Photo By Rick Emert | Sgt. Rommel Forde is now a U.S. citizen and Soldier, after growing up in Barbados....... read more read more
By Aleah M. Castrejon
Mountaineer editor
FORT CARSON, Colo. — The expectations of 4th Infantry Division and 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., go hand in hand — Soldiers who are ready, fit, resilient and always reaching beyond their potential.
While the brigade has many Soldiers strive to be better, one Soldier has proved worthy of the acclamations, according to Col. Ike Sallee, 1st SBCT commander.
From humble beginnings
Sgt. Rommel Forde’s life wasn’t easy as he grew up in Barbados where death, fighting and drugs were common.
“I refused to be a product of my environment,” Forde said, so he focused on the things that gave him purpose: his Family and playing soccer.
Forde said that at a young age he had drive and motivation.
“I remember setting up rocks in the street as cones to practice soccer drills and running in the sand on the beach after soccer practice,” he said.
As children often do, he knew he could be home relaxing, but if he didn’t make the time, he wouldn’t be ready for games.
Having finished the equivalent of high school by age 16, Forde had scouts recruiting him for his soccer skills.
Not long after, he was offered a scholarship, and he didn’t waste any time. He jumped through many hoops to gather money for a flight to New York and find the correct documentation, getting a current physical and much more.
He began his new life at age 18 in 2008 at Long Island University.
Life in the big city
Swapping island life for the bustle of New York City left Forde experiencing culture shock; but he adjusted by focusing on the things within his control to ensure he was always prepared.
Being at a new school, playing soccer and trying to maintain an acceptable GPA to remain on the team, Forde ran into his fair share of obstacles. But, from his sophomore year of college until he graduated 2012, he never missed the dean’s list.
Upon graduation, he wanted to remain in the U.S. and become a sports agent.
Some of the programs he faced were tough, but memories of growing up without shoes — and sometimes food — gave him the drive to reach his goals.
“I competed with 300-400 people for a handful of paid internship positions,” he said.
Forde was offered the internship in August 2012, which was important for him to remain in the U.S.
As he excelled, he was recognized and sought out; one position led to the next.
“I got a call that I was the No. 1 contender to serve under the head coach in Salina, Kansas,” Forde said.
New Family; new career
He continued teaching and coaching in Kansas where he met his wife in 2014 and began working on his master’s degree. With news that a child was on the way, the master’s degree went to back burner as he worked multiple jobs to support his growing family. He wanted to continue school, but refused go into debt, which led him to a notion he had thought of previously — joining the military.
He knew few careers require a person to get to know another as personally as those who serve in the military. He wanted the bonds that get service members through basic training, deployments and other hardships that come with the territory of being in the military.
And so began his journey of yet more obstacles to join the military.
He tried the Marines, but was rejected for his tattoos.
He completed a three-month program to prepare him for Pararescue only to find out when he was ready to ship out that he was unable to join the Air Force.
Forde didn’t let anything get in his way and didn’t take time to wallow; he took a job in sports marketing.
After 18 months, he went to an Army recruiter’s office. The process began December 2016; his high aptitude scores gave him the option of any job. But the challenges kept coming. The list of jobs shrunk because he was not yet a U.S. citizen. After discussing jobs with his wife, he joined as a cavalry scout.
At age 27, Forde headed to One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Fort Benning, Georgia, in February 2017.
He said OSUT was easy and he graduated at the top of his class with an excellence in armor. From there, he made his way to Fort Carson.
Now in 1st SBCT, Forde fell in line with the brigade’s goals: to be prepared, ready for combat and ready when the nation calls, Sallee said.
“The brigade is lucky to have many Soldiers who consistently strive to be better, and who exemplify not only the brigade’s goals, but also those of the commanding general’s as well: to always be ‘READY,’” he added.
He said leadership must be willing to invest in the troops by ensuring they get the proper schools and making sure they better themselves.
One Soldier recognized Forde’s potential and began fostering it.
“I first met Spc. Forde in Afghanistan … (when he) came to a line platoon, I didn’t think he would be experienced at first,” said Staff Sgt. Oscar Salazar, platoon sergeant, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st SBCT.
Salazar said Forde’s expertise quickly came to light and he immediately made him a team leader, and he was running missions.
“He picked up everything very fast, he’s motivated and very intelligent,” Salazar added.
In his few short years in the military, Forde excelled in his brigade by graduating the Basic Leaders Course (BLC) as a distinguished honor graduate.
Sallee said he was not surprised.
“He is very versatile and very positive, and is quick to accomplish the things he is asked with little direction, which helps to fulfill the mission,” Sallee said.
With under three years in the Army, Salazar served as his sponsor and helped him through promotion boards to become a sergeant.
“He was already working above his pay grade,” Salazar said. “Normally the board takes about 30 minutes, but he only took 15 minutes.”
Graduating at the top of his class and being accepted for psychological operations (PSYOPS) showed he leads by example, Salazar said.
Setting the bar high
“He has set the bar for other Soldiers to reach; he set the bar very high,” Salazar added.
When the opportunity for the PSYOPS selection presented itself, Forde only had to submit his packet, because he was ready in all other aspects.
Right on track, constantly striving to achieve more, and now a U.S. citizen, Forde plans to submit a packet to become an officer.
“Everything I’ve done in the Army; I’ve always told myself I’m going to be in the top percent,” Forde said. “(Always asking myself) where’s the ceiling, where’s the top, where is that No. 1 spot?”
Through many mentors, Forde learned he had to earn the respect of others; people need to be treated and coached in a way that fosters their abilities, he said.
“That’s one thing I learned about coaching, and I carry that with me as a Soldier; treat every single person differently, because you need to know a person to be able to tap into their discretionary effort … meaning the most effort they could possibly give,” Forde said.
Sallee said it’s up to the individual to take advantage of opportunities to reach one’s full potential, and up to leaders to foster a setting that allows the Soldiers and Family members to realize they can accomplish more for “our country and our nation.”
Forde said his success came from planning ahead.
“If you have a plan and have a goal, it’s easier for you to stay on track,” he said.
Forde wants to succeed as well as help those around him.
“The better people you have in the Army the better it will be,” he added.
Forde does what he can to make sure those around him succeed, Sallee said.
“As a young Soldier he has a great combination of being able to display personal pride in himself and his work,” Sallee said. “What’s really great about Forde is that he has a balance of humility, but he is confident enough to be a follower. He takes pride in himself and his work, but he is humble enough to take feedback from others. He is proud but not prideful.”
Despite his accomplishments being unheard of in Barbados, he remains humble. He wanted to make his parents proud, make sure he had a house to live in, take care of his Family and eventually make enough money to take care of his parents.
Coming from an underprivileged background, knowing what it feels like to not have money, food, shoes, cable, telephone or internet “makes you really grateful for the little things,” Forde said.
Because of this mindset, Forde is resilient: taking the time to do his own physical therapy after injuries to show the other Soldiers he doesn’t fall behind, Salazar said.
“That whole ‘hunt the good stuff’ is so accurate,” he said of his resiliency training. “There is so much more in most people’s days that are positive, but they let one negative situation overshadow the entire day. If (people) could be more grateful … and understand there are a lot more positive things going on in their lives than negative, they’d be better off.”
Many of the opportunities for Forde come from striving for the next opportunity.
“Some are naturally good at being a Soldier,” Salazar said. “He is naturally good, but he is always working to be better — he is not comfortable being where he is — he always wants to be better.”
| Date Taken: | 10.25.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 12.20.2019 14:50 |
| Story ID: | 356784 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 143 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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