Photo By Sgt. Nathan Booth | Staff Sgt. Bradley Kimball, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 4th...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. - The Paratroopers of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division may have different reasons for fighting on the front lines, but one thing binds them together - the service to something larger than themselves.
"There's a certain amount of pride in that I know that the choices I've made allow me to act as a protector. The duties and scopes along with that is what I was originally joining for. I wanted to do something. I wanted to say, yeah, I'm doing a job that's worth something," said Sgt. Jason Trudell, HHT, 4-73 Cav. Reg., 4th BCT, 82nd Abn. Div.
The Wisconsin Dells, Wis. native believes the unit's training during their rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., improves their trust in one another.
"As far as morale and cohesion, you get some sort of sense of success and some sort of understanding of how you work together down here out of the context of just going to the ranges," Trudell said. "It's in a different setting and that builds that pride that you ran through that lane and you received accolades as a team for the effort that you put in to it."
Trudell's love for his job comes from his fellow Paratroopers.
"Mainly it's the people who you work with. I know a lot of great guys," Trudell said. "There's always something new going on. You never know what you're going to experience."
The sense of fraternity built between combat-arms Paratroopers is something Platoon Sergeant Bredley Kimball, a Nazareth, Texas native, holds in high regard.
"There's a camaraderie and a brotherhood that gets built in combat-arms MOS's [Military Occupational Specialties] that you don't see outside," he said. "And, yeah, your combat service support guys will have it, but when you take a scout platoon, or even a section, guys refer to each other as brother. These are your best friends. It's a different aspect."
That sense of family helps combat arms Paratroopers complete their mission, according to former Monroe, Wisconsin resident Spc. Dylan Schindler.
"If you don't honestly believe, if you took another MOS, that the guy to your left or your right would die for you, that's okay. But in combat arms you have to or now it's you and him," Schindler said. "I think once you accept the combat arms thing, I think you would more willingly lay down your life for anybody in the service. But, it doesn't make us special. That's just our job."
Kimball agreed their job doesn't make them special. He said it's just what fits for them.
"You never knew what walking a 12K road march was like until you did it. You never know what it's like to have people shoot at you until you've done it. And it doesn't make us special. It doesn't make us Superman," Kimball said. "I've been in the Army for 13 years. This is just what I was meant to do. I'm not good at anything else."
While other Soldiers may not understand why combat-arms Paratroopers chose their career, their families have to come to terms with what their Paratroopers do.
Schindler said he left a $30-an-hour job to help fight the war in 2005.
"I could probably provide my family with a better life not doing this job, as far as financially and time that I would be able to spend with them," Schindler said. "At the same time, this is something that I do enjoy when we actually get to do our job down range. So it's one of those things that I hope down the road I can explain to him (Schindler's 2-year old son) why I felt I had to do it. And I hope he understands."
Trudell said the main reason they fight is to ensure the protection of the citizens of their country.
"Well, unfortunately, for peace there needs to be war. It's human nature. And you can't just trust that everyone is going to occupy this world peacefully, so there needs to be people who stand up," he said. "Without that there's no safety and security."
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2009 17:25 |
| Story ID: | 32290 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 473 |
| Downloads: | 387 |
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