Rockwood Care and Rehabilitation Center supports deployed CNA employee

Photo By Sgt. Jennifer Sardam | Pvt. 1st Class Cynthia M. Soliman was mobilized December 2005, just weeks after she graduated from the Army's advanced individual training (AIT) for the military occupational specialty of administrative specialist. She deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).  

DOHA, QATAR

03.17.2006

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

By Spc. Jennifer Sardam
USCENTCOM Public Affairs/ESGR Forward Team

DOHA, Qatar - At the Rockwood Care and Rehabilitation Center in Rockwood, Tenn., Cynthia M. Soliman lends an ear to her elderly patients" personal stories and tends to their needs as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Some of them are veterans, and she can better identify with their stories of daily military life after joining the U.S. Army Reserve just over a year ago.

Pvt. 1st Class Soliman may soon have similar stories to share. She was mobilized December 2005, just weeks after she graduated from the Army's advanced individual training (AIT) for the military occupational specialty of administrative specialist. She deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), for which she's so far spent time in Kuwait and Qatar.

But before she left her home in Kingston, Tenn. her civilian employer helped make the transition financially easier by letting her earn one last paycheck.

"When I went into basic training and AIT," said Soliman, 'they [Rockwood] let me work when I came back, for the two weeks before I went overseas."

Moving from caregiver to combat-ready soldier in the Global War on Terror (GWOT) was a quick adjustment. But don't let the term caregiver fool you. In addition to basic training and AIT, Soliman believes her two years in this physically and emotionally challenging civilian role better prepared her for the military.

"I guess it helped me handle the stress," acknowledged Soliman. "Being a CNA is really demanding and you always have to do what they ask." In addition, she mentioned that having become familiar with different personalities at the center in Rockwood enhances her customer relations dealings on the job with postal patrons in Qatar, where she works at the military camp's main post office.

And Soliman was no stranger to hard work even before she became a CNA. To attain her certification for her civilian profession, she attended the Tennessee Technology Center while she was also a student balancing classes at Oliver Springs High School in Oliver Springs, Tenn.

Although her civilian role is not easy, she admits that she misses working with the patients on a daily basis. "When you take care of them for so long, it's hard to leave them," Soliman reflected. "My patients were sad, and the people I work with went to Wal-Mart and had a "G.I. Jane" kind of cake made for me."

While Soliman was motivated by the support of her patients and coworkers in her journey through Army training, her mom was equally encouraged by her daughter's progress and also enlisted in the Army Reserve. "I inspired her," said Soliman. "She saw what it did for me."

Soliman deployed with her stateside unit, the 721st Adjutant General Postal Company out of Oak Ridge, Tenn. She is both the associate custodian of postal effects and the claims clerk at the post office in Qatar. There she manages the money of the office's cashiers and organizes customer reports on a daily basis.

Soliman's deployments to Kuwait and Qatar fall under the military command of U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM).

USCENTCOM, which is located at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., is the unified command responsible for U.S. security interests in 27 nations that stretch from the Horn of Africa (HOA) through the Arabian Gulf region, and into Central Asia. USCENTCOM is one of nine unified commands in the Department of Defense (DOD).

Central Command's mission includes enhancing regional stability and demonstrating a steadfast commitment to regional security. CENTCOM is also responsible for executing the GWOT in its assigned area of responsibility (AOR), which includes Iraq, Afghanistan and HOA. Other important USCENTCOM activities include humanitarian and security assistance programs, as well as combined training and education opportunities for military members in AOR nations.

As Soliman spends this year serving USCENTCOM, she can feel confident of success in both her military and civilian roles, without having to sacrifice either. "My employer has supported me and made me feel comfortable about my decision to join the military," she commented.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, commonly known as USERRA, allows Soliman and other mobilized military members to retain their rights to return to their civilian jobs following a deployment. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain active support from all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR volunteers provide free education, consultation, and if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.

As the 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions that require extraordinary actions on the part of everyday citizens, ESGR will continue to be the information agency for the employers of America's new Minutemen. More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at [phone].

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• Date Taken: 03.17.2006
• Date Posted: 03.17.2006 10:55
• Story ID: 5768
• Location: DOHA, QA