POLAND –
For 247 years, the U.S. Army has trained fearless warriors and guardians of freedom in different tasks and drills to achieve greatness and glorious victories.
Today, Soldiers from the 35th Expeditionary Signal Battalion Bravo Company, under the 210th Regional Support Group of the 1st Mission Support Command, celebrated the U.S. Army's birthday by conducting a company run led by Capt. Jose Morales, company commander.
As they heard Staff Sgt. Victor Olivera call cadences, every soldier reflected on their journey in the military.
In the Army it is a tradition that the youngest and oldest soldiers cut a cake. For today's celebration, the Army Reserve signal company wanted to share a story of a junior enlisted and a noncommissioned officer serving in their formations.
Spc. Crystopher Ruiz, a cable systems installer, has been in the Army for two years, and being here represents his first deployment.
Ruiz attended basic training at the beginning of the pandemic, which represented a significant challenge, he said. After completing English school, basic training and advance individual training, he returned to his home. A few weeks later, he mobilized with the Army Reserve signal company, headquartered in Puerto Rico, to Poland.
"The Army has allowed me to grow professionally and expand my capabilities beyond what I could imagine," said Ruiz. "Despite the challenges during the pandemic, I had enough help from my sergeants and instructors to move forward and achieve my goals."
Ruiz said that having this job has helped him expand his knowledge and experience as a Soldier and a civilian. "I know that it is barely the beginning, but I know that with effort, dedication, and perseverance, I will be able to achieve all the goals I set for myself," concluded Ruiz.
Staff Sgt. Julio Acosta is considered by his peers one of the wisest soldiers during this mobilization. Therefore, they choose him to share his story.
"Being part of the Army has helped me take care of myself and my family and provided educational opportunities for us," said Acosta. "It helped me find an excellent civilian federal job that I like and has been a steady source of great friendships throughout the years."
It also allowed him to help his community during humanitarian missions, like in 2018 in the aftermath of hurricanes Maria and Irma, and be part of something bigger, continued Acosta.
"That sense of purpose that you have something important to do that directly and positively impacts the lives of countless people is the greatest satisfaction you get from your military career," concluded Acosta.
Every service member has a story to share, and this type of event promotes a culture of cohesive teams with highly trained, disciplined, and fit members, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.