Aggies speak of a spirit that can ne'er be told, but most probably do not understand the resonating effect those words have. It is not that those words apply only to Texas A&M, but rather, the human spirit.
After flunking out of college and working on a shrimp boat, Dan Garcia knew that joining the military was his final option. "For me, joining the Air Force was a way to recover and figure out what I wanted to do in life."
"I was always patriotic but when you commit yourself to something it's a different level of contribution." Garcia said, "I was looking to get rescued and I knew I needed to do something better, I knew there was something better and the military was it."
Garcia served his country for six years and four months as a cryptologic linguist. In addition to English he fluently speaks Spanish, Cambodian, Thai, French and Japanese. He graduated from A&M in May 2008 and will be attending law school in Pittsburgh in the fall.
"People don't think, hey, lets go to Iraq and get shot at. They join to serve and do what they have to do," said Mitch Martin, who served in Afghanistan from January to July in 2003.
"By joining the military people know what they're getting themselves in to. The military works the way it's designed to, and that's because people are trained to know what their role is."
Martin, who was in the Army Airborne Infantry for three years, drove Humvees and rode as gunner. He said regardless of how tough his job was, "The friendships I made with the people I served with were great. I loved their personalities."
The G.I. Bill was an incentive for Martin's three years of service, and fueled his education at A&M. In December 2007 he graduated and is married.
In January 2004 Sherry Klander, class of 2009, joined the National Guard and is an aspiring flight surgeon.
"I've always been a God and country kind of girl but at one point I was working three jobs, taking classes full time at A&M and I needed the help. To say that I joined for the money is wrong because the rigors and stress of military life aren't worth the money for college alone."
Klander served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a radio operator before she was reassigned. "I did not see combat or deal with the Iraqi people firsthand. I was there as support and didn't serve on the front line."
After serving in Iraq for 11 months she returned to A&M and organized a blood drive for the troops because she recalls "seeing the casualties rolling through the gates." She said that it was reassuring to see such an outpouring of support for the injured soldiers who needed blood.
As a female serving in the military she said that things needed to be evaluated based on sex. "Physically women can't be in the field that long due to certain hygienic needs. Outside of that I didn't feel we were taken that seriously, due to social norms."
However, she said "my peers were very level-headed and once they got to know me they didn't treat me like some girl. Iraqis who didn't understand our culture thought we were prostitutes for the male soldiers but the Canadians proved them wrong quickly because they have women operating tanks."
Be the first to comment on this article!