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    49th Missile Defense Battalion Soldier draws inspiration from background, family

    49th Missile Defense Battalion Soldier draws inspiration from background, family

    Photo By 2nd Lt. Desirae Garcia | Spc. Quentin Marquille Sims, a military police Soldier, Military Police Ground-based...... read more read more

    FORT GREELY, AK, UNITED STATES

    02.25.2021

    Story by 2nd Lt. Desirae Garcia 

    100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD)

    FORT GREELY, Alaska – Every year, the U.S. Army dedicates the month of February to recognize its African American service members, the sacrifices they make, and their contributions to the nation and to the Army’s success.

    Spc. Quentin Marquille Sims, a military police Soldier with Military Police Ground-based Interceptor Security Company, 49th Missile Defense Battalion, Alaska Army National Guard, believes African American History Month is a celebration of culture, contribution, sacrifice and the hope for a better future.

    Sims, who has served in the military for almost 10 years, is from Columbia, South Carolina, and has been stationed at Fort Greely since 2019. He said he draws inspiration from figures of the past but that his present-day role models motivate him in today’s environment.

    “The most influential individuals in my life have been my mother, Marlene Boykin, and my wife, Yadira Ruiz Sims,” he said.

    Boykin, a single mother of three boys, labored at three jobs working endless hours to ensure her children’s needs were met. Sims said this never hindered her ability to support her children though; she never missed a game or any extracurricular activities with which they were involved.

    Sims said it was through her example that he found the hope for a better future and the motivation to press through hardship.

    “My mom is a remarkable woman and I wouldn’t trade her for the world,” Sims said. “She taught me to not let anything stop me from reaching or achieving my goals.”

    While his mother was instrumental in his upbringing, he said it is his wife who enables him to strive to be the best version of himself.

    “You always want someone in your life to push you because that person knows what you are capable of and wants you to succeed,” Sims said. “Yadira has done this for me. She completely changed my life for the better. I have never been a better version of myself until I met my wife.”

    While the pandemic has been a roller coaster with COVID-19 mitigation measures, Sims said it has not set the tone of his everyday life.

    “This year it has been tough to keep morale high with the COVID-19 pandemic with which we have all been dealing,” Sims said. “It is important during these times to realize that there is a light that shines at the end of the tunnel for every hardship.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 02.25.2021
    Date Posted: 02.25.2021 10:23
    Story ID: 389824
    Location: FORT GREELY, AK, US

    Web Views: 259
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN