Strike Soldier to follow childhood passion

Photo By Sgt. Jeremy Lewis | U.S. Army Cpl. Jason Irvin, a native of Burleson, Texas, and combat medic with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), poses for a portrait at the Wolstein Community Vaccination Center in Cleveland March 28, 2021. Irvin is part of the team of Screaming Eagles assisting FEMA with vaccination efforts in Ohio. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jeremy Lewis)  

CLEVELAND, OH, UNITED STATES

03.28.2021

Story by Sgt. Jeremy Lewis 

Federal Vaccine Response

CLEVELAND (March 28, 2021) – Second Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Combat Medic Jason Irvin, has a second interest that started with repurposing and enhancing his old toys.

“We would take toys we didn’t use anymore, install new motherboards and reprogram them to do whatever we wanted,” the U.S. Army Corporal from Burleson, Texas, said as he reflected on his first memories of programming.

Irvin is on special orders outside his normal combat medic role to help protect people in the Cleveland from COVID-19. He is serving as a vaccinator at the Wolstein Community Vaccination Center here. After his military duty, he said he will eventually pursue a career in computer programming.

Irvin said his interest in the field was sparked from the robotics program his neighbor ran for the children in his community.

“We programmed one toy to detect walls and another we made with a piston-cannon that would shoot ping pong balls,” He said. “Learning how to solder and program computers at such a young age was really cool.”

While Irvin still has some time before he starts college, he said his is taking advantage of all the opportunities he is receiving in the Army.

“Being here in Cleveland has been a great experience,” he said. “Seeing the smiles on everyone’s face after I’ve given them their vaccine lets me know that I’m actually making a difference in the fight against COVID.”

U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, remains committed to providing continued, flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19.

• Date Taken: 03.28.2021
• Date Posted: 04.02.2021 20:23
• Story ID: 392783
• Location: CLEVELAND, OH, US
• Hometown: BURLESON, TX, US