Photo By Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell | Pfc. Chelsea Fudge, 19, of La Grande, Ore., steps up into the cab of a Light Mobile...... read more read more
BAKER CITY, Oregon – Pfc. Chelsea Fudge is a busy young woman. Not only is she a full-time college student at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Oregon, but the 19-year-old also works four part-time jobs.
And, as if four part-time jobs were not quite enough, Fudge – who is striving to secure a degree in music education – also volunteers her voice to various celebrations and events across the region as well as staging her own small concerts.
“I’ve been singing for big events since I was 13,” she said.
As a self-confessed “girly-girl,” one of Fudge’s part-time gigs may appear at first glance to be odd.
Yet Fudge doesn’t see her part-time work as a member of the Oregon Army National Guard’s Fox Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team to be a contradiction.
Once a month, Fudge drives down Interstate 84 that slices through a remote section of Oregon to attend drill in Baker City with Fox Company. Fudge concedes that her interest in the Guard and her desire to attend college evolved into a viable method to pay for her higher education.
“I joined [the Guard] because it would help me with my education,” she said.
Fudge said her enlistment bonus and her ability to draw upon a GI Bill kicker program has helped solve some of the common financial challenges many college students face. She also said her experience in the Baker City Army National Guard unit proved to be beneficial.
“It has opened a lot of doors for me. It has been an amazing journey,” she said.
Fudge’s job revolves around operating one of the big Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMITT) Fox Company utilizes to keep the tanks and Bradly fighting vehicles of the 116th’s 3rd Battalion on the road, a job she enjoys.
“I really like it,” she said. “I have made so many connections with people. And I’m getting a lot of life experience. And a paycheck doesn’t hurt.”
Still she said her Guard time isn’t all about the money.
“It is a self-sacrifice. And it has been an eye opener. This gave me the opportunity to take responsibility for my job,” she said.
In August Fudge, 19, and her comrades in the Baker City Guard unit will journey to Fort Irwin, California, in the Mohave Desert to conduct training exercises at the National Training Center (NTC). The rotation through the NTC is already shaping up to be the ultimate peacetime test for the Baker City Guard unit but Fudge said she is eager to go.
“I’m looking forward to it because it will be another experience. It will open up a lot of my learning processes,” Fudge said.
Lt. Col. Brian Dean, the commander of the 3rd Battalion said Fudge epitomizes the kind of Soldier his unit seeks out and mentors.
“Pfc Fudge is a remarkable young woman. She is focused, dedicated and embodies both the Army Values and those of ‘Eastern Oregon’s Own.’ We are all proud of her,” he said.
Dean said Soldiers like Fudge indicate his unit has a bright future.
“We are looking forward to seeing and helping her as she grows. She is a magnificent role model and exemplifies what makes Eastern Oregonians successful locally, nationally and globally,” Dean said.
The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team consists of Army National Guard combat units from Idaho, Montana and eastern Oregon.
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2015 17:02 |
| Story ID: | 162004 |
| Location: | LA GRANDE, OR, US |
| Web Views: | 473 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Oregon Soldier secures success with military service, by SSG Patrick Caldwell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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