Posted on 06/30/2005 12:15:35 PM PDT by Ramonan
Moving to America after fleeing a volatile situation in Russia with his family in the early 90s, an 8th Communication Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD), Marine has found his place amongst America’s finest fighting force.
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Lance Cpl. Peter Kapitonov, 20, a heavy equipment mechanic, moved to New York City with his mother and father at the age of eight to start a new life and to avoid serving in Afghanistan with the Russian army, according to Kapitonov.
According to Kapitonov, Russian citizens are required to do a mandatory two-year service in the army, and although Russia and Afghanistan are no longer at war, Kapitonov still receives letters from the Russian Government informing him of his duty.
“I started getting letters when I turned 16,” said the reservist, who was activated from 6th Communication Battalion earlier this year. “They send them [the letters] to my grandmother’s house in Russia and then she sends them to me.”
Kapitonov, who became a U.S. citizen on the day he was activated to report to Camp Lejeune, has been in the Marine Corps for nearly three years and joined soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“When I came home from school on that day [9/11] I looked out the window from my house and I could see the smoke and debris where the towers used to be,” Kapitonov said. “I was pissed off. I went to see a recruiter about two weeks after that and joined the DEP Program [Delayed Entry Program].”
Although Kapitonov’s mother was apprehensive about him joining the military, he felt it was his duty to defend his new country and went to boot camp in July 2002.
With all male members of his family having served in the Russian Army, including his grandfather who earned a Russian Medal of Honor in World War II, Kapitonov is the first member of his family to serve in the U.S. military.
“I joined so I could come out here,” said Kapitonov. “I’m pretty happy to be out here, but I wish I was in a more combat oriented MOS [Military Occupational Specialty]. A lot of my family has a military background, so my father was happy but my mom was worried.”
To his peers, Kapitonov is a valuable part of 8th Comm. Well liked by many, he has earned the respect of his noncommissioned officers.
“He is a hard worker,” said Cpl. Ezequiel Ruiz-Hernandez, heavy equipment mechanic. “I only have to tell him one time to do something and he does it. He is very trustworthy and he gets the job done.”
When he is back at home in New York City, Kapitonov attends John Jay College of Criminal Justice in midtown Manhattan, where he is working toward earning a bachelor’s degree and later on hopes to work in the criminal justice field with the police or a federal law enforcement agency.
Having completed four months of his seven-month-deployment, Kapitonov looks forward to reuniting with his family and girlfriend when he returns home.
Although they received letters at Grandma's when the kid was 16 they didn't flee to avoid Afghanistan. Perhaps a translation or English problem; most likely an uneducated reporter.
Twenty years old? Plenty of time to see the elephant.
You are right too. There is more than meets the eye. The reporter didn't do a proper job IMHO.
Well, the Soviets are going to have a hard time drafting an American Citizen.
Is this a great country or what!
Then my advice to him is to stay the hell out of Russia if he does not want to get arrested. Hopefully he listens. We have a lady here in our office the same as your wife.
Russia does not recognize dual citizenship, and even though he might visit using his American passport it will show he was born in Russia. ==
If he will come in Russia with american passport with viza then none touch him. BUT.
If he is russian citizen then russian embassy never will issue him a visa in his american passport. It is against russian law.
That is the problem.
He has to reject russian citezenry first to get visa.
But if he will renounce russian citizenry then they has power to refuse him a visa for life. Since Russia doesn't like those who russian by birth but refused citizenry. People are called them "traitors".
It is closed circle. In order to have right to visit Russia russian-born has to keep russian citizenry.
Hence he would use russian passport then he is elegible to go to russian army.
I red once ago about one guy who served in american army 5 years. Then came to Russia and was conscripted under the law to russian army. He was sent to Chechnya.
It is interesting that he published his obsevations in russian journal.
Told that food in russian army are better since no rations but real cooked meal.
Weaponry especially APC, machine guns, granade launchers and rifles and so on he sought better too. Since they are unbreakable and he doen't need to clean it each day in middle of fights.
Heavy weponry like artillary and tanks he said workable. Air support he said is fair. Russian army he said is fair battle force.
American army anyways is better organised by his opinion.
Indeed, the Iraqis would disagree with most of your points.==
What Iraqis would do with it?
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