Photo By Spc. Robert Vicens Rolon | First Sgt. Carlos Salas, the senior enlisted advisor of the 4th Infantry Division...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. — First Sgt. Carlos Salas, the senior enlisted advisor for the 4th Infantry Division Band, will never forget an experience he had as a five-year-old boy that made a tremendous impact on his life.
His older sister, Becky Auringer, now a retired major in the United States Air Force, came home on assignment in her dress uniform. He remembers how proud she looked and how sharp she looked. Auringer then took young Salas on a tour of the installation on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
“She was visiting in an official capacity – I know that now because she was in uniform,” said Salas.
When she took him to the commissary, it impressed him when he realized the store was available only for military personnel and their Families.
“There were all these Soldiers everywhere in uniform,” he said. “I thought it was so cool – there was a fascination for me as a kid, seeing that (the commissary) was a place only for Soldiers. I couldn’t believe that no one else could go there.”
Then she pointed out a couple of Soldiers walking along the street.
“Watch,” his sister said. “One of those soldiers is going to salute the other.”
Salas watched them salute one another as they crossed paths.
“I remember exactly the stoplight where it was,” Salas said. “I go to Fort Leavenworth every now and then, and even now, I’m still impressed – the landscape is amazing, the buildings are beautiful; even the prison is cool, which looks like something out of Skeletor’s Castle.”
The experience gave him the impression of the military as an exclusive, proud group of individuals who all shared a powerful bond. The impression would never leave him, and when he was 18 years old, Salas joined the Army. After over 20 years of service, Salas is the non-commissioned officer in charge of the 4th Inf. Div. Band on Fort Carson – and, he admits, he intends to stay in the service as long as the Army will allow him.
Auringer had no idea that the event had made such an impact on him, she said. The retired USAF Major is hesitant to take the credit for being the greatest influence on Salas, but she is honored to have played a part in his decision.
“I am proud of Carlos for continuing the legacy,” she said. “I love the military. It provided a good living for my family and lots of memories -- I think the Families are the unsung heroes (of the military) because they sacrifice a lot to allow our military members to give 110% to the mission.”
Years later, Salas relived the significant experience from his youth with his younger brother Michael Nester, albeit from a different point of view.
When his younger brother was almost the exact age as Salas was when he was first impressed with the culture military pride, Salas took young Nester on a tour of military installations and historical sites, including Arlington cemetery.
Salas recalls the time vividly because they completed their tour of Washington D.C., precisely one day before the events of September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon.
“I vaguely remember Arlington cemetery – but I do recall visiting and being escorted around installations by my brother,” said Nester, now an Army specialist who has been serving for over four years; he joined straight out of high school.
Salas recalls the time vividly because they completed their tour of Washington D.C., precisely one day before the events of September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon.
“Looking back, at first, I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure of the gravity of the situation; I was only around four at the time. Later on, as I grew up, the impact it made on the country and my family as a whole was definitely a driving force (for joining the military). Knowing that around that time, my own brother was willing to make that sacrifice, and answer the call to serve, certainly gave me a push to further pursue my enlistment.”
“All in all, it began with an interest in a small community with a lot of pride within itself,” Nester continued. “I credit my brother as being the biggest influence on me to join (the Army).”
Now that he is a Soldier, Nester said he feels a sense of pride and a strengthened bond with those family members who have served. Even more so upon reflecting upon the fact that his brother was similarly influenced by an older sibling.
“It makes me truly believe that some things in life aren’t exactly coincidence, Nester said. “I am proud and joyful to serve and I am proud to have such an amazing older brother to look up to.”
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2020 16:00 |
| Story ID: | 371794 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 398 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Family Legacy of Military Service, by SPC Robert Vicens Rolon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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