“Why I Serve” is a series of feature articles highlighting the reasons why civilian and military personnel serve in various roles to support to the Picatinny Arsenal community.
After coming to the U.S. mainland from Puerto Rico in 2013 and tackling a language barrier while shedding nearly 100 pounds so that he can serve his country, Staff Sgt. Jose M. Paulacordero has overcome the odds, cementing himself as the pillar of his family’s history.
The U.S. Army recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15. This observance provides the opportunity to recognize Hispanic Americans and their achievements to the Army and to the nation. The Army values the contributions of American Soldiers with ancestry from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America.
The theme of the 2024 observance is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”
Paulacordero is an example of a pioneer for change, a Soldier dedicated to shaping not only the future of the Army, but also his family. He enlisted in the Army 10 years ago. As a child, he never thought about serving in the military.
“I graduated nursing school and had a daughter at the time,” Paulacardero said. “I was living the American dream, riding the wave: college, family. But I wanted more. I was telling my wife, ‘This cannot be my life.’
“The world is so big. So many cultures to see, so many people to meet. There’s no way I was going to work at the hospital for the rest of my life, travel maybe once a year and wait for the Lord to call me. I don’t want to say I wanted to conquer the world, but there was an idea of a different version of me that I wanted to achieve. I wanted to achieve the unachievable.”
Still, with no clear vision in sight, Paulacordero was uncertain as to what that change would look like.
“My wife’s father served in the Army for 30 years,” Paulacordero stated. “He said to me, ‘Why don’t you join the Army?’
“I thought they just wanted to get rid of me and I said, ‘That ain’t happening.’ I thought he was just looking out for his daughter and wanted me gone.”
That is when Paulacordero started conducting research on serving in the U.S. military and what his family’s future might look like.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” he said. “I never visualized myself as a ‘warrior.’ The U.S. was still very active in Afghanistan and Iraq, so I was scared. But, on the other side of fear is where you usually find yourself.
Paulacordero purchased a book to help him prepare for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, a standardized test that helps identify a person's strengths and aptitude in various areas. The ASVAB is used by recruiters to determine eligibility for enlistment in the U.S. military and to help find the best job for a person in the military.
Because of the language barrier, Paulacordero said that he recalls spending seven to eight hours a day studying.
Upon initial contact with an Air Force recruiter, Paulacordero was informed that he would need to lose a significant amount of weight to be qualified for enlistment in any branch of service.
Remarkably, he lost 70 pounds in four months.
Paulacordero's initial attempt at the ASVAB unfortunately produced a low score. Discouraged, but not enough to abandon his pursuit, he approached an Army recruiter.
Paulacordero quit his job and told the recruiter that he wanted to leave immediately for basic training. Again, he was faced with another challenge.
“I was told I would need to lose another 20 pounds,” he said. And that’s what he did.
Over the span of under six months, Paulacordero dropped more than 90 pounds. He retaught himself math, while also learning to translate Spanish to English faster.
After completing basic training, Paulacordero found himself going to school to complete training for one of the most challenging military occupational specialties imaginable.
Paulacordero had enlisted as a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist, where he would be required to respond to the threat of CBRN weapons of mass destruction or decontaminate hazardous material spills or other hazardous material threats.
He would undergo hazardous materials training equivalent to that of a firefighter. His new career in the Army would ensure that he would complete those adventure and travel goals that he set out to achieve.
In the past decade, Paulacordero has been stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Riley, Kansas; and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He has also been deployed in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and experienced duties in Qatar, Kuwait, Dubai, South Korea and the embassy in the Dominican Republic.
Today, Paulacordero is one of approximately 170,000 Soldiers who identify as Hispanic or of Latin descent. It is estimated that Hispanics or Latinos equal about 17 percent of the total force. About 10 percent of the Army’s military and civilian workforces is Hispanic.
Now assigned as a recruiter attached to the North Jersey Recruiting Company, part of the U.S. Army’s Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion, Paulocordero’s career has come full circle. His home station is in Elizabeth, New Jersey, an area with a large Hispanic population.
Ten years ago, he challenged himself to become a U.S. Army Soldier. After traveling the world, Paulacordero now finds himself assisting other young men and women to find their purpose.
As a recruiter, Paulacordero is charged with informing applicants of the more than 200 jobs to choose from. Soldiers can find their purpose and pursue their passions through a wide range of interest areas, from infantry and aviation to engineering and music and beyond.
“In the beginning it was all about the adventure,” Paulacordero said as he reflected on why he originally enlisted. “I needed that excitement. I was not a ‘patriot.’ It wasn’t that I didn’t care, but I wasn’t from the mainland, so I was unaware. Now, 10 years later, I’m singing the national anthem.
“It was about taking care of my family and conquering a new image of myself. Today, it’s dynasty. I want to be my son’s hero. I don’t want my son to see his hero in somebody else. I have three kids. They are proud of our last name. I want to be talked about years later. Like when hear a child say, ‘My grandfather was in Vietnam,’ and they are proud of that. I want that. I want my grandchild to tell his son, ‘Your great grandfather was special.’ Right now, in my family history, all I know is my grandparents. I lost all the history. I don’t have that. I’m trying to recreate our history in our line. I took it upon myself to create family history.”
Paulacordero recently changed his MOS to become a career recruiter and extended his contract with the Army for an additional 10 years.
“The greatest benefit that anyone looking at the military can realize, is that you are going to challenge yourself,” Paulacordero said. “You are going to learn how to challenge your challenges. You are going to learn how to persevere. The only want to get better at facing adversity, is to face adversity. I walked into the worst-case scenario and came out on top. I love it. I’m not looking back on what I have not done, because I’ve done it already.”
The opportunities offered to those who willingly, voluntarily join the military are unmatched, so if you are thinking about joining the Army, visit GoArmy.com or call 1-888-550-Army.
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2024 11:06 |
| Story ID: | 485543 |
| Location: | ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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