Photo By Sgt. Timothy Hernandez | Mongolian Army officer cadet Turtuvshin Turuu stands at Five Hills Training Area,...... read more read more
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Mongolian Army cadet Turtuvshin “TJ” Turuu is an officer cadet attending the Mongolian National Defense University located in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and is participating in Khaan Quest 2019 in Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, from June 14-28.
Before enrolling in the Mongolian National Defense University, TJ spent some of his childhood, high school and college years in the United States. With the dream of following his father’s footsteps of becoming a military officer, he wanted to attend the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, in West Point, New York. Born in Ulaanbaatar, TJ had an opportunity not many other Mongolians are given.
TJ’s father is a colonel in the Mongolian Army. He received one year orders to Tampa, Florida, and decided to bring his family along. At that time, TJ didn’t know what to expect leaving his normal way of life in Mongolia. Moving to a different country felt like a different world to him.
“We have very cold winters here and, when I was young I thought the whole world was like this,” TJ recalled. “On the flight to Tampa, I was wearing a big coat and snowboarding pants; really warm clothes. When we showed up, it felt like 30 degrees [Celsius]. I had no idea places could be that hot in the winter. It gets around -20 degrees here, almost the same as Russia.”
Moving to a different country at a young age offered some challenges. According to TJ, learning English was his biggest obstacle, but he eventually overcame it.
“In Mongolia, kids are taught English from the third grade up until they graduate,” he said. “I left in middle school, so I didn’t know much besides my ABC’s, and how to introduce myself. Other than that, I couldn’t understand what people were telling me at first. I got used to it after maybe three or four months, but I still couldn’t speak it. Being surrounded by a language, you start to understand what they’re trying to say even if you can’t speak it yourself.”
After TJ’s father’s orders were over, they moved back to Ulaanbaatar. Not knowing when his next trip to America would be, TJ continued to study English and over the next three years found he enjoyed America’s hip-hop culture.
“Being in America really helped me want to learn English,” TJ explained. “I realized that English is an international language, and it would help me out a lot if I learned it. Also, in this same time, American hip-hop culture was getting big in Mongolia. Stuff like The Jerk, Dougie, Cat Daddy, and Shuffling were all super popular here. It got me to start listening to more American music and getting into the culture.”
TJ took extra English classes over the three years spent in Mongolia. The program at his high school in Mongolia offered beginner, intermediate and expert level classes. TJ made it to the end of the intermediate level before he was told that he would be moving back to the states.
“We went to Kansas this time,” he said. “In order to become a colonel in the Mongolian Army, you have to go to a certain college: the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He had the same choice to bring or leave us. Of course, he brought us along.”
Excited for his next time living in America, TJ was more prepared for his stay. Leaving Mongolia, he had a 10th grade education. When he went to take his placement test, he found out that the Mongolian education system is a few years ahead of the Kansas system and he was moved to the 12th grade at the age of 15.
“My schedule there wasn’t very fun until I was able to make time for other things,” TJ said. “My parents didn’t have the time to pick me up, so I had to make sure I would take the bus back to base. Since I had that schedule, I didn’t have time to do after school stuff at first, but my parents taught me how to drive, and I also eventually joined the high school basketball team. I was the bench point guard.”
TJ graduated in 2015 as the first Mongolian and the youngest student to ever graduate from Leavenworth High School. Soon after, TJ decided he wanted to stay when his family was preparing to move back to Mongolia. Having heard about a large Mongolian community in Chicago, he told his parents he wanted to live there and attend college.
“I went to Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois, and studied international relations for five semesters,” TJ said. “After I got my degree, I applied to West Point, New York, but I wasn’t able to go. They don’t allow international students to apply, so I decided to come back to Ulaanbaatar to join the Mongolian National Defense University. I know that West Point takes one student every year from my school. I plan to still go there to complete my master’s degree.”
TJ knew where he wanted to be in life. With the disappointment of not being eligible for West Point, he kept his goal in sight and pursued the more obtainable path.
“Since I was a kid, I told my parents I wanted to be in the military,” TJ said. “Both of my parents are in the military, and both of my grandfathers were colonels before. I grew up watching military movies and playing with toy guns, so it’s always been around me. I was always determined to join.”
Since TJ already obtained his associate’s degree while in Chicago, he was able to skip a year and start as a sophomore at the university. Still, having created memories and relationships during his time in the states, it wasn’t easy to leave, he said.
“The hardest part was leaving my friends,” TJ expressed. “Three years is a long time, and it always hurts to say goodbye to people. But it’s okay because I know I’m going back to see them eventually. It wasn’t all bad though. I knew my parents were here waiting on me to come back home. I missed them more than I thought. It’s really good to be back home and start my life as a cadet and future army officer.”
TJ is currently in his junior year in the Mongolian National Defense University, and he has a key role in Khaan Quest 2019, as the Mongolian operations officer. This year is his second time participating in the peacekeeping exercise.
“Khaan Quest is a really cool way to introduce Mongolian Armed Forces to other countries,” TJ said. “The whole world is looking at what’s happening with all these countries training to keep the peace around the world. Next year, I most likely won’t be able to attend Khaan Quest, but the following year I’ll be back as a second lieutenant.”
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2019 20:31 |
| Story ID: | 328778 |
| Location: | ULAANBAATAR, MN |
| Hometown: | ULAANBAATAR, MN |
| Web Views: | 572 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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