Personal Narrative: My Interview With SFC Vaca

I interviewed my neighbor SFC Vaca for my veterans essay. SFC Vaca join the Army in 1988. He was only eighteen years old and straight out of high school. He did his basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey. After completing his basic training he headed off to AIT, in Ft Eustis, Virginia. His initial MOS was a 15U. He was a what he likes to call a helicopter maintenance technician. Chinooks were his specialty. Soon after his training, he was sent to Korea, his first duty station. He felt this was a great opportunity to see the world, since he came from a small city in Northern California, Lodi was the name of the city. He said if he had stayed, he would probably be working the fields, picking whatever crops were in season. Korea was a very different culture and was a great learning experience for a young kid being away from home for the first time

His family was very much against him joining the military. His father served in Vietnam, he was drafted and had no choice. His father 's military experience back then was not as it is today. He was discriminated against because of his race. When he returned to the states, he was not welcomed home as today 's veterans

In 1992, after serving an eventful initial contract, and what he recalls as being young and dumb he decided to get out of the Army. After four years of being out, he decided to join the Army Reserves. He Became a SG -E5, and his MOS Was Changed to 63B, a track vehicle mechanic. In 2003 was called back active duty to serve in Iraq. There he worked on chinooks, a job he enjoyed and was good at. In 2004 he became a Drill Sergeant, and was stationed in Ft knox. He compared it to baby sitting adult kids. In 2006 he changed his MOS again, and became a Scout, 19D. This is what brought him here to FT. Campbell. Again right after AIT, he was deployed to Afghanistan for one year, and again from 2009 to 2010. He retired in 20011 as a Sergeant first Class, He works on post as a civilian to this day as a radio