Photo By Spc. Luciano Alcala | A collage made by retired Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Joe Aiello of Staff Sgt. Steven A. Booker...... read more read more
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FORT STEWART, Ga.- The Army recently unveiled its new tracked vehicle the M10 Booker Combat Vehicle. The M10 Booker is an infantry assault vehicle built for swift forces to rapidly overpower enemies. It is named after two Army Veterans, Pvt. Robert D. Booker who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart for service during WWII, and Staff Sgt. Steven A. Booker who was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his valor during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
But why is it important to honor our fallen Soldiers? This is an easy question for retired Sgt. Maj. Joe Aiello to answer. The Soldiers who risked their lives to defend their families and their country are heroes that should be remembered.
“These are soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice. They put their life on the line, they made sure that they sacrificed everything for their country, their families, and they all should be recognized,” Aiello said.
The legacy of Staff Sgt. Steven A. Booker means so much more to Aiello, though. Aiello had the privilege of calling Booker a close friend and honoring him is an opportunity to recall the fond memories the two shared.
“We would all sit around when we got that opportunity and we would play Madden, or we would play NCAA college football, back then probably on a regular Xbox" said Aiello. "He would always be the Pittsburgh Steelers because that's his favorite team and I think I'd be the 49ers. He used to call me, obviously with my first name Joe, he would call me Joey. And then every time he would beat me, he'd get up in my face and he’d be like, yeah, that's how we do it, Little Joey from Saskatchewan. And throughout the remainder of the time that we knew each other he always called me little Joey from Saskatchewan. That's something that has always stuck with me."
Aiello met Booker in March of 2001, after they were both assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Aiello met Booker thanks to Booker’s larger than life personality.
“He was super loud. He's that NCO that looked for any corrections on you whatsoever," said Aiello. "He made sure that you were right and that you were the standard. He was that old school type NCO that we don't really tend to see too much in the Army, but he took care of his soldiers to the fullest, making sure that they were trained and ready to go."
Booker's personality and his dedication to being an outstanding Noncommissioned officer were the first steps in cementing his legacy. His actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he led his unit on an offensive armored attack, known as Thunder Run, on April 5, 2003, and subsequently resulted in the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime, made him into an undeniable hero.
During Thunder Run, Booker's platoon came under heavy fire and Booker tactically assessed the situation and immediately communicated the circumstance to his command. He protected his unit with a mounted machine gun on his tank and reassured his crew that they would make it towards their objective. When his machine gun malfunctioned, he placed himself in a vulnerable position on top of the tank and continued to protect his platoon’s flank by engaging the enemy with his own weapon, until he was fatally wounded.
Booker had a tremendous impact on those around him including Aiello. When Aiello faced difficult moments in his Army career, Booker’s memory drove Aiello to become the best leader he could be, which eventually led to him earning the rank sergeant major.
“His legacy means everything not only to me, but to his family," Aiello added. "He just sets the tone for what every NCO in the army should want to be like. Not only is he a Pittsburgh hero from his hometown of Apollo, but he's also an Army hero and an American hero that will live on forever."
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.28.2023 09:31 |
| Story ID: | 460550 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | APOLLO, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 325 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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