Photo By Maj. Scott Ingalsbe | Nebraska Army National Guard Spc. Jaden Clark, a cavalry scout with 1-134th Cavalry...... read more read more
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Balancing civilian careers with military training is not always easy for Soldiers and Airmen serving in the National Guard. Spc. Jaden Clark, a cavalry scout with the Nebraska Army National Guard’s 1-134th Cavalry Squadron, has found a position that complements his duties in the guard.
Clark was recently named the full-time rodeo coach for the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA). Along with being an instructor of agriculture at the NCTA, Clark’s role as the rodeo coach means being in charge of fundraising, entering the team members into rodeos under the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) and much more.
“We compete in the Great Plains region, so we compete in rodeos from North Platte, Nebraska, to River Falls, Wisconsin, but also as far away as Florida,” Clark said. “I figure out the logistics of hauling horses and students.”
Not long after completing his initial Army training, in July 2020 Clark rode with the cavalry squadron through a combat training center rotation at Fort Polk, Louisiana, an experience he described as long, hot and humid but also, “better training than I ever thought you could get.”
“I got to know my unit a lot better while we were down there,” Clark said. “There were opportunities where we got to coordinate as the entire cavalry troop, and then see how all echelons work together on the battlefield.”
He described it as a lot of hard work, but something the troopers would look back on as a positive experience overall.
Originally from Curtis, Neb., wrangling in rodeo is something that Clark has been doing since a young age, starting at the age of six with junior rodeos and eventually competing at the collegiate level.
“I did junior high and high school rodeo,” Clark said. “Then I went to the University of Wyoming for four years on a full ride rodeo scholarship.”
According to Clark, the leadership and communication skills he has learned and practiced in the Nebraska Army National Guard have helped him in many aspects of his life, especially coaching.
Clark explained how setting an example for his team is important in how he coaches.
“It's tough to be accountable for others if you're not accountable for yourself,” Clark said. “Personal accountability and then being able to take responsibility, whether it's a Humvee or whether it's 17 freshmen.”
After seeing the National Guard responding to COVID-19 and other world events, Clark was inspired to join the Nebraska Army National Guard. He went to basic combat training just over a year ago in September 2020. He felt that it was his duty to join.
Noting many challenges facing America, “I just felt like it was a way for me to get a little more ownership in our country,” Clark said. “I felt like it was a sense of duty to step up and be a part of something, and it has had a super positive effect on my life.”
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2021 13:59 |
| Story ID: | 407022 |
| Location: | NEBRASKA, US |
| Hometown: | CURTIS, NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,399 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Not his first rodeo: Cavalryman named as collegiate coach, by SGT Skyler Schendt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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