Photo By Sgt. George Welcome | Pvt. Ulysses Balthazar, a Soldier with Troop D, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment...... read more read more
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By Spc. George Welcome
101st Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade is full of Soldiers whose talents and abilities extend beyond what they do during the course of a normal duty day.
Pvt. Ulysses Balthazar, a Trooper in Troop D, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment. Balthazar, a native of Sacramento, Calif., is a 15 J, an armament, electrical and avionics repair specialist, whose job is to maintain and repair the weapons systems and components for the OH-58 D Kiowa Warrior.
"It's really funny," Balthazar said as he recalled how he joined the Army. "When I was in high school I didn't really like the military. I had a teenage mind and I was thinking war was dumb and the whole rebellious thing. When I turned 18, I registered with the Selective Service. A little bit after, I went to see a recruiter and asked a few questions. I didn't want to sign up at first, so the recruiters gave me a few free DVDs with all the things the Army had to offer."
After watching the DVDs, Balthazar became impressed with all the various jobs that were available in the Army.
"I looked at the videos and thought that there were some cool jobs, things that I didn't even know you could do in the Army. I didn't really have a lot going on for me except for being a D.J., which was a good paying job, it just wasn't really steady. So I decided to do something, and I joined the Army. One of the main reasons I joined was to make my family proud."
Although he joined the Army, he didn't completely leave spinning records behind. He still frequently D.J.'s at special MWR events and other occasions.
"I have been a D.J. since the sixth grade. I grew up watching D.J. Skribble and all those guys on MTV, so I started trying to mimic them," Balthazar said. "It was something that just grabbed my attention and I never stopped. I have worked at car shows, raves, clubs and house parties. It just never stopped. The first time anyone from my unit heard me D.J. was at a club back in Clarksville. I was then asked to D.J. our unit's military ball."
After doing good job at the ball, Balthazar was offered the chance to bring his equipment to Afghanistan, so he could continue with his hobby. In addition to music, Balthazar is also a talented visual artist.
"I also like to airbrush, and now that people know about that, I've been asked to do a lot of airbrushing for the unit. I've been airbrushing CAV symbols everywhere," he joked.
As for what he wishes to accomplish during his time in Afghanistan, Balthazar feels he gets to achieve his goals everyday.
"As it is, I think I have accomplished my goals," Balthazar. "I handle multi-million dollar aircraft that my non-commissioned officers trust me with. I'm only 21 years old and a lot of my friends back home have a hard time believing that I do a job like this. As civilian it would take years before I would be able to get my hands on an aircraft, the military gives you that opportunity."
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2008 02:00 |
| Story ID: | 23582 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 244 |
| Downloads: | 197 |
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