By Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
FORWARD OPERATING BASE PROSPERITY, Iraq – Sgts. Cynthia and Josh White have been married for two years. They first met in Kitzingen, Germany – their first duty assignment together in the 701st Main Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division.
Recently, the two decided one more time to choose the Army for a while longer as they re-enlisted together Aug. 3. This was their second re-enlistment while deployed. The last time they re-enlisted was while at Camp Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq.
Both currently serve in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Cynthia, who's a medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, has spent everyday waiting for the moment to get out so she can spend more time with her husband, who is a motor transport operator with Company A, 15th Brigade Support Battalion. Yet, she's also wanted to pursue her lifelong goal of becoming a registered nurse.
So, with two deployments within her short four years in the Army and without seeing how the Army would play into her goal of becoming a nurse, she always responded with an unsurprising "no" to questions of re-enlisting.
"Out of nowhere, she said she was re-enlisting; it was a big shock," admitted Spc. Laura Vargas, HHC, 2nd BSTB of Los Angeles, who works with Cynthia on their battalion commander's personal security team.
Yet, it was the very person who she wanted to spend more time with who finally convinced her to stay in through another enlistment.
"I didn't see why she couldn't continue her goals while here (in the Army)," said Josh of New Bedford, Penn. "I told her that she could still go to school, and it's paid for by the government."
Cynthia, a native of Rialto, Calif., said she thought about it over their mid-tour vacation to Hawaii and decided to go for it.
What she ended up taking was the M6 course: a course for Army Health Care Specialists to get to get the Licensed Vocational Nurse specialty identifier at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
"I've already been taking (online) classes while in Iraq, but I figured (the M6) course will contain a lot of the units that I'll need to drop my nursing packet," said Cynthia. "I'm excited. It's a step closer to my goal. It makes me happy."
Josh, who serves as his company's retention non-commissioned officer (NCO), helped his wife map out a plan to achieve her goal of becoming an Army nurse.
"She likes her unit; she gets what she wants done. I didn't see a point to why she should stop her service," Josh said. "It was easy; all I had to do is find out what she wanted to do. She wanted to be a (registered nurse), and I said, 'the Army has RNs.' I'm the idea guy. I gave her ideas, she said yes or no."
As his unit's retention NCO, Josh is described as someone who is always talking to Soldiers about the benefits of staying in the Army.
"He's very on top of being the retention rep," said Staff Sgt. Kenneth D. Pierce, of the transportation platoon. "At times, I have to remind him, 'hey, you're a truck driver,' but he does both very well."
Although most of her fellow Soldiers said it was a complete shock that Cynthia re-enlisted, they said they are happy that she made the choice to stay in longer.
"She is an outstanding (non-commissioned officer), and she has a kind heart," Vargas said. "She's very helpful, she's very good at what she does, and she can teach Soldiers a lot – that's what the Army needs – NCOs like her."
Cynthia said she loves being in the medical field because she does love to take care of people.
Josh, on his third enlistment, literally has higher goals: he wants to become an Army aviator.
"I think it'll be awesome," he said. "It's such a small field, and I think that makes it elite."
Eventually, when he leaves the Army, he said he wants to work in a city as a life flight pilot, while his wife works as an RN.
"I just want to work where my wife works," he admitted.
Although the Whites said it's been tough being in the Army together, they also have come to count their blessings. They are happy that they are at the same camp and are able to see one another, even if it means that it's only to exchange a few words before they go out on a mission.
The majority of Josh's missions are in the evenings, while Cynthia's are in the daytime.
"What's tough is that we are both NCOs," Cynthia said. "I often put my Soldiers above him, and only when the mission is met, we hang out. He works nights; I work days. By the end, we are both tired. Things were easier when we were in the same battalion."
As frustrating as things get sometimes for the couple, Josh said one of the best things about being married to Cynthia is that she is a fellow Soldier, and that she understands his duties.
"I think the military is a better place when you have a supportive spouse," he said. "She not only knows about what I deal with ... she lives it too. When I get off the road for 10 hours, she knows what I am going through."
The Whites go into the next few years understanding in full what their future will be like. With Cynthia's M6 course coming up next year, and a possible flight school date for Josh, there will be more times of separation. Yet, the "power couple," as Col. Bryan Roberts, 2nd BCT's commander, referred to them as during their re-enlistment ceremony, he said they understand that this is a "sacrifice" they both have to take now for their future.
"All-in-all, it's not a bad gig," said Josh. "We're young; we're happy; we're semi-successful. We really can't complain too much. It could be worse. We could be in different divisions."