Photo By Staff Sgt. Russell Klika | U.S. Army Pfc. Ashante Short of Regimental Higher Headquarters Troop, 278th Armored...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Thomas Greene
CAMP SHELBY, Miss. - It was at 0645 on the coldest morning of our mobilization at Camp Shelby, Miss., when I went to interview Pfc. Ashante` Patrice Short. I knew she was near the end of her charge of quarters, staying up all night manning the phones, shift at the Regimental Headquarters Troop, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard.
From outside the unit's orderly room, I saw Short through the window, wearing boxing gloves and man handling her opponent - a metal side door that opened into the latrine. Her foot work was nimble and sure as she bobbed and weaved and jabbed, jabbed, jabbed at the seemingly recalcitrant metal door.
It turned out Short was frustrated from working all night in a building whose heat had gone out during the night and was taking her frustration out on an object that couldn't taunt, bleed or run away.
Short, gives credence to the adage that "dynamite comes in small packages." Slender and petite at five feet, one inches tall and weighing 103 pounds, the young single 22 year old mother seems to fear nothing, expects to succeed and will meet a challenge head on.
Her attitude and path to success started at an early age.
"My parents were both in the military and from a very young age, my brother, two sisters and I were expected to take on challenges and succeed," said Short. My dad, a retired 1st Sgt., inspected our rooms and expected them to be organized and clean much like boot camp. He removed anything he thought might become a distraction to our success in school.
Short is from Clarksville, Tenn., where she grew up and graduated from Clarksville Northeast High School in 2006. While attending high school she played on the school's soccer team, ran track, was a member of the Beta Club, the Drama Club, attended four years of ROTC, served as student body secretary, made the cheerleading team, was selected to the National Honor Society; and for the first two games of her senior year, she played on the varsity football team.
Earning a spot on the high school varsity football team turned out to be a monumental challenge but she said it wasn't physical barriers or lack of heart but the attitude of her all male teammates that drove her.
"I was an outcast at first. The guys would just throw my gear all over the locker room thinking it would discourage me but it only made me more determined to tough it out," said Short.
Short was recruited into the Tennessee Army National Guard April 11, 2006, by her brother Spc. Darnell Short, a gun truck driver and member of Golf Troop, Regimental Fires Squadron of the 278th.
"Yes I was G-rapped by my brother and he kept the money," said Short. The G-rap program is a cash incentive program for guardsmen who recruit first time enlistment soldiers. The program pays two thousand dollars per enlisted Soldier. She said her two sisters were also in the national guardman and both helped add to their brother's bank account.
In basic training she won the Soldier of the Cycle Award and was the honor graduate of her Advanced Individual Training class.
Short said she was attending Austin Peay State University working toward a degree in nursing, and also held two jobs when she joined the Guard. "It was work, more work, go to school and pick up my two year old son Deontae."
Short said she saw what the Guard had to offer, the benefits of college assistance, an enlistment bonus, and health insurance while deployed, and took the offer because she wanted a better life for her son.
Her parents are retired U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Ralph K. Short, and Patricia Short who served six years as a dental assistant.
Short has two older sisters enlisted in the Tennessee Army National Guard. Raycine is completing Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Ga., and Marnessa is going through Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, S.C.
Both Darnell and Ashante will be deploying to Iraq with the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment though she belonged to the 771st Maintenance Company located in Centerville, Tenn., before the 278th mobilized. "I spent my first eighteen months of service with the 771st including an annual training exercise in Romania this past August. I was command directed by my state's adjutant to help fill the ranks of the 278th," said Ashante.
She said she was naturally apprehensive about changing units and deploying but those nerves were quickly dispelled because her unit's senior enlisted personnel put her at ease and gave her direction and guidance.
Though trained to be a nuclear, biological, and chemical specialist, the needs of the Regiment were for an improvised explosive device specialist and she filled the void.
Her supervisor, Lt. Col. Eric Howell, Regimental Engineer officer, says she's one of the best CPOF operators (Command Post of the Future) in the TOC. "She learns quick, basically self taught. The civilian contractors come around and show her some things but mostly she figures systems out by herself," said Howell.
Short is not brooding about being in the cavalry or about deploying. She listed about 15 superlatives in describing her unit and her job. "I love being a part of a team. Here they make you feel important and I want my team, the [278th] to succeed," said Short.
Her recipe for success is "Learn your job, love your work and give it 100 percent."
| Date Taken: | 01.12.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.13.2010 16:24 |
| Story ID: | 43789 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 1,249 |
| Downloads: | 643 |
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