Photo By Sgt. Scott Akanewich | U.S. Army Reserve Warrant Officer Jacob Grobler, assigned to the 481st Transportation...... read more read more
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KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska – Warrant Officer Jacob Grobler grew up in the small village of Vryburg in the Northwest province of South Africa. A military career was the furthest thing from his mind, no less serving in the U.S. Army.
“When I was young, there was still a mandatory service rule for all males,” said Grobler, of the 481st Transportation Company [Heavy Boat]. “Everyone was drafted into the army for one year.”
Grobler’s number on the draft board was actually called when he was still a senior in high school in 1993. However, he received a one-year deferment in order to graduate first, he said.
“It just so happened during that year, the government did away with the draft and went to an all-volunteer force,” said Grobler.
The change in policy allowed him to move on directly to college.
Once in university, he entered an exchange-student program and found himself at the University of Minnesota at age 22. As part of the agricultural program he was in, he worked on a farm in Lodi, Calif., during the summer.
After his time in the U.S. was up, he returned home. But he found himself struggling to assimilate, he said.
“In America, it was easier to find work and the standard-of-living was better,” said Grobler.
So, he packed up, flew back across the Atlantic, and then traveled out west, where he began life as a construction worker in San Francisco. It was 1999 and Grobler was fitting in just fine in his new homeland when September 11, 2001, happened.
This unthinkable occurrence stoked a fire deep within Grobler, he said.
“I took it very personal,” he said. “If you attack me, I’m going to defend myself.”
Grobler fell in love and married an American, which allowed him to remain in the U.S. until he gained citizenship in 2008. At the time of his enlistment, however, he was still a South African citizen.
He was determined to fight the Global War on Terrorism one way or the other, he said.
“Up until 9/11, I always felt safe in America,” said Grobler.
By then, he began working on tugboats in the San Francisco Bay. He rose up through the civilian watercraft ranks and gained valuable experience. This was a harbinger of what his future career path in the Army would hold.
Grobler enlisted as a watercraft operator and worked on Army Landing Craft Utility vessels. LCUs are flat-bottom vessels designed to operate in shallow waters, which enables them to deliver cargo to unimproved ports inaccessible to traditional ships.
After being promoted to the rank of sergeant, he found himself being tugged in a different direction, he said.
“I was seeing a new generation of soldiers coming into the Army and I wanted to be able to make as much of a difference as I could in their training,” said Grobler. “So, becoming a warrant officer seemed to me like a natural progression.”
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ken Lashbrook, also of the 481st and who has known and worked with Grobler for the past decade, believes his apprentice will make an excellent vessel master, he said.
“He has vast knowledge of the vessel, ship operations and navigation, as well as being aware of the environmental aspects,” said Lashbrook, who has been a vessel master for 14 years. “Once he gets through school, he’s going to be a good one.”
Lashbrook said now is when all Grobler’s previous experience on the water, both as a Soldier and civilian, is coming to fruition.
“He’s worked the deck, so he knows what’s going on from the bottom up,” he said.
Grobler also has the intangibles to be a good vessel master, said Lashbrook.
“He has a passion for the craft, he loves his job and his country,” he said. “He’ll definitely be an asset for many years.”
Even now, Grobler thinks back to the days of his youth in his native land and marvels at how far his life has come, literally and figuratively, he said.
“Sometimes I consider putting a video clip of myself on the Internet, so all my old friends back in South Africa can see what I’m doing now,” said Grobler, with a laugh. “Although I did send my parents a news report in which I was interviewed.”
| Date Taken: | 06.20.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.21.2013 12:29 |
| Story ID: | 109047 |
| Location: | KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 200 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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