Photo By Maj. Gabriela Thompson | Staff Sergeant Adam West stands in front of the sign for 4th Squadron, 3d Cavalry...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas – For many soldiers, jobs at multiple duty stations both stateside and overseas is the goal. That is not the case for Checotah, Oklahoma native Staff Sergeant Adam West, who began his Army career at Fort Hood in 2010.
West, a cavalry scout assigned to Outlaw Troop, 4th Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment, joined the Army in 2009 and was stationed at Fort Hood after completing his basic and advanced individual training.
“I joined the Army because it was tradition,” West said. “My dad was a cavalry scout and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. My grandfather was a field artillery radar operator and served two tours in Vietnam. My great grandfather served during World War II.”
From 2010 to 2018, West served in 1st Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment, deploying to Iraq. He later served in 4th Squadron, and again deployed to both Iraq and Egypt.
In 2018, West’s long stint at Fort Hood ended.
“Back then, Command Sergeant Major Ladd told me I needed to take control of my career before the Army did, so I submitted a drill sergeant packet,” said West. “But before I could get accepted, I came down on orders for Army recruiting.”
Determined to take some control over his career, West requested recruiting duty in Oklahoma.
“I ended up at the Tulsa Recruiting Company, the same one I was recruited out of,” he said.
When the time came for West to decide on his next assignment after recruiting duty, the choice was easy for him.
“I wanted to come back to 3rd CR, it was my home,” he said. “This was where I learned how to Army and be a scout…I just knew I wanted to be part of the Regiment again.”
Like many other former and current members of the Regiment, West is proud of being a brave rifle.
“Being in 3rd CR means a lot to me…it’s the Army’s premier cavalry unit,” he said. “Looking back at all the leaders who have come from the regiment and all the deployments and accomplishments we’ve made, I’m honored to be a part of the regiment’s history.”
Part of that history is a fond memory West poignantly remembers.
“One of the most fun things I ever did was the spur ride in 2014,” he said. “We rode on a Black Hawk [helicopter] out to Belton Lake and had to jump in, then climb in a little dinghy boat so we could row back to shore.”
When West returned to the regiment in 2021, he noticed some differences since his first years here.
“There’s a real emphasis on people first,” he said. “The operational tempo isn’t as busy as it used to be either. Back then, we were on a 12 month deploy, 18 month home schedule, and it’s not that way now.”
The operational tempo also took a toll on West and his family during their earlier years at Fort Hood.
“The hardest part about that time was being away from my kids and my wife,” he said. “I missed a lot of birthdays, Christmases, anniversaries.”
West has good advice to those thinking about joining the Army.
“It’s [the Army] not what you see on television,” he said. “It’s not all about medals and going to do the fun stuff. There will be times when things won’t be the best, but that’s when you lean on your fellow soldiers who become like brothers and sisters to you. Listen to your leaders and be open, be a member of the team.”
For more information about how to join the United States Army and available careers, visit https://www.goarmy.com
| Date Taken: | 04.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.06.2022 16:53 |
| Story ID: | 417974 |
| Location: | KILLEEN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 1,013 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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