Why I Serve: Russian-born CAB Soldier scheduled for citizenship enjoys U.S. Army experience

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt | Spc. Eynar Ayupov, personnel clerk, Headquarters Support Company, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad from Ufa, Russia, cleans his M16A2 rifle while sitting at his desk at Camp Taji Oct. 14, 2008. Ayupov was born and raised in Russia and has been in the U.S. Army since November 2006. He is scheduled to become a U.S. citizen while deployed to Iraq.  

TAJI, IRAQ

10.16.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt 

1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade

By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt
Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier, born and raised in Russia, is scheduled to become a citizen of the United States in November while deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Eynar Ayupov, a personnel clerk with Headquarters Support Company, 404th Aviation Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, said he never thought he would become a citizen of the United States while growing up in Russia – let alone a U.S. Army Soldier deployed to Iraq.

"I never thought when I was a kid that I would be in the U.S. Army, but I'm really glad I joined," he said. "Being in the Army has been a great experience for me."

Ayupov grew up in Ufa, Russia, which is about 100 miles southeast of Moscow. The city, founded in 1574, boasts more than 1 million residents and is an industrial center for electrical and mining equipment, oil refining, petrochemicals, synthetic rubber and processed foods.

Ayupov, along with his mother, first came to the United States in 2004 when he was just 16 years old to visit family friends in Youngstown, Ohio. After visiting for a while, Ayupov's mother went back to Russia, but he decided to stay.

"I wanted to try new things and meet new people," he said. "The U.S. is a great country with a lot of opportunities for education and for employment. People in the U.S. seem to smile a lot, and I like that."

In November 2006, Ayupov joined the U.S. Army. After graduating from basic combat training and advanced individual training, he was stationed with the CAB out of Fort Hood, Texas. Since he has been with the aviation unit, Ayupov deployed to Iraq in June 2008 and is currently stationed on Camp Taji, north of Baghdad.

Now that Ayupov has made the change from being a Russian kid to a U.S. Army Soldier fighting in the Global War on Terrorism, his next milestone is to become a United States citizen.

"I want to become a U.S. citizen so I can visit my mother back in Russia. I plan to try and visit her back in Russia when I go on leave," said the 20-year-old. "Originally, I joined the Army because I wanted to see the world. I'm pretty proud of the work we are doing over here in Iraq."

"I work in the orderly room right now, taking care of Soldiers," he said. "I feel my part of the mission is taking care of Soldiers so they don't have to worry about their paperwork and they can do their job better."

Not only does Ayupov feel he is helping with the mission, so does his company commander.

"Spc. Ayupov is a good kid and a hard worker. He is really reliable," said Capt. Scott Coleman, commander of HSC. "He has really spread his wings since he has been here and done a great job."

"I think he has adjusted very well to being in the U.S. Army," Coleman said. "Other than his last name and knowing his history, if I didn't know that, I couldn't tell him from any other Soldier who is here."

• Date Taken: 10.16.2008
• Date Posted: 10.15.2008 23:58
• Story ID: 25049
• Location: TAJI, IQ