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thedrifter
03-17-09, 10:24 AM
March 17, 2009

Deltona High School grad served in Afghanistan
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer

An occasional series featuring stories of military men and women far from home and their loved ones here. Today, we speak with Marine Cpl. Stephen Pagan, 22. The 2004 Deltona High School son of Gilbert and Anna Torres recently returned from a seven-month tour in Afghanistan, where he kept our helicopters flying.

Q. What was your job in Afghanistan?

I was at a NATO base, with British, Canadians, and military from Sweden and Denmark. I was stationed at Camp Bastion. I took care of four Cobra helicopters that gave close air support for the ground troops. I worked on the whole body of the aircraft -- also made sure there was no structural damage.

Q. Was it pretty safe where you were?

When I first got there, it felt like I was in Yuma, Ariz., until we got direct fire. "This ain't no more training; this is the real deal."

Q. What did you do when there was incoming fire?

I never actually saw anybody engaging. We had a horn that went off, and we got into full gear, accounting for everybody, and got into bunkers. Most of the time, they did it at night or on our holidays -- Christmas, New Year's, even Mother's Day.

Q. What were your surroundings like?

When I got out of the plane, there wasn't anything in sight except for mountains. It was very hot, like 120 degrees some days. That was August. Then it started to cool down, and, by late December and January, it was freezing -- sometimes 10 to 15 degrees, but no matter what the temperature we had to work out there.

Q. What happened during work?

We worked 12 (hours) on and 12 off. We had a horn that went off, and we would send two Cobras out to give close air support to ground troops. We would have to run out and prepare the aircraft for launching.

Q. What was the hardest part of your job?

The hardest part was seeing (deceased) Marines coming in stretchers for the ramp ceremony and loading them on C-130s (airplanes) and giving them the last salute before they got shipped home.

Q. What was the best thing that happened over there?

We got packages from the Volusia County Health Department where my mom works and Keikis Place, a day care run by my mom's best friend, whose son is in Iraq now, and from Hanson DeLand, a civil engineer that my uncle Eduardo Jr. works for. They sent packages for myself and my fellow Marines.

Q. Did you meet any Afghans?

They had a flea market and came on base where you could buy souvenirs. They had homemade stuff, clocks, carpets. I didn't buy any of that. I bought a flag and some of their old-history money.

Q. What do you feel you accomplished over there?

I learned to be proficient at my job and got to feel all of the training paid off. We are seeing progress being done over there.

Q. Are you planning to make a career of the Marines?

Right now, I am trying to get my wings and become a flier. I want to be a crew chief on a Huey helicopter. These first three years have been great, and I don't regret it at all, so I don't see why I wouldn't re-enlist.

audrey.parente@news-jrnl.com

Ellie