Spc. Gregory Wilson: Hometown Hero

Photo By Staff Sgt. Eric McDonough | Spc. Gregory Wilson, a mechanic with Fox Company, 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, works to repair the fuel system on a Humvee while deployed in support of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center on the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Western Ukraine on Aug. 9. The U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is deployed to Ukraine as part of the JMTG-U, an international coalition dedicated to improving the Yavoriv CTC's training capacity and building professionalism within the Ukrainian army. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Eric McDonough, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team)  

YAVORIV, UKRAINE

08.09.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Eric McDonough 

45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Spc. Gregory Wilson, of Lawton, Oklahoma is deployed to Ukraine as a mechanic with Fox Company, 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in support of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center on the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Western Ukraine.

The JMTG-U is a coalition of nations dedicated to improving the Yavoriv CTC's training capacity and building professionalism within the Ukrainian army. As Ukraine’s first NATO style training center, the CTC will allow for greater interoperability with partner nations in the future.

“I enlisted in the military because I had friends who were enlisted and it seemed like the thing to do,” Wilson said. “I haven’t regretted a moment.”

As an all-wheel mechanic, Wilson plays a vital role in maintaining the mission-capable status that allows the 45th IBCT to successfully accomplish its mission during this train-the-trainer deployment.

Wilson volunteered for the mission in Ukraine, which is his first deployment. He brings nine years of military service to Ukraine as well as a wealth of civilian experience.

Back home in Oklahoma, Wilson owns his own business where he works as a mechanic. He is a father of five.

When asked about his time overseas, Wilson said, “Ukraine is great, there’s a lot of culture, and the people are great. The weather is the best part though, it's not 105 degrees like it normally is in Oklahoma!”

• Date Taken: 08.09.2017
• Date Posted: 08.16.2017 03:38
• Story ID: 244311
• Location: YAVORIV, UA
• Hometown: LAWTON, OK, US