Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Simon | Soldiers in Squad 2, Scout/Recon Platoon, HHC 1-102nd Inf. Regiment stand before the...... read more read more
Michael DeMatteo, Spc. Alyssa DeMatteo’s father, passed away in 2010. Before he passed, he told his family that he regretted not joining the military. Spc. DeMatteo said that after her father’s death, her desire to enlist, which had been an itch and an inkling, turned into a goal that she had to accomplish.
In Feb. 2021, DeMatteo became the first female military occupation specialty qualified infantry Soldier in the Connecticut Army National Guard. Through her accomplishment, she joined hundreds of American women to have enlisted in combat arms career fields in the nation since the U.S. Army officially lifted the ban on women in the infantry in 2016.
“I think my dad would have thought it was cool,” she said. “He always told my brothers and I that we could do anything, especially things that took a lot of hard work.”
DeMatteo is a Soldier in the HHC 1-102nd Infantry Regiment, Reconnaissance/Scout platoon, which is currently deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to the Horn of Africa. She said that being in the infantry is everything that she hoped for.
“Being in the Scout platoon requires learning a lot of new skills: lots of nonverbal communication; new concealment techniques. There are challenging cultural and physical expectations that we have to adapt to. There is so much planning involved. I love it. During one of my first drills, we ruck marched; it poured on us, and I knew that this is where I wanted to be,” she said.
Being a Soldier in the infantry requires a high degree of dedication, affirmed HHC 1-102nd Infantry Regiment, First Sgt., Kurtis Palmer.
"The infantry is a mentally and physically challenging specialty that requires a great deal of physical endurance, critical thinking, adaptability and tenacity to be successful,” he said.
“Spc. DeMatteo is setting a high standard for those who will undoubtedly follow in her footsteps. We're proud to have her as a member of HHC,” said Palmer.
1-102nd Infantry Regiment Command Sgt. Maj., Daniel Morgan said the unit, whose origins trace to the 17th century, is proud DeMatteo’s accomplishment.
“The 1-102d Infantry is proud of Spc. DeMatteo for blazing a course that we hope many others emulate. She knows her job. She does her job, and she does it well. DeMatteo IS an Iron Gray! She is now part of our battalion’s long history of Soldiers who have displayed courage, steadfastness, and dedication to duty for our state and nation,” he said.
DeMatteo, a Seymour, Connecticut native and former Paier College of Art student, said she grew up in a patriotic household. She is the second DeMatteo in her family to join the CTARNG. Her brother, Master Sgt. Michael DeMatteo (Ret.) also served in the 1-102nd Infantry Regiment and deployed with the unit in 2006 to Afghanistan.
Spc. DeMatteo said that patriotism and a love of country have many meanings to her. “Those words mean that I can go to college and choose a field that interests me; they mean that I can join the military; they mean that I can open a business; the possibilities are endless,” she said.
The possibilities have indeed been endless for DeMatteo. Before her unit was activated for its current deployment, she owned and ran a boutique bakery in Seymour, Connecticut. Her bakery, “Wildflour Confections,” she said, was a labor of love that transformed from a hobby into a successful and award-winning small business.
In 2018, DeMatteo was named the Connecticut Small Business Administration (SBA) “Young Entrepreneur of the Year.” In 2017, she was awarded the Connecticut Women’s Business Development Council’s “20 for 20” award, for being a successful entrepreneur and business owner. She said that although her bakery’s doors are shuttered for the interim, she has exciting plans for her business when she returns home from her deployment.
“In business, I believe that you shouldn’t do it unless it’s the first thing you think about in the morning, and the last thing you think about at night. My focus right now has shifted to the infantry and our deployment,” she said.
DeMatteo first joined the CTARNG in 2018, and was a member of the 250th Engineer Company while awaiting a position to open in the 1-102nd Infantry Regiment. In 2021, she ultimately attended and graduated from 11B qualification school.
She said infantry qualification school pushed her to meet extremely tough mental and physical standards, and that graduating with her blue infantry identification cord taught her numerous lessons about pushing through adverse conditions and facing life’s challenges, head-on.
“My advice for anyone that is looking to take on a new challenge, whether it’s opening a business or something military related, is to do it.
Remember why you started, and finish what you started,” said DeMatteo.
Regarding becoming the first female infantry Soldier in Connecticut’s history, she said that she didn’t think her father would have been surprised.
“He told us push limits and to aim high. He did always tell us that we could do anything,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.30.2021 14:44 |
| Story ID: | 392622 |
| Location: | CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 1,387 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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