Photo By Cpl. Adaris Cole | U.S. Army Pvt. Alexander Lagmay (right), a native of the Philippines and a horizontal...... read more read more
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii – When Pvt. 2 Alexander Joshua Lagmay first joined the U.S.Army, he never imagined he’d be back in the Philippines so soon. A horizontal construction engineer with the 523rd Engineer Support Company, 84th Engineer Battalion,130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Lagmay was recently part of a two-month mission in support of Salaknib 2025 in the Philippines, where his unit supported local infrastructure development.
Lagmay said his decision to join the Army was driven by a desire for a better life.
“I moved to the U.S. in 2023,” Lagmay said. “Before that, I was still in the Philippines, and my brother, who's also in the U.S. Army, would tell me about all the cool things he got to do. He said, ‘You should join. You get to fire weapons, blow stuff up, see jets flying overhead when you’re near the Air Force.’ That really caught my interest.”
Two years later, Lagmay never thought when he immigrated to become a U.S. Soldier that his heritage would have such an impact on this mission.
“They told me I helped a lot,” Lagmay said. “Not everyone speaks English fluently there. I helped them (other Soldiers and leadership) talk to contractors, give instructions, and make sure things were done right.”
Serving alongside Lagmay in the Philippines, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Holly Hughes, a construction and facilities engineer with 523rd Engineer Support Company, described Lagmay’s value to the team and mission.
“There were a few instances where we would have been delayed or had a sub-optimal product without his assistance,” Hughes said. “He got really good at relaying to the contractors what we were trying to do and even holding them accountable for what they said they were going to do.”
Lagmay also helped with other issues as they arrived. Local children, intrigued by the construction work and American presence, regularly gathered around the job site, and local farmers raising concerns.
“There were local farmers that were impacted by the road construction,” Hughes said. “Because of Lagmay, we were able to understand their concerns and work with them to find solutions that were beneficial to both sides. People often just want to be heard and understood. Once Lagmay came over and started talking to them in their language, you could see the relief.”
Lagmay also helped coordinate the transport of heavy equipment like bulldozers and graders between job sites while building valuable skills.
“I worked with the Filipino drivers and contractors, explaining how to load and move the equipment,” Lagmay said. “It was my first time seeing that kind of transport and it helped me learn, too.”
As one of the few bilingual Soldiers on site, Lagmay became an unofficial translator for his team. As the deployment progressed, Lagmay found his voice literally and figuratively.
“Lagmay was really quiet and unassuming when we first got to the Philippines,” Hughes said. “He seemed a little hesitant to get involved, but he was the only Soldier we had with us that spoke Tagalog fluently, so we really relied on him and was far more than just a translator.”
With an understanding of both American military culture and Filipino customs, he quickly became the bridge between two worlds.
“He was absolutely a force multiplier not just for his ability to speak the language, but because he understood the mission and the intent,” Hughes said. “He was able to convey that effectively.”
Interacting with the Filipino community as both a native and a U.S. service member, Lagmay found himself in a unique position.
“Going back home as an active-duty Soldier felt crazy,” Lagmay said. “It was exciting to wear the Army uniform where I grew up, but kind of hard too, because my family lived six hours away from where we were stationed.”
The Armed Forces of the Philippines soldiers and locals were drawn to Lagmay, and with each interaction he was surprised at their reaction.
“Some people were inspired,” Lagmay said. “They saw someone from their country doing something different, serving in the U.S. Army. That made me proud. When I started speaking Tagalog, people were surprised. They’d say, ‘Oh, you’re Filipino and in the U.S. Army?’ A lot of people were curious. Some even asked how they could join.”
Now, Lagmay encourages others who might be uncertain about their path to consider joining the Army.
“If you’re out there thinking about joining the Army, just do it,” he said. “It’s a fun experience. You get to do things you’ve never done before. At first, it’s going to be hard. You’ll feel shocked. But that’s just in the beginning.”
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2025 04:35 |
| Story ID: | 500527 |
| Location: | FORT SHAFTER, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 146 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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