ARIFJAN, Kuwait--The Kansas Army National Guard gained a new member of an ever-growing team and family while deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
Since arriving in theater, U.S. Army Sgt. Carter Abitago Driggs, a technical engineer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 891st Engineer Battalion, hit the ground running supporting the battalion as a survey and design NCO in the Construction Management Shop.
“I found out that [the 891st Engineer Battalion] did not have a survey NCO, so I took the opportunity to join their mobilization before I returned from my last deployment,” Driggs said. “I was picked up even before I came home.”
Driggs joined the U.S. Air Force in 2003 and served two deployments before being discharged in 2006 due to the policy known by many as the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” where the Department of Defense essentially barred homosexuals from openly serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Driggs wasn’t alone, as several thousand service members were reported to have also been discharged from service due to the policy that ended in September 2011.
“It was a difficult time in my life,” said Driggs. “I never wanted to stop serving. Once it [Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell] was repealed, I started the process to try to get back in.”
After over a decade of trying to rejoin and through difficulties, Driggs was finally able to enlist in the Arizona Army National Guard in 2016.
He graduated basic training and advanced individual training in 2017 as a technical engineer for the 253rd Engineer Battalion out of Florence, Arizona. Since rejoining, he deployed with the unit in 2018 to Afghanistan as part of Task Force Phoenix. He volunteered for another mobilization upon returning, this time, with the Kansas Army National Guard’s Task Force Tornado.
After spending time with his teammates on the mobilization, Driggs decided to transfer to HHC, 891st Engineer Battalion, as a permanent unit member. 1st Lt. Michael Mathews, an engineer officer with HHC 891st Engineer Battalion, conducted his swearing-in ceremony in front of a few fellow Soldiers Oct. 21.
While his time spent in Arizona was good, Driggs said he felt driven to continue serving with the 891st Engineer Battalion because of the welcoming and caring experience he received with the unit.
“Every interaction that I’ve had with every level of the Battalion was not only professional but kind, warm and welcoming,” he added. “The Army never looked like that to me before I started interacting with people from Kansas. I felt compelled to want to continue to drill with them after the deployment ends and contribute where I can in order to make Kansas better.”
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2020 05:04 |
| Story ID: | 382261 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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