1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,583 (gentle music) 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,310 - One of the most challenging times was 3 00:00:06,310 --> 00:00:08,320 after my grandmother passed away. 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,020 That was one of the first deaths close 5 00:00:11,020 --> 00:00:13,260 to a close family member. 6 00:00:13,260 --> 00:00:14,500 She's definitely shaped who I am 7 00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:16,853 and it definitely changed me. 8 00:00:23,260 --> 00:00:27,260 You know, it took me a little while to cope. 9 00:00:27,260 --> 00:00:30,070 Talking to my family definitely helped with that. 10 00:00:30,070 --> 00:00:33,540 Just talking about it and realizing 11 00:00:33,540 --> 00:00:36,070 that the best thing to do is just make her proud 12 00:00:36,070 --> 00:00:36,920 if she were here. 13 00:00:38,140 --> 00:00:39,950 It definitely shaped me, 14 00:00:39,950 --> 00:00:42,910 because it gave me a different perspective on life. 15 00:00:42,910 --> 00:00:46,100 I knew that life is pretty fragile. 16 00:00:46,100 --> 00:00:49,563 So try to go day by day with things. 17 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:52,240 Don't take life for granted. 18 00:00:56,876 --> 00:00:58,410 Oh, she definitely taught me 19 00:00:58,410 --> 00:01:01,353 how to speak Punjabi, speak, read, and write. 20 00:01:02,270 --> 00:01:05,070 One of the reasons I am really proficient at it 21 00:01:05,070 --> 00:01:06,420 even now is because of her, 22 00:01:06,420 --> 00:01:09,013 'cause she wouldn't let us speak English at the house. 23 00:01:10,420 --> 00:01:12,383 She taught me the values of hard work. 24 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:16,060 Being a good person, always being there to help someone. 25 00:01:16,060 --> 00:01:18,293 And it definitely resonated on to me. 26 00:01:23,460 --> 00:01:27,750 What pushes me is my family and her. 27 00:01:27,750 --> 00:01:30,950 And I always feel confident then that whatever I'm gonna do, 28 00:01:30,950 --> 00:01:34,943 I'm gonna give my 100% and be the best at it that I can be. 29 00:01:41,030 --> 00:01:42,190 Whenever I'd come home from school, 30 00:01:42,190 --> 00:01:44,910 she would always be there to cook and talk to. 31 00:01:44,910 --> 00:01:48,153 I would always know that if I come home, she's there. 32 00:01:55,150 --> 00:01:56,870 My grandma would be proud of me 33 00:01:56,870 --> 00:02:00,030 in knowing that I've taken this step in my life, 34 00:02:00,030 --> 00:02:01,570 joined the Army Reserves, 35 00:02:01,570 --> 00:02:04,753 and set myself up to succeed in any way possible. 36 00:02:11,930 --> 00:02:14,120 She instilled those values into me at a young age, 37 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,043 and she's one of my role models. 38 00:02:23,300 --> 00:02:26,660 My grandma taught me my work ethic from the start, 39 00:02:26,660 --> 00:02:28,530 since she basically raised me, 40 00:02:28,530 --> 00:02:30,520 because my parents would be at work. 41 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,530 And that carries over even till today 42 00:02:33,530 --> 00:02:34,730 and to the Army Reserve. 43 00:02:35,700 --> 00:02:39,870 I was born in India in the small state of Punjab. 44 00:02:39,870 --> 00:02:41,550 And I moved here when I was very young, 45 00:02:41,550 --> 00:02:43,320 so I've been raised here. 46 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:44,960 I have always wanted to join the military. 47 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:46,590 I just didn't know how to do it. 48 00:02:46,590 --> 00:02:49,210 The Army Reserve offered one benefit was that 49 00:02:49,210 --> 00:02:51,803 they didn't want me to give up my religion. 50 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:53,633 Through the army, 51 00:02:53,633 --> 00:02:55,770 I was able to get a religious accommodation 52 00:02:55,770 --> 00:02:57,870 that allowed me to maintain my faith 53 00:02:57,870 --> 00:02:59,949 and still serve at the same. 54 00:02:59,949 --> 00:03:01,290 - Go! - Go. 55 00:03:01,290 --> 00:03:03,650 The army is a representative of the population 56 00:03:03,650 --> 00:03:07,420 of the United States and being in our military force, 57 00:03:07,420 --> 00:03:09,310 allowing every religion represents 58 00:03:09,310 --> 00:03:10,660 the population pretty well. 59 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,200 Sikhs pride themselves on being, 60 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,070 putting others before ourselves. 61 00:03:17,070 --> 00:03:19,710 You can see it within our free kitchen 62 00:03:19,710 --> 00:03:23,440 that we have at our gurdwaras, at our place of worships, 63 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,533 and selfless service on both sides, it's just similar. 64 00:03:27,620 --> 00:03:29,760 Day one that I showed up to my unit, 65 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,480 I was welcomed in immediately, treated like everyone else. 66 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,540 I wasn't getting any special attention. 67 00:03:35,540 --> 00:03:37,500 Even back at my basic training, 68 00:03:37,500 --> 00:03:39,440 I was just treated like a normal soldier. 69 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,760 And the fact that I'm treated still the same shows 70 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:44,550 that the army cares about its uniformity 71 00:03:44,550 --> 00:03:45,917 within its training. 72 00:03:45,917 --> 00:03:47,167 - Yeah, Hundal! 73 00:03:48,048 --> 00:03:49,031 We got this! 74 00:03:49,031 --> 00:03:50,264 - You got it. 75 00:03:50,264 --> 00:03:52,140 - [Man] Let's go! 76 00:03:52,140 --> 00:03:54,070 - [Trainer] Come on, come on, push. 77 00:03:54,070 --> 00:03:55,590 - As a military police officer, 78 00:03:55,590 --> 00:03:57,960 a lot of times the stuff that I have to deal with 79 00:03:57,960 --> 00:03:59,610 is a lot more physical stuff, 80 00:03:59,610 --> 00:04:02,760 and it helps me lead a very healthy lifestyle. 81 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,760 And as a civilian and as a soldier, 82 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,220 I pride myself on being in the top physical shape. 83 00:04:08,220 --> 00:04:10,490 I used to be very unfit as a child, 84 00:04:10,490 --> 00:04:12,260 and I was not happy with myself, 85 00:04:12,260 --> 00:04:15,020 and being physically fit has made me more confident 86 00:04:15,020 --> 00:04:18,093 in myself and happier just overall in life. 87 00:04:20,010 --> 00:04:22,000 My name is Private First Class Hundal, 88 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:23,970 I'm a student at the University of Washington, 89 00:04:23,970 --> 00:04:26,782 and I'm also a soldier in the United States Army Reserve. 90 00:04:26,782 --> 00:04:29,365 (gentle music)