thedrifter
10-14-03, 06:53 AM
Terrorist attacks on 9-11 changed plans for Marine and son out of high school
October 13,2003
ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When Ernest Jasinski completed 13 years of food service in the Marine Corps, it seemed only natural that he would go on to manage the dining area at Camp Geiger.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, changed all that.
"I thought that there was something more I could do than sit around and read about it in the newspaper," said Jasinski, 45, who lives near Richlands.
Now, as a National Guard staff sergeant, Jasinski will take his place as a food service specialist with the 230th Support Battalion in Goldsboro. He is one of about 4,500 North Carolina guardsmen and women with the 30th Heavy Separate Brigade who will go to Iraq next spring.
Jasinski is putting his experience to work by helping those new to deployments.
"Some of the younger troops are concerned so the biggest thing is to make sure everybody stays focused," Jasinski said. "If you're a better-trained person, then there's less to be fearful. The more they know, the less they have to fear. Right now, we're making sure that everybody works together and we're pairing up the strong and weak people, both mentally and physically."
Troops are not the only people he has influenced. Ernest's 18-year old son, Antonio, will also be leaving. Spc. 4 Antonio Jasinski, 18, graduated from East Duplin High School.
"I've been in the Reserve Officer Training Corps at East Duplin High School for four years," said Antonio, a dismounted infantryman from Richlands who is now assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Heavy Separate Brigade. "I thought that I could get college assistance for my training. I was kind of shocked to be called up. Right now, they don't care if you're in school or out - everybody's going."
Antonio returned from advanced individual combat training at Fort Benning, Ga., late this summer and was working on admission to North Georgia State University, only to find out a week later that his plans would be put on hold for 18 months.
His decision to drill with ROTC throughout high school helped prepare him for Iraq and allowed him to enter the National Guard as an Army private first class E-3 with an accelerated promotion to specialist 4.
"ROTC helped in every way imaginable," Antonio said. "I used everything I learned, and it was so much easier because I was ahead of the game."
Antonio will be part of a standard infantry squad assigned to a team on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
"We ride in the back and protect them when we're out," Antonio said. "The hardest part of the upcoming training is keeping track of the new people. We have to rely on everybody over there, so the biggest challenge is to communicate with people you don't see every day."
Antonio said there haven't been a lot of surprises, and he's confident that the next six months of training will prepare them for what they will see in Iraq.
"The biggest change is going in early every day and staying late every night," Antonio said. "It's not like drilling. You have to get used to all the extra duties of active duty army life."
Their entire family is gathering around Antonio's mother Tonie and his 17-year old sister Erica, a junior at East Duplin High School. They have frequent visitors from the Springfield Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church where Tonie's mother, grandmother, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins all attend.
"They have been wonderful and just about every day someone stands up and says prayers for Ernest, Antonio and the rest of our troops," Tonie said. "Everybody knows my business and they'll help us out in every way they can."
Tonie was born at the hospital in Jacksonville and was raised in the Back Swamp area and graduated from East Duplin High School in 1980. Both Antonio and Erica were born at the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital.
"We've been together 20 years, and my husband and my children are my whole life," Tonie said. "They have been pretty good letting family members know what to expect, but it doesn't make it any easier because we know that they'll be going into harm's way. Our troops are getting shot, bombed and killed every day, and I don't think that we pay them enough. The hardest part is the closer it gets, the more I realize that they are going to be gone for a long time."
Contact Eric Steinkopff at esteinkopff@jdnews.com or 353-1171, Ext. 236.
http://www.jacksonvilledailynews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=Details.cfm&StoryID=16851&Section=News
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
October 13,2003
ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When Ernest Jasinski completed 13 years of food service in the Marine Corps, it seemed only natural that he would go on to manage the dining area at Camp Geiger.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, changed all that.
"I thought that there was something more I could do than sit around and read about it in the newspaper," said Jasinski, 45, who lives near Richlands.
Now, as a National Guard staff sergeant, Jasinski will take his place as a food service specialist with the 230th Support Battalion in Goldsboro. He is one of about 4,500 North Carolina guardsmen and women with the 30th Heavy Separate Brigade who will go to Iraq next spring.
Jasinski is putting his experience to work by helping those new to deployments.
"Some of the younger troops are concerned so the biggest thing is to make sure everybody stays focused," Jasinski said. "If you're a better-trained person, then there's less to be fearful. The more they know, the less they have to fear. Right now, we're making sure that everybody works together and we're pairing up the strong and weak people, both mentally and physically."
Troops are not the only people he has influenced. Ernest's 18-year old son, Antonio, will also be leaving. Spc. 4 Antonio Jasinski, 18, graduated from East Duplin High School.
"I've been in the Reserve Officer Training Corps at East Duplin High School for four years," said Antonio, a dismounted infantryman from Richlands who is now assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Heavy Separate Brigade. "I thought that I could get college assistance for my training. I was kind of shocked to be called up. Right now, they don't care if you're in school or out - everybody's going."
Antonio returned from advanced individual combat training at Fort Benning, Ga., late this summer and was working on admission to North Georgia State University, only to find out a week later that his plans would be put on hold for 18 months.
His decision to drill with ROTC throughout high school helped prepare him for Iraq and allowed him to enter the National Guard as an Army private first class E-3 with an accelerated promotion to specialist 4.
"ROTC helped in every way imaginable," Antonio said. "I used everything I learned, and it was so much easier because I was ahead of the game."
Antonio will be part of a standard infantry squad assigned to a team on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
"We ride in the back and protect them when we're out," Antonio said. "The hardest part of the upcoming training is keeping track of the new people. We have to rely on everybody over there, so the biggest challenge is to communicate with people you don't see every day."
Antonio said there haven't been a lot of surprises, and he's confident that the next six months of training will prepare them for what they will see in Iraq.
"The biggest change is going in early every day and staying late every night," Antonio said. "It's not like drilling. You have to get used to all the extra duties of active duty army life."
Their entire family is gathering around Antonio's mother Tonie and his 17-year old sister Erica, a junior at East Duplin High School. They have frequent visitors from the Springfield Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church where Tonie's mother, grandmother, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins all attend.
"They have been wonderful and just about every day someone stands up and says prayers for Ernest, Antonio and the rest of our troops," Tonie said. "Everybody knows my business and they'll help us out in every way they can."
Tonie was born at the hospital in Jacksonville and was raised in the Back Swamp area and graduated from East Duplin High School in 1980. Both Antonio and Erica were born at the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital.
"We've been together 20 years, and my husband and my children are my whole life," Tonie said. "They have been pretty good letting family members know what to expect, but it doesn't make it any easier because we know that they'll be going into harm's way. Our troops are getting shot, bombed and killed every day, and I don't think that we pay them enough. The hardest part is the closer it gets, the more I realize that they are going to be gone for a long time."
Contact Eric Steinkopff at esteinkopff@jdnews.com or 353-1171, Ext. 236.
http://www.jacksonvilledailynews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=Details.cfm&StoryID=16851&Section=News
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: