Photo By Maj. Alun Thomas | Staff Sgt. Abraham Camacho, recruiter, Sierra Vista Recruiting Station, Tucson...... read more read more
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. – From an early age it seemed the influence of the Army was always present around Staff Sgt. Abraham Camacho.
His father once served with the Mexican Army, instilling a sense of discipline and purpose in him as a young child.
As he grew older, many of the civilians he worked with were veterans, all with a wealth of experience, knowledge and values Camacho found admirable.
Finally in 2015 he decided to take the leap and enlist, a decision he hasn’t looked back from since.
Camacho, a native of Flagstaff, Ariz., moved to Sierra Vista at a young age and grew up there, in close proximity to Fort Huachuca.
“I grew up and did my K-12 Education all in Sierra Vista public schools. My father is a general contractor and I would work with him doing construction during the summers and after high school,” Camacho said. “Following high school, I went to Cochise College and The University of Arizona.”
The influence of the Army loomed over Camacho during this period, with his father, the fellow veterans he knew and nearby Fort Huachuca all streaming into his consciousness.
“While working as a lab manager for Cisco Systems, I worked with a lot of prior service Army Veterans,” he said. “Some were making six figure salaries with no college degrees and skills they learned from the Army.”
Knowing it was now or never, Camacho went to the Sierra Vista Recruiting Station and decided to enlist, despite holding a valuable civilian job.
“I was 26 years old and a college graduate when I joined … I was working for a major network company doing DoD (Department of Defense) Unified Capabilities Approved Products List testing for networking equipment,” Camacho added. “I worked with lots of people who had gained their skills through the Army and were applying them. I would look at Soldiers in my hometown and think 'what do they have that I don’t?' So I joined.”
Camacho enlisted as an infantryman, deciding to choose a profession that defines the Army’s history.
“I chose this job, because to me it is what truly being a Soldier means,” Camacho explained. “When you see movies or think of things that Soldiers do most often, it’s the infantry Soldier that is depicted.”
This military occupational specialty allowed Camacho to experience a diverse range of opportunities over the ensuing years, all of which helped him progress through the ranks in various leadership positions.
“Through hard work and an opportunity afforded to me after enlistment, I was offered Airborne School and to become a paratrooper (with the 82nd Airborne Division),” Camacho said. “I worked in every position in a line infantry battalion, from rifleman to being a team leader. I also worked as an infantry scout platoon leader and as a dismounted reconnaissance troop team leader.”
In 2017, Camacho deployed to Mosul, Iraq, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, before being assigned to United States Recruiting Command in 2019.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Camacho, who after being placed with the Phoenix Recruiting Battalion, was assigned to Sierra Vista Recruiting Station, where he had enlisted four years back
“Over the last year I’ve been helping young men and women of the community that I came from, become Soldiers within this organization,” he continued. “It’s been a challenge, but has also been very rewarding. I have been fortunate enough to change many young people’s lives.”
Navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic has also been difficult, Camacho said, but he has learned to adapt to the current operating environment.
“Although the pandemic has presented challenges and made situations for many people difficult, there has never been a better time to join the Army,” Camacho said. “While many unfortunate things are happening such as people losing their jobs, the Army is always hiring – it has never been easier to join.”
“We can conduct appointments and a lot of the processing virtually. The time we spend face to face with people has been minimized, but we are always available via social media,” he continued.
For Camacho, the future is clear – he intends to make the Army his career for the foreseeable future.
“My future in the Army is to finish my recruiting obligation and to pursue a career in special operations,” Camacho said. “As of now, I plan on making the Army a career and retiring with my beautiful wife Francesca.”
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2020 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 374737 |
| Location: | SIERRA VISTA, AZ, US |
| Hometown: | FLAGSTAFF, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 528 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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