who fulfills many responsibilities in her command which include: wellness expert; education and counseling for improved nutrition; cardiovascular; counseling diabetes prevention and sports nutrition. She also serves as the officer-in-charge of the units' fitness program, and runs the Soldier Athlete Readiness Program consisting of a two-week intensive nutrition and fitness camp to improve the soldiers' wellness.
“I knew there would be soldiers who needed to improve their health and, like the rest of America, lose weight and decrease their risk for disease,” said Evert. “I knew I would be the right person to provide those soldiers with the tools they could use to improve their own health.”
During a break between jobs, she was informed the Army was in need of dieticians. Evert, decided to serve after completing her clinical internship. She knew her skills could be used and was looking forward to giving back, providing nutritional care and counseling to soldiers.
“I knew I had valuable clinical skills that the Army could use and there would be soldiers who needed to improve their health, and like the rest of America, lose weight and decrease their risk for disease,” she added. “I knew I would be the right person to provide those soldiers with the tools they could use to improve their own health”.
One point Evert wanted to get across to the audience during this Discovery Channel “Why I Serve” project was the importance for her to share the impact that Army Reserve soldiers can make on their fellow soldiers and on the community. “It's a part time job but we can certainly make a difference, particularly as a part of Army health care,” said Evert.
“I hope the show will depict real life citizen-soldiers who can show the benefit of being soldier, civilian employee and impactful member of his or her community. I hope that we can also convey accurately the life and career benefits of which an Army soldier is privy.”
“I am organized, disciplined and driven, thanks to the skills I’ve learned during Army training,” she said. “That makes me a better employee and a better manager.”
What she hopes to get from this opportunity to voice how she feels about serving her country is, “I hope that I can change some minds regarding the roles and responsibilities of an Army Reserve soldier and show how symbiotic the relationship can be between corporate and Army reserve careers,” expressed Evert.
This opportunity was a neat experience for Evert and she had much pride in being part of a nationwide campaign. She hopes her command will be proud of her and that she represented the unit well, as a true steward of the Army Reserve.
“I have high hopes that my experiences in the Army Reserve highlighted in this program might motivate others to seek out similar opportunities,” remarked Evert. “But, most of all, I hope that I’ve represented my fellow soldier and the Army well.”
Evert has a Masters degree in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science from Marywood University, Scranton, Pa.; a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology (Exercise Science concentration) from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
First Lt. Alexander (Alec) Augustine-Marceil why he serves
“I'm honored to be able to share my story,” said Augustine-Marceil about his experience with the Discovery Channel project.
“I'm fairly open about my service, but this is a whole new scale of audience than a high school class,” said Augustine-Marceil. “I'm excited for the opportunity to help the Army educate about the many different ways to serve, especially in Civil Affairs, which is often overlooked but extraordinarily interesting field.
A native of Marshall, Wis., Augustine-Marceil, is a civil affairs team chief with Charlie Company, 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion from Green Bay, Wis., participated in the project to be able to tell his story of why he serves in the Army Reserve.
Augustine-Marceil wanted more flexibility and control of his career path and the Army Reserve provided this opportunity.
“I knew I wanted to be a Civil Affairs officer,” said Augustine-Marceil. “By joining the Army Reserve … I was able to have more control over my career path and begin a career in the intelligence field working in a Civil Affairs unit.”
The Army Reserve has made him a stronger and better person he expressed, “When people rely on you, whether it is for a weekend training plan or with their lives on a patrol, you have to rise to that challenge.”
The project interview was an interesting experience for Augustine-Marceil.
“To be under so many lights and on the other end of so many eyes … I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have that seem normal,” said Augustine-Marceil.
This is a new audience for him, it is not a typical high school class he stated, “I’m excited to help the Army educate about the many different ways to serve, especially in Civil Affairs, which is often overlooked.”
He hopes that the project will help people understand the many ways and reasons people serve the Army Reserve. Augustine-Marceil project experience was an educational opportunity to share his story and spread word about the Army Reserve.
A key point he talks about during his interview, is that the Army Reserve is a force with different capabilities with many professionals, and has made him a better and stronger person since he joined.
What he likes best about the military is when he was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2011.
In the beginning of his deployment, he found his job to be dull, reviewing and editing daily reports, but later his job lead to a once in a life time opportunity for him. Because he acquired much knowledge on the situational awareness of the country through his job, and participated in countryside flyovers.
“I saw rows of orchards and vineyards … everywhere else in Kandahar I traveled was scarred by war, but that district was not only relatively untouched by warfare, but also by other modern things,” stated Augustine-Marceil. “It could have been the 16th century.” This was his most rewarding experience while deployed.
“I had the time of my life, because I didn’t know what I was going to be doing next week, just that it would be challenging, and it would be important. He was part of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team during his 2011 deployment.
“My family respects the military, admires it, and is envious of it sometimes, even … however, few, outside of those that have served themselves, understand it,” he said.
He states that his employer, Palantir Technologies in McLean, Va., support his service in the military where he works as an embedded analyst/mission specialist.
“A big chunk of my job is supporting military intelligence and civil affairs analysts,” said Augustine-Marceil. He added that a number of his colleagues are former military or soldiers that serve in the military today.
“If it were not for the military,” said Augustine-Marceil. “I would not be where I am today without the experience I gained in the military.”
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 10.17.2012 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 96267 |
| Location: | PINELLAS PARK, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 1,095 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Three Army Reserve soldiers share their military experience, by MSG Enid Ramos-Mandell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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