Posted on 08/12/2008 4:08:37 PM PDT by SandRat
CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Aug. 12, 2008 Growing up in Lansing, Mich., Army Pvt. Ryan Bruin didnt have many opportunities to make a life for himself. He joined the Army purely for the steady pay.
Bruin said he and his brother had talked about joining the Army, not because it was really what they wanted to do, but because there was a steady paycheck involved. My brother was who actually talked about it first, he said, and ironically, I was the first one to join. The news of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan didnt faze Bruin as he arrived at his first duty station at Fort Hood, Texas, earlier this year, just in time for the brigades pre-deployment preparations. Essentially, I didnt think much about the war, Bruin said. The benefits definitely outweigh the risk. I am learning a lifelong trade, and I can also get a college education for free. Bruin is the youngest soldier in his battalion, and hes taking the opportunity to learn from his superiors. I have good people backing me and teaching me, he said. My squad leader knows his job from the inside out, and I am really learning a lot. The young soldiers leaders say Bruin made the right choice to join the Army. From what I understand, he didnt have much back home, and he made the right choice to join the Army, said Cpl. Jared Akers, Bruins squad leader and first-line supervisor from Pulaski, Va. To me, joining the service isnt an obligation, its a choice. Some people step up, and others dont. At 18 years old, Bruin stepped up, and hes doing a fine job. Akers has high expectations for Bruin. I expect him to do great things while were out here, he said. He has a lot to learn, but I expect him to replace me someday as the squad leader, and were working to get him there. Bruin said he is unsure what the future holds and is living life one day at a time, making the most of his first deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I mean, Im not sure if I want to do this forever, but right now this is what I do, and Im trying to make the best of it, Bruin said. All I can say is this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Im having fun doing it. (Army Sgt. Jason Dangel serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Divisions Combat Aviation Brigade.) |
Related Sites: Multinational Corps Iraq Multinational Force Iraq |
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