Photo By Sgt. Laurie Ellen Wash | Staff Sgt. Perpetual Andoh takes a break on a snowy day to pose for a photo, December...... read more read more
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It may be difficult for some new Soldiers to recognize the diverse experiences and potential that stem from a career in the Army. For Staff Sgt. Perpetual Andoh, a supply sergeant with HHC, 1-2 SBCT, had a similar reaction.
“When I joined initially, I thought it might not be for me,” Andoh said. “But I didn't want to have tunnel vision. Sometimes what you hear is not what you see. You have to experience it for yourself.”
When Andoh came to the end of her time in college in her home country of Ghana, she won the Visa lottery and moved to the United States. Leaving close family behind, she soon found herself in a completely new atmosphere, and very soon after arriving in the U.S., she decided to join the Army.
“I was excited but also scared in the beginning,” Andoh said. “People are in a war zone! But they are doing a good thing.”
From the hot climate of Ghana, Andoh was transported to Fort Drum, home to below-freezing temperatures and cold weather training.
“I initially wanted to get out because of the training in the cold, shooting in the cold, being in the cold. Everything was in the cold,” she said. “But, I love it now!”
With a difficult beginning, Andoh’s support from her noncommissioned officers helped her through her struggles. By managing her expectations, learning to be resilient, and having a team that supported their Soldiers, Andoh now loves Fort Drum and considers it her home above anywhere else in the United States.
“If you get the right resources, if you get the right guidance, you can do this job forever. My NCO said it, and it’s true ‘It’s the easiest job you’ll love to hate’.”
After ten years in the Army, Andoh is looking to change direction in her career. She has enrolled in Liberty University and has begun the process of transitioning to the Chaplain Corps.
If any Soldiers are interested in transitioning to the Chaplain Corps, check out the Chaplaincy Candidacy Program (CCP) for more information.
| Date Taken: | 01.05.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 01.04.2023 18:45 |
| Story ID: | 436275 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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