Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Cupp | Salem, N.J., native, Spc. Symone Sherrill, an engineer with the Hammonton, N.J.-based...... read more read more
Subscribe
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Spc. Symone Sherrill, an engineer for the Hammonton, N.J.-based 150th Engineer Company, attached to the 133rd Engineer Battalion, counts her blessings prior to the start of each work day as she conducts deconstruction and construction projects at Bagram Airfield.
The 22-year-old specialist, who hails from Salem, N.J., serves as part of the 82nd Sustainment Brigade-U.S. Central Command Materiel Recovery Element, and said being thankful for the things she has helps keep her motivated while assisting heavy equipment operators, working projects to build earth-filled barriers or deconstructing structures.
“Working these projects gives you a sense of importance and I know that without us, these projects would take much longer,” said Sherrill. “Engineers are on top of it every day, making sure we’re on schedule, and the quicker we work, the better we’re prepared to close or transfer bases to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.”
“It’s a mission that’s bigger than ourselves, because while we’re protecting our own country, we’re also helping others to eventually take over security for their country,” she added. “It makes us see how really blessed we are to live in America with all the freedoms we have. It gives you a sense of pride which you may have already had, but it’s amplified here because you can see that our responsibilities are extremely important, leaving things better than when we got here.”
When she’s not assisting in engineer projects, Sherrill spends her downtime working out at the gym, running, watching movies or contacting her family to stay resilient during the deployment.
“It’s important for me to stay in touch with my mom and sister back home,” said Sherrill, who has spent two years in the New Jersey Army National Guard. “While I’m deployed, I’m also concentrating on saving money so that I can get a new car and eventually I’d like to save enough to put a down payment on a house.”
Sherrill’s future goals include finishing a successful military career and volunteering to coach cheerleading at her former high school.
Sherrill said that she knows how important it is for engineers to continue their efforts of base closures and transfers but said there’s an equally important materiel reduction piece to the CMRE mission.
“It’s great to know we can recycle or put useful building supplies or equipment from our projects back into the military system,” said Sherrill. “Getting bases ready for closure or transfer is an extremely important effort, but it’s also important for us to save money by reusing perfectly good equipment that can be given back to the force.”
Sherrill and her fellow 150th Engineer Company Soldiers, who have been in theater about four months, will complete their mission sometime in 2014.
| Date Taken: | 12.28.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.10.2014 09:15 |
| Story ID: | 119004 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Hometown: | FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT LIBERTY, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | HAMMONTON, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Hometown: | PORTLAND, MAINE, US |
| Hometown: | SALEM, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 559 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Counting blessings: 150th Engineer Company troop helps right-size bases, by SFC Jon Cupp, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
