Photo By Staff Sgt. Ricardo Branch | Pvt. Brian Jackson guards along the perimeter of his base to prevent infiltration by...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT POLK, Louisiana – A year ago, Pvt. Brian Jackson was running around a smoothie shop in Shirlington, Virginia, stocking flavor-filled smoothie dispensers.
Today, he sits in a Humvee turret in the middle of the woods pointing a 50-caliber machine gun in the direction the enemy can approach his base.
Jackson, 19, from Washington, doesn’t make smoothies anymore but works on Strykers as a mechanic with Forward Support Company E, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. He’s currently operating in the Joint Readiness Training Center, at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
“Out here, I’m pulling guard duty to make sure the enemy doesn’t come past our perimeter,” he said from his gun turret. “Our ‘battle buddies’ working in the tactical operations center and various jobs within the forward operating base shouldn’t worry about gunfire coming their way while I’m on guard.”
The stocky mechanic smiles as he grips his machine gun, an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
“I know that if bullets start to fly, I’m a 249-SAW gunner and needed on the frontlines,” he said.
A torrential downpour soaks Jackson from head-to-toe.
“Weather is definitely one of the biggest challenges out here but it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “Weather is just something you learn to deal with as a Soldier.”
The “can-do” attitude from Jackson is not lost on his command team either, with his first sergeant observing the growth of a good Soldier from within his company.
“Jackson is definitely a great hard worker and team player,” said 1st Sgt. Jason Iseri, company first sergeant. “He’s still learning every day to improve as a Soldier. Jackson can get a task and with very little guidance complete it.”
Jackson credits the experiences at JRTC with helping him become a better Soldier.
“You get the feel of what might happen in combat from training here,” he said. “In field problems lasting two weeks, you just don’t get the feel of combat situations because you are near home and have it on your mind.
“With field training that’s a month long, you’re not actually thinking about going home because you think about what the situation is and what you can do to better progress yourself as a Soldier. Plus, you’re wearing all your gear and facing an enemy that’s firing back at you.”
“It’s a fun experience, so get the best out of it,” he said to others scheduled to go. “Make sure you’re doing your PCC/PCIs and PMCS … make sure everything you do is to the ‘T.’ It might suck when you first get out there but embrace the suck, ‘Ranger up,’ and you’ll be alright.”
Until his return to El Paso, Texas, Jackson will continue on with his tasks, waiting for the day he’s back at home station. He might not be in a smoothie shop anymore but he’s working on being the best Soldier he can be.
| Date Taken: | 01.24.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.24.2016 10:36 |
| Story ID: | 186899 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LA, US |
| Hometown: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | SHIRLINGTON, VA, US |
| Hometown: | WASHINGTON, DC, US |
| Web Views: | 548 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, From smoothie shop to frontline warrior: Stryker mechanic on the wire protects ‘battle buddies’ from harm, by SSG Ricardo Branch, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT