Photo By Master Sgt. Tyrone Marshall | Sgt. James G. Alexander Jr., a former Marine, now assigned to A Co. 209th Aviation...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
Task Force Lightning Public Affairs
AL ASAD, Iraq – Some people are fortunate to have a successful career in one branch of the armed services. Others are able to serve multiple enlistments serving in more than one branch.
Sgt. James G. Alexander Jr. is one such person.
Alexander is currently deployed to Contingency Operating Base, Speicher, Iraq, just outside of Tikrit. He is assigned to A Co. 209th Aviation Support Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii since Nov. 20, 2005. His unit is now serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of Task Force Lightning.
Although, he's a truck driver by trade, he's been serving as a gunner for the Region 2 Border Transition Team, a small unit of Marines, Soldiers, a Sailor and Iraqi interpreters task-organized to the 25th CAB.
The Atlanta native enlisted in the Marine Corps in July, 1998, and served for five years on active duty followed by a year and a half in Marine Corps Reserves.
His reason for joining the Army afterwards is unceremonious.
"The Marine Corps said I had too many tattoos to come back in," said Alexander.
Soon afterwards, he decided to join the Army. He again enlisted from his hometown going straight to Advanced Individual Training as a sergeant.
From there he joined his unit A Co. 209th ASB at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii where he enjoyed the atmosphere.
"It is a beautiful place ... it's a great place to visit."
About nine months later he departed Schofield Barracks for his first combat deployment.
"This is actually my first combat deployment," said Alexander. "I've been on other deployments in the Marine Corps just for exercises.
"I had orders to Afghanistan in 2002 and I reenlisted in the Marine Corps," he continued. "My orders ended up getting cut. I ended up going to Beaufort, S.C.
"When I was getting out of the Marine Corps they were waiting to see if I was going to get extended and I was going to go over to [Operation Iraqi Freedom] 2," Alexander said. "But I didn't get stop-lossed so I ended up getting out while my unit went. This is making up for what I didn't get to do in the Marine Corps," he reasoned.
Alexander explained what his unit did prior to him joining the Region 2 BTT.
"My unit was only taking supplies from one place on the [forward operating base] to another."
After joining the BTT, he began to feel as though he was making a bit more of a difference.
"I actually feel like I have a meaning for me being here – a sense of worth to what I'm doing here," said Alexander.
He also discussed challenges the unit faces when engaging the local people and border forces.
"Just working with the Iraqis, sometimes you don't do anything, sometimes you're working," stated the former Marine. "They're not Americans. They're not used to the things we want done. So it takes a lot to get them on track with what you want to do."
However, Alexander thoroughly enjoys with his former service comrades.
"The most rewarding part about working with the BTT is being able to celebrate another Marine Corps birthday," he said. "In eight years of being in the Marine Corps, I was never involved in anything [except] burial detail."
"But when it came to the Marine Corps birthday ball I never had any part of the ceremony," Alexander recalls. "I actually got to be one of the cake bearers in the ceremony for the BTT team over here at Speicher, so that was pretty cool just being with Marines again."
'It's been a great opportunity working with these guys. I love being part of it. I do my part and try to help out with whatever I can do," he concluded.
Alexander's former days as a Marine are not his only connection to the "Corps." His wife grew up the daughter of a Marine furthering his family's connection. He discussed his family briefly.
"I've been married for about a year and a half now. We just recently had our first child together," he said proudly. "And I've got a six-year old who lives in Atlanta."
"They're going to be going back to Hawaii in June," he said of his family. "Her father is a retired sergeant major in the Marine Corps."
May be this contributes to her toughness.
"She's a trooper. She went through having our first child together by herself," said Alexander. "She's getting by trying to do everything she can to keep her mind off of what I have to do over here. Being on the team I get to talk to her a lot."
So with family and service secure, Alexander is looking toward the future and what a new career in the Army may hold for him.
"I've been working on getting my warrant officer packet together. So when we get back to Schofield, I'm trying to submit my warrant officer packet and eventually go to flight school," Alexander revealed. "But I have to get corrective eye surgery first. There's some things I have to look into and figure out how I'm going to do. Either that or I'm going recruiting!"
He also revealed his goals outside of the military.
"My goals outside of the military [are] I'd like to finish getting my Bachelor's degree. I'm about halfway there because of the job I did in the Marine Corps. I have college credit through the Air Force community college," he said.
And last, but not least, his most important goal of all.
"Of course, [it's] making my marriage successful," he smiled.
| Date Taken: | 03.22.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 03.22.2007 23:39 |
| Story ID: | 9578 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 299 |
| Downloads: | 275 |
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