Soldier Profile: Sgt. Jason Arion

Photo By Sgt. George Welcome | Sgt. Jason Arion plays harmonica and guitar for an audience of Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Arion, is currently serving with the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

09.05.2008

Story by Sgt. George Welcome 

101st Combat Aviation Brigade

By Spc. George Welcome
101st Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed many things in America. Whether directly or indirectly, the lives of people across the country were impacted by the tragedy.

For Sgt. Jason Arion, an infantryman with Co. F, 5th Battalion 101st Combat Aviation Brigade (Pathfinders), the event served as a call to action and a catalyst for his own personal metamorphosis.

"When I first decided to join the military I was in-between jobs and trying to make things work," explained Arion, a Miles City, Mont. native. "As I came home for lunch one day, I had noticed my [then] wife was sitting and crying as she was rocking our daughter to sleep. She was looking at the television and watching the towers collapse on 9-11. That event weighed really heavy on my heart. A lot of things weren't going right for us financially; I knew that there was a lot of structure in the military and that our country needed help. So about three months later, I found myself signing up."

Upon shipping out to Basic Training in early 2002, Arion followed in the tradition of his grandfather, father and two uncles; all of whom served in the Army.

"My first duty station was Schweinfurt, Germany. While there I deployed to Iraq. When not on a deployment, I found myself traveling around Europe with my guitar in hand, playing wherever I could. My second duty station was in Korea; there I served with the 8th Army Honor Guard. We travelled to the Philippines and Thailand to conduct ceremonies. On my personal time, I had totaled 26 countries of personal travel between Europe and Asia. After I finished my time in Korea, I came down on orders to the Pathfinders."

The smaller teams and specialized nature of the Pathfinder Company was a bit of a departure from what Arion was used to in his previous units.

"This company is run a lot differently compared to some other units I've been in," he said. "It's a small group, but there are some similarities to my time in the Honor Guard, because that was small as well. As far as the training is concerned, it's a lot more in depth, a lot of attention to detail. It opens your mind and broadens the spectrum of what the military is and what Soldiers are capable of doing when they are part of special units."

Just the act of surviving numerous missions while deployed is something that Arion does not take for granted.

"Going on missions, doing the right thing, completing the mission and coming home is one of the greatest things I think a Soldier can experience," said Arion. "When you are trained well enough, you know you can rely on everyone you are going out with. To come back and do an after action report and realize that everything was done correctly, no lives were lost and the mission was completed is always good. Those are the times I always look back on, and remember the guys I served with on those teams."

As a multi-instrumentalist who sings, plays guitar, piano, bass and harmonica, Arion enjoys playing music during the times he is not busy working. He likes to use these talents to boost the morale of his fellow Soldiers.

"I'm a musician and I've been playing music all of my life," he stated. "I'm a session player and have played with several artists. One day I'd like to be an owner of a recording company and continue to play music. While we've been here, I was honored to open a show for Toby Keith, and perform some musical comedy for the Soldiers of the 101st and 173rd."

Of the many things he has learned and experienced during his time in the military, Arion credits the structure he has gained in the Army for helping make the biggest change in his life.

"Overall, the thing about the military that has bettered me as a man and a Soldier has been structure," explained Arion. "I've learned structure in my finances, I've learned structure in my family life, and how to keep everything organized and going back home while I'm doing the mission here. Overall, from 2002 until now I am a more successful person. I'm progressing in my job and I'm growing a closer relationship with my family as they are learning more about what we do as Soldiers. There are always rocky times, but as long as you keep that structure and take in everything you've learned throughout your military career you can definitely use that knowledge to your benefit. I thank my family and friends for all the support during these times."

• Date Taken: 09.05.2008
• Date Posted: 09.05.2008 02:50
• Story ID: 23225
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF