thedrifter
01-03-06, 10:41 AM
2nd-time soldier now studies medicine Former Silver City Marine to be Army radiologist
By Thomas J. Baird SUN-NEWS BUREAU CHIEF
January 3, 2006
For 24-year-old Andrew Johnson, a 1999 graduate of Silver High School, a year of civilian life just didn't seem right after spending the previous five years as a U.S. Marine.
Now Army Pfc. Johnson is headed for a medical career, which is being paid for by the military, while he gets paid to learn. But his change in direction might not have come about without his earlier military experiences.
Johnson joined the Marine Corps just 10 days after his 17th birthday and headed to boot camp in California. As part of his final test, he successfully climbed to the top of the infamous mountain known as the Grim Reaper - carrying all his gear and another soldier who was struggling with the grueling ascent.
"I just always wanted to be in the military," Johnson said in an interview two years ago while on leave. "Boot camp was pretty fun and it's an experience I'll never forget."
In January of 2003, Johnson and his unit -- Headquarters 211, 1st Marine Division, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines -- headed to Germany. On Feb. 4, Lance. Cpl. Johnson and his outfit deployed to Kuwait where they set up the staging area for the then-imminent invasion of Iraq. His unit would eventually be the first wave of soldiers into the country.
Johnson, who was qualified as an infantryman, as are all Marines, specialized in transportation.
The vehicles he drove, which included Humvees and 7-ton trucks, carried critical support items such as food, water and ammunition for the artillery unit to which he was attached.
But most of his work involved security sweeps of land and buildings, he said, clearing the way for the artillery that was coming in behind them.
"We pretty much made sure it was OK for them to bring the Howitzers in," he said in the fall of 2003, after serving five months in Iraq.
As a people, Johnson said he liked the Iraqis and he admired their devotion to family. He said most also liked the Americans, but that's not to say Johnson didn't experience problems.
"There were places where the Iraqis would take pot shots at our vehicles and they'd even come up and grab our stuff," he said in 2003. "Just bags of personal stuff, not even food or things they needed. It was a real problem. One day a guy grabbed my stuff and started to run. I told him to stop, but he didn't. I chambered a round in my gun and that finally got his attention and he dropped my bag and threw up his hands. Chambering a round usually does get their attention."
There were also incidents when women would approach crying or feigning illness, he added. They would ask for help as they approached the Marines, then would drop to the ground in front of them, as Iraqi men would come running out from behind buildings or vehicles firing guns and rocket propelled grenades.
At the time of the autumn 2003 interview, Johnson had 10 months remaining in his enlistment and was unsure of his future. He eventually decided not to re-up and planned to attend college, but that didn't work out for him.
After a year of struggling and indecision, Johnson decided to talk to his mother, Pinos Altos resident Karen Johnson, about joining the Army. Johnson had previously been supportive of her son's decision to join the Marines.
"I thought it was really good for him," she said last week, while her son was home on leave. "He's always wanted to be in the military and knew what to expect out of it. I thought it would be an important part of his growing up."
Now, the soldier's mother is again playing a supporting role.
"He did come to me and asked me what I thought about his going into the Army, having been out of the Marine Corps -- and the possibility of going back to Iraq," she said. "I told him as long as he thought that he could accept going back to Iraq, then I'd support him. It's fine with me as long as I know he can handle it. He's wanting to be a medical doctor now and I just think that's great. I'm very proud of him."
Johnson, who joined the Army in August, was home in Silver City for Christmas this past week with his girlfriend Nova Dait -- a 22-year-old native Hawaiian who joined the Army Reserve at the same time. The two met at the base PX at Fort Sam Houston in Texas where they are both studying medicine.
"You can join as a Reservist and go to school at the same time like a regular civilian," Dait said, who will serve the Army two weeks a year and one weekend a month during her six-year commitment.
Both soldiers plan to continue their medical careers and are happy the Army is paying their way.
"I was going to go to college, but there was a two year wait for the programs I wanted, and I just couldn't find anything else to get into," Johnson said last week. "Me and my mom came to the conclusion... that I could just go back in the military and they'd pay for my schooling and everything for the medical job that I want. I'm getting paid to go to school."
Johnson has two more months of training in San Antonio and then will spend six months at a yet-to-be-determined military hospital for hands-on training. After a total of 46 weeks of schooling, the soldier will be certified as a radiologist specialist. He's hoping for an assignment in Hawaii or Washington state.
Dait is studying mental health and when she completes her training in January, she plans to return to Hawaii to study nursing.
Johnson was asked if there was a chance the Army could put a rifle back in hands.
"Not that I know of," he said. "We're both non-combatants."
Thomas J. Baird can be reached at tbaird@scsun-news.com
Ellie
By Thomas J. Baird SUN-NEWS BUREAU CHIEF
January 3, 2006
For 24-year-old Andrew Johnson, a 1999 graduate of Silver High School, a year of civilian life just didn't seem right after spending the previous five years as a U.S. Marine.
Now Army Pfc. Johnson is headed for a medical career, which is being paid for by the military, while he gets paid to learn. But his change in direction might not have come about without his earlier military experiences.
Johnson joined the Marine Corps just 10 days after his 17th birthday and headed to boot camp in California. As part of his final test, he successfully climbed to the top of the infamous mountain known as the Grim Reaper - carrying all his gear and another soldier who was struggling with the grueling ascent.
"I just always wanted to be in the military," Johnson said in an interview two years ago while on leave. "Boot camp was pretty fun and it's an experience I'll never forget."
In January of 2003, Johnson and his unit -- Headquarters 211, 1st Marine Division, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines -- headed to Germany. On Feb. 4, Lance. Cpl. Johnson and his outfit deployed to Kuwait where they set up the staging area for the then-imminent invasion of Iraq. His unit would eventually be the first wave of soldiers into the country.
Johnson, who was qualified as an infantryman, as are all Marines, specialized in transportation.
The vehicles he drove, which included Humvees and 7-ton trucks, carried critical support items such as food, water and ammunition for the artillery unit to which he was attached.
But most of his work involved security sweeps of land and buildings, he said, clearing the way for the artillery that was coming in behind them.
"We pretty much made sure it was OK for them to bring the Howitzers in," he said in the fall of 2003, after serving five months in Iraq.
As a people, Johnson said he liked the Iraqis and he admired their devotion to family. He said most also liked the Americans, but that's not to say Johnson didn't experience problems.
"There were places where the Iraqis would take pot shots at our vehicles and they'd even come up and grab our stuff," he said in 2003. "Just bags of personal stuff, not even food or things they needed. It was a real problem. One day a guy grabbed my stuff and started to run. I told him to stop, but he didn't. I chambered a round in my gun and that finally got his attention and he dropped my bag and threw up his hands. Chambering a round usually does get their attention."
There were also incidents when women would approach crying or feigning illness, he added. They would ask for help as they approached the Marines, then would drop to the ground in front of them, as Iraqi men would come running out from behind buildings or vehicles firing guns and rocket propelled grenades.
At the time of the autumn 2003 interview, Johnson had 10 months remaining in his enlistment and was unsure of his future. He eventually decided not to re-up and planned to attend college, but that didn't work out for him.
After a year of struggling and indecision, Johnson decided to talk to his mother, Pinos Altos resident Karen Johnson, about joining the Army. Johnson had previously been supportive of her son's decision to join the Marines.
"I thought it was really good for him," she said last week, while her son was home on leave. "He's always wanted to be in the military and knew what to expect out of it. I thought it would be an important part of his growing up."
Now, the soldier's mother is again playing a supporting role.
"He did come to me and asked me what I thought about his going into the Army, having been out of the Marine Corps -- and the possibility of going back to Iraq," she said. "I told him as long as he thought that he could accept going back to Iraq, then I'd support him. It's fine with me as long as I know he can handle it. He's wanting to be a medical doctor now and I just think that's great. I'm very proud of him."
Johnson, who joined the Army in August, was home in Silver City for Christmas this past week with his girlfriend Nova Dait -- a 22-year-old native Hawaiian who joined the Army Reserve at the same time. The two met at the base PX at Fort Sam Houston in Texas where they are both studying medicine.
"You can join as a Reservist and go to school at the same time like a regular civilian," Dait said, who will serve the Army two weeks a year and one weekend a month during her six-year commitment.
Both soldiers plan to continue their medical careers and are happy the Army is paying their way.
"I was going to go to college, but there was a two year wait for the programs I wanted, and I just couldn't find anything else to get into," Johnson said last week. "Me and my mom came to the conclusion... that I could just go back in the military and they'd pay for my schooling and everything for the medical job that I want. I'm getting paid to go to school."
Johnson has two more months of training in San Antonio and then will spend six months at a yet-to-be-determined military hospital for hands-on training. After a total of 46 weeks of schooling, the soldier will be certified as a radiologist specialist. He's hoping for an assignment in Hawaii or Washington state.
Dait is studying mental health and when she completes her training in January, she plans to return to Hawaii to study nursing.
Johnson was asked if there was a chance the Army could put a rifle back in hands.
"Not that I know of," he said. "We're both non-combatants."
Thomas J. Baird can be reached at tbaird@scsun-news.com
Ellie