Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Alex Alonso, a squad leader and a native of Aliso Viejo, Calif.,...... read more read more
CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Alex Alonso, a squad leader and native of Aliso Viejo, Calif., assigned to the 756th Transportation Company, 548th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, has been in the military for 28 years and has been deployed multiple times in support of his nation.
Alonso loves his country and if given a chance, he said he would do it all over again but that was not always the case.
Alonso never wanted to join the Army. He had several routes he could have taken in life; however, joining the military was not one of them. He never imagined wearing the uniform, let alone serve for as long as he did.
It was not by choice that he joined the U.S. Army. As a young man he found himself in trouble with law enforcement and was placed on probation. His probation officer explained that if he enlisted in the armed forces the charges would be dropped, so he joined. His original plan was to finish his initial contract and leave the service but something happened; he fell in love with the Army and re-enlisted. In fact, he has re-enlisted on 10 occasions since then.
In 2002 he was deployed to Saudi Arabia with an infantry unit. He was then deployed to Iraq in 2003 and 2006 and then to Kosovo in 2009.
“Multiple deployments have perks,” Alonso said.
Traveling, learning other cultures and the knowledge that he gained were only few that he mentioned. He has been married for 22 years and has two children. The deployments have not been easy for his family to deal with. The responsibilities of his wife increased while he was gone and thoughts of being away from his loved ones sometimes weighed him down. While on deployment, he kept constant communication with his family to keep his spirits up.
Being in the National Guard is not as easy as it looks. Soldiers have to be ready both physically and mentally at all times. Readjusting to civilian life once the tour is over is not that simple. Soldiers need to cope with all the changes. With help from family, adjusting is always attainable.
Alonso is currently deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and said finding the balance of being a warrior and a family man is crucial.
“Follow your orders and communicate with your family often,” said Alonso.
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2012 02:21 |
| Story ID: | 90736 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Hometown: | ALISO VIEJO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 173 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Almost three decades, still a soldier, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT