Photo By Staff Sgt. Marc Marmeto | Colorado Army National, Cpl. Estefany Rodriguez, a supply noncommissioned officer with...... read more read more
Subscribe
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo — For Cpl. Estefany Rodriguez, the reality of deploying did not fully set in until the final weeks before she left home.
After years of hoping for an opportunity to deploy, her excitement gradually gave way to uncertainty as she prepared to leave her family and familiar routine behind.
“I think it really hit me about two weeks before leaving,” Rodriguez said. “I would get emotional sometimes just thinking about my family.”
Rodriguez, a Colorado Army National Guard Soldier assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, is currently supporting Kosovo Force Regional Command-East. She learned about the deployment in 2024 and volunteered after receiving encouragement from her leadership.
“At first, I was excited,” she said. “Ever since I joined the Army, I wanted to deploy.”
As the departure date approached, however, Rodriguez realized she was not alone in balancing that excitement with the emotional weight of leaving home.
“Everyone was excited, but you could tell something was lingering underneath,” she said. “People just didn’t always say it.”
Rodriguez spent nearly a year on orders preparing for the mission and developing her skills in supply operations, inventory management and logistics systems. She originally expected to work alongside a senior supply clerk, but the position became vacant before the deployment.
The change left Rodriguez with significantly more responsibility than she had anticipated.
“At first, it was hard,” she said. “I didn’t fully know what I was doing, but I had people around me who were willing to help.”
With support from her leadership and a commitment to improving, Rodriguez learned to manage the section’s demands and solve problems more independently. Over time, uncertainty gave way to confidence.
Staff Sgt. Dennis Davis, Rodriguez’s noncommissioned officer in charge, said her initiative and ability to prioritize have helped her succeed in the role.
“When I give Cpl. Rodriguez a task list, she is able to determine what is most important and gather the resources she needs to complete it sooner than anticipated or required,” Davis said. Davis said one of the clearest signs of Rodriguez’s growth has been her willingness to hold others accountable and assert herself as a leader.
“Supply is extremely complicated and demanding,” Davis said. “You have to stand your ground and hold people accountable. Seeing her find her voice and assert her authority to ensure property is taken care of has been amazing.”
Several months into the deployment, Rodriguez said the environment that once felt unfamiliar has become part of her daily routine.
“It doesn’t really feel like a deployment anymore,” she said. “It just feels like I’m on orders again, only in a different place with different people.”
That sense of stability did not come immediately. Rodriguez said the first month tested her ability to adapt, but establishing a routine and building relationships with those around her helped her find her footing.
“I’ve built strong friendships here,” she said. “That’s made it a lot easier.”
Rodriguez has also made a conscious effort to move beyond her comfort zone. She joined a running team, began working with Soldiers outside her immediate section and embraced opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
“I usually stick to my group and the people I know in my section,” she said. “But lately, I’ve been talking to more people and trying new things.”
Serving as a corporal has further challenged Rodriguez to develop her leadership style. As a junior noncommissioned officer working with both junior enlisted Soldiers and more experienced NCOs, she said the role has encouraged her to hold herself to a higher standard.
“I have to show that I deserve to be in that position,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t think of it as trying to prove myself to anyone but proving things to myself. When you’re in competition with yourself, that’s really when you’re winning in life.”
Looking back, Rodriguez said the most difficult part of the deployment was not the mission itself, but the uncertainty she felt before leaving home.
If she could speak to the Soldier she was when she first learned about the deployment in 2024, her message would be simple.
“I would tell myself not to worry so much,” Rodriguez said. “This is going to help you grow and open new opportunities for you down the road in your career.”
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2026 07:19 |
| Story ID: | 573154 |
| Location: | ZZ |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From uncertainty to confidence: Colorado Guard corporal embraces leadership role during KFOR deployment, by SSG Marc Marmeto, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
