1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,540 - Lieutenant Colonel John Soto, 2 00:00:01,540 --> 00:00:03,040 I serve as the protection chief 3 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,430 for the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command. 4 00:00:06,430 --> 00:00:08,970 I am originally from New York City in New York. 5 00:00:08,970 --> 00:00:12,410 I was born in Manhattan, about 10 to 15 minute walk 6 00:00:12,410 --> 00:00:14,670 from Madison Square Garden. 7 00:00:14,670 --> 00:00:18,330 Grew up there and then, you know, went through school, 8 00:00:18,330 --> 00:00:21,070 went through middle school, high school, graduated, 9 00:00:21,070 --> 00:00:24,730 and then decided that the military was something 10 00:00:24,730 --> 00:00:26,630 that I wanted to do based on different things 11 00:00:26,630 --> 00:00:28,560 that were going on in my life. 12 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,440 Some of the people that helped guide me 13 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:32,310 towards that was my grandfather, 14 00:00:32,310 --> 00:00:35,490 who served both World War One and World War Two, 15 00:00:35,490 --> 00:00:39,190 and along with my brother, who is currently in the army, 16 00:00:39,190 --> 00:00:40,203 prior to me joining. 17 00:00:42,350 --> 00:00:46,593 I joined the military in 93 as an 11 Charlie, 18 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:49,260 which is all Mortarman. 19 00:00:49,260 --> 00:00:51,140 You know, went through basic training and AIT 20 00:00:51,140 --> 00:00:54,040 then the airborne school and then also I was on active duty, 21 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,240 did both Fort Bragg and also Germany for five years 22 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,310 and then I transferred to the California National Guard. 23 00:01:01,310 --> 00:01:04,950 Continue to maintain my infantry status, and then move to 24 00:01:04,950 --> 00:01:08,050 North Carolina where, again, I was still enlisted soldier, 25 00:01:08,050 --> 00:01:10,950 but that's where I was also working on my bachelor's degree 26 00:01:10,950 --> 00:01:13,720 and decided, you know what, let me see if 27 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,150 becoming an officer is an option. 28 00:01:15,150 --> 00:01:18,300 So I applied for the ROTC program, and they accepted me. 29 00:01:18,300 --> 00:01:20,100 And then went through that process 30 00:01:20,100 --> 00:01:22,810 and got commissioned in 2002. 31 00:01:22,810 --> 00:01:24,770 Again, I was still in the National Guard 32 00:01:24,770 --> 00:01:26,863 through a couple deployments, 33 00:01:27,901 --> 00:01:29,820 and then just change of work style, 34 00:01:29,820 --> 00:01:32,590 I decided that I had to ship because I was moving 35 00:01:32,590 --> 00:01:37,410 from North Carolina up to the DC area for a new job 36 00:01:37,410 --> 00:01:38,920 and realize that the National Guard 37 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:40,760 was no longer the path for me. 38 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,200 And then I decided, that's when I decided that the reserves 39 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,650 was the path that I wanted to go to and as an MP officer, 40 00:01:47,650 --> 00:01:48,860 I got immediately assigned 41 00:01:48,860 --> 00:01:51,010 to the 200 military police command 42 00:01:51,010 --> 00:01:53,560 out of Fort Meade, Maryland, and then since then, 43 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:54,993 I've been in the reserves. 44 00:01:57,730 --> 00:01:59,390 I enjoy wearing the uniform, 45 00:01:59,390 --> 00:02:02,270 I'm proud to put the uniform on, I'm proud to wear it 46 00:02:02,270 --> 00:02:03,620 whenever I'm outside. 47 00:02:03,620 --> 00:02:06,020 I'm proud of the service that I've accomplished. 48 00:02:08,090 --> 00:02:11,660 I credit my service to my family, to my wife, 49 00:02:11,660 --> 00:02:13,060 and all of my children. 50 00:02:13,060 --> 00:02:14,210 They've gone through the path 51 00:02:14,210 --> 00:02:16,150 since I've become an AGR officer. 52 00:02:16,150 --> 00:02:17,720 They've gone through the path and helped me out 53 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,130 through this process, bringing me into the military, 54 00:02:20,130 --> 00:02:23,460 I credit that to my grandfather and my older brother 55 00:02:23,460 --> 00:02:25,860 because of the military tradition in our family. 56 00:02:27,580 --> 00:02:30,810 Do what you wanna do, and don't take no for an answer. 57 00:02:30,810 --> 00:02:33,480 If you wanna go to airborne school, you might have to wait 58 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,170 a couple extra months, but get what you want 59 00:02:36,170 --> 00:02:37,840 so that you can establish yourself. 60 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,793 So always take something from everybody good or bad.