Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Asha Narayan (top, right), a patient administration sergeant with Company B.,...... read more read more
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BAGHDAD—Anything Sgt. Asha Narayan digs her hands into, she digs it all the way. Her aspirations are as big as her personality, and she says it is all because of strong values and people who have believed in her, her whole life.
Narayan, a patient administration sergeant with Company B, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Armored Division, United States Division – Center, and a Valley Stream, N.Y., native, said she aspires to be a general officer in the Army one day, as well as obtain her doctorate in chemistry. And there is little doubt in anyone’s mind she will someday reach those goals.
“I love her fearlessness, motivation and willingness to learn new things and take on new challenges,” said Capt. Michele Kehrle, a medical operations and patient administration officer-in-charge with Company B, DSTB, and a Toms River, N.J., native. “Sgt. Narayan shies away from nothing.”
Raised in Guyana, South America, Narayan was given strong values from the start from her traditional Indian family.
“Respect for elders is held very high in my culture. So growing up, I knew my place,” Narayan said. “The greatest value I learned from my grandparents is honesty. Honesty is something I value a lot.”
Narayan said she has molded strength with military tact over the years, to be the person she is today. Her strength came from overcoming obstacles like having to provide income for herself by getting a job at 16 years old.
Narayan said when she came into the Army she was full of attitude.
“My attitude has improved drastically over the years,” Narayan said. “I get told a lot about my attitude and I appreciate the constructive criticism given to me. I love the person I am today because of a stern non-commissioned-officer I once had. I am a lot nicer, I care about other people’s feelings and I have more compassion.”
Kehrle works closely with Narayan and echoes her, with appreciation for taking constructive criticism well.
“Her strongest qualities are her open-mindedness to recommendations and mentorship, and her motivation,” Kehrle said. “Personally, she is considerate, level-headed, introspective and reliable.”
Narayan said her strong personality is her strength, but her attitude is her weakness
“That’s the only thing I would change about myself,” Narayan said. “I have come a long way but there is always room to improve. I work on it and I change it all the time. I’m proud of myself for that.”
For Narayan, attitude is equally as important as ability, when it comes to success.
“I made [the] commandant’s list when I graduated Warrior Leaders Course,” Narayan said. “I went there with the idea in my head that I was going to make that list. All my NCOs told me they knew I could do it. I think other people have a lot more confidence in me than I do in myself.”
There is no stopping for Narayan. She plans on reaching all the way for the top of the ranks and becoming a general officer.
“I think the enlisted side (of the Army) is amazing, but I think of myself as more of a leader, like on the officer’s side of the house,” Narayan said. “I definitely want to retire from the Army. It’s a great organization and in 20 years, I’ll be done, too easy. I’ve always wanted to be a general someday.”
Narayan needs to finish her bachelor’s degree in order to be an officer in the Army. Like everything else, she is taking it all the way to the top. She wants to eventually have a doctorate in chemistry.
“Science is my passion,” Narayan said. “I want a Ph.D. in chemistry. It’s always been a goal in my life,” Narayan said. “I love putting different pieces of information together and seeing what I come up with as the creation.”
Narayan said cultural awareness was another passion of hers. Narayan was a late deployer and came during Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May. Upon arriving, he volunteered to put together cultural information for fellow Soldiers for everyone to understand cultural differences better.
“It was interesting to be a part of the celebration and show people we are not all the same,” Narayan said. “It is important for me to show people there is more to a culture than what they think.”
Narayan said she would like to be an Equal Opportunity advisor for her unit in the future.
“It is so important to reach out for a better understanding of cultures because in the Army, we all work so closely with each other,” Narayan said.
She also organized a 10 mile Combat Medic Run, open to anyone to honor the military medical occupations.
“What makes Sgt. Narayan stand out is, she is the kind of person and NCO who says ‘What can I do?’ versus ‘Why I cannot,’” Kehrle said. “That is a rare and invaluable trait.”
As Narayan continues to reach above what others find limits in, she never forgets who helped her along the way.
“My biggest appreciation is that my NCOs never gave up on me,” Narayan said. “Anything I wanted to do, they have always supported me. That to me made the biggest difference in my career. I appreciate my leaders for not giving up on me and helping me be the person I am today.”
| Date Taken: | 09.07.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2010 09:30 |
| Story ID: | 55830 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
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