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    Combat Medic Fullfills Dream of Becoming Soldier

    Combat Medic Fullfills Dream of Becoming Army Soldier

    Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Francois Elmaleh | Pfc. Jose Gaido, combat medic with 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment,...... read more read more

    NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA

    08.18.2022

    Story by Staff Sgt. Francois Elmaleh 

    110th Public Affairs Detachment

    East Greenwich, RI - Originally from Honduras, Pfc. Gaido’s childhood enthusiasm for the Army has been constant. His inspiration for joining came from watching Saving Private Ryan when he was four years old.

    Gaid said, “You see good guys fighting evil and I thought that's what the military was like”. A combat medic with Headquarters Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 103d Field Artillery Regiment. Gaido said, “‘I remember looking up and saying, ‘I want to do that.’”

    “Fourteen years later, I had an opportunity to enlist and took it.”

    “After my sister was born. I was there to help receive her and watch that happen,” said Gaido. “I wanted to go medical. I wanted to help people. I want to go in the field and be with my people and make sure that they're good, doing good, because I really care about them.”

    After coming to America he realized his dream of becoming a U.S. Soldier. At first opportunity he spoke with a recruiter and enlisted at age seventeen.

    Gaido spoke on his preference to stay enlisted, “I like being an enlisted soldier. I like (enlisted) life. Waking up in the morning and knowing, hey I’m going to go work with my buddies. I feel like the higher you go, the less you can do on the ground.

    That’s why I've been able to enjoy being in the field this AT with my colleagues and peers. I’m able to be in the field with them, day in and day out. That’s particularly what I enjoy about being enlisted.”

    While in basic training, Gaido also became an American Citizen. Initially, he did not want to use the military to become a citizen, but changed his mind after his drill sergeant gave him a packet, had him fill it out and told him he wanted him to become a citizen.

    After completing the packet, he signed it, and it was sent off for processing,

    “Then around Christmas time, I got an email with a date to come in for the next steps towards to getting my citizenship. Yeah, I became a citizen, a naturalized citizen on February 10th of this year (2022).”

    Gaido hopes to one day go active duty, fulfilling a goal to become a forward observer (13F).

    “I do love artillery, so I want to stay in it.” Gaido said. “I do see myself giving a whole lifetime of service to the military and a thank you for allowing me to stay in this, in this great nation,”

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.18.2022
    Date Posted: 08.19.2022 09:51
    Story ID: 427617
    Location: NEW BRUNSWICK, CA

    Web Views: 155
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN