Hamilton profile

Photo By Staff Sgt. Miles Elder | Pfc. Hamilton maintains her post.  

KIRKUSH, IRAQ

05.15.2006

Courtesy Story

133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KIRKUSH, Iraq (May 3, 2006) - A tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed California girl is the last person folks might expect to see manning a machine gun mounted atop a Humvee as it patrols roadways of northern Iraq.

It's also the last place Army cook Pfc. Rebecca Hamilton figured she would be when her unit, 1-8 Combined Arms Battalion, deployed here late last year. However, the 20-year-old Greenville, Calif., native is serving as a member of command security detachment for Col. Brian D. Jones, who commands the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers.

"When I stand up in the turret and look around, I get a lot of people looking at me like, "Wow, that's a girl up there,"" Hamilton said. "She's up in the gun and they don't know if that should be right or not.

"Still, I'm a pretty good aim."

Accuracy is important in Hamilton's role. She serves as the detail's eyes and ears while it is on the move, and, if the vehicle is attacked, she would be the one pouring rapid fire on the enemy.

Hamilton and fellow detachment members are in charge of transporting Jones to the various bases under his command throughout this northern Iraqi region. They also accompany him when he visits Iraqi Army outposts and civilian authorities.

"It's a great experience, I'm learning a lot," Hamilton said. "We get to go out and see the children and the people.

"It's really cool to see little kids running up to the trucks and say, "We love America." They really appreciate what we do."

Hamilton had been slated to join other cooks toiling in kitchens supporting members of her Fort Carson, Colorado-based unit. However, she and members of her squad caught the attention of higher ups for their tactical proficiency during the unit's pre-deployment training.

They even got to perform a room-clearing exercise for Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker. That was the start of her journey out of the kitchen.

Five members of her squad were tabbed for the detail. She has emerged as a valuable member of the team said one colleague.

"She knows the weapon pretty well," said Sgt. Ronald Garcia, the detail's medic. "I have complete confidence in her if something were to go down."

Hamilton is the detail's only female member. She said it's not a big problem for her.

"Some of the guys we work with haven't been around too many female Soldiers," Hamilton said smiling. "It does get hard sometimes because there are things we go through they don't understand.

"I'm one of those more emotional people. I cry at the drop of the hat."

Hamilton said she didn't mind being the only woman on the detail. She said she does what she needs to in order to fit in with the mostly older male crew.

"The guys joke around a lot, and I get in on the conversations a lot," Hamilton said. "Sometimes, I have to act like them.

"You can't totally isolate yourself because then you won't fit in."

While she enjoys cooking, Hamilton said she relishes her current job. She thinks often of her fellow platoon members who are working as cooks at nearby Forward Operating Base Paliwoda in Balad.

"A cook's job is very stressful especially if people don't appreciate what you do," Hamilton said. "I'm very fortunate to be on [Forward Operating Base] Warhorse.

"I'm not doing the same thing every day."

Hamilton joined the Army in 2004 just prior to graduating from Greenville Junior/Senior High School. While there, she was a three-sport athlete playing volleyball, basketball and softball.

"It was a small school," she laughed. "If you play one sport, they want you to play all three."

Located in northern California's ranching country, Greenville is near Chico, Calif. Her parents, Guy and Melody Hamilton still live there.

On Nov. 2, Hamilton married Robert Blair, a Denver native. After she finishes her time in uniform, she and her husband plan to return to Denver where she plans to either teach home economics at a high school or open a bed and breakfast.

For now though, Hamilton handles a machine gun and keeps her eyes peeled for the dangers that abound on Iraq's roadways. It's a role she said sometimes worries her family.

"My husband doesn't like it all," Hamilton said. "He would rather have me sitting at Paliwoda doing the day-in-day-out thing every single day.

"He wishes it would be a whole lot easier for us, but he knows it's not always going to be like this."

Melody Hamilton, Pfc. Hamilton's mother, has helped support the detail members from back home. She has helped get food supplies, toiletries and toys for Hamilton and her fellow Soldiers and to give away to Iraqi children.

"She got us a whole lot of stuffed animals to hand out," Hamilton said. "She really wants to help us a lot and is coping really well."

• Date Taken: 05.15.2006
• Date Posted: 05.15.2006 14:03
• Story ID: 6389
• Location: KIRKUSH, IQ