Columbia, SC (WLTX) - What does it take to serve your country? News19 found out what civilians have to do to become soldiers in our nation's army by going behind the scenes at Fort Jackson.
'Charlie Company'
For nine weeks, 200 members of Charlie Company 1-34 train at the biggest Army basic training facility in the country on everything from physical fitness to learning how to shoot a weapon.
Private First Class Yolanda Owate followed in her husband's footsteps by joining the Army. He became a soldier two years ago.
"That morning, we woke up late. We were four blocks away when the first plane hit," said Owate of the September 11 attacks.
Owate's husband worked in the World Trade Center, and had he been on time on September 11, he might have been among those lost that day. The events of that day inspired him to join the military to fight terrorism; in turn, it has inspired his wife, who worked as an interior architect in New York City, to join too. "I went to one of his family days and I just felt like I got a whole new family," said Owate.
Like any family, the dynamic inside a military base isn't always easy. Owate says it's been a challenge working with people from different backgrounds, but she says as the weeks progress, it's gotten easier. First Sergeant John Moffitt says he looks forward to the new soldiers coming through every couple months at Fort Jackson.
"They do everything they can to take care of the soldiers here and make sure the outcome is [that] we have well trained soldiers who can conduct themselves and perform as a member of a team and defend their nation," said Moffitt.
He says 98% of the men and women will graduate from Fort Jackson and then go onto Advance Individual Training elsewhere.
"It's motivating because you get to watch; it's like watching your kids grow," said Moffitt. "The goal is to build soldiers who can solve problems for themselves without leadership telling them how to do things all the time."
It's obstacles like the confidence course where the soldiers learn the skills they need to protect our country and freedom. They put their fears--such as heights--aside and complete obstacles like a Victory Slide, where soldiers climb up a mesh rope, walk across a thin log suspended in the air, then strap up and glide down a zipline. "I have a couple more high things to go on, which I'm not looking forward to, but I have to do it," said Owate. "Hopefully after I'm finished, I'm not going to be afraid of heights."
And that's saying something, coming from a woman who won't even go out on her balcony back home in New York.
The confidence course is just the beginning of the journey to becoming a soldier. To graduate, the soldiers must pass a physical fitness test.
For Owate, that means doing at least 15 push ups in two minutes, 46 sit ups in the same time frame, and running two miles in 21 minutes and 30 seconds.
"Nine weeks breaks down to two hours to learn if you're going to graduate. After you do so much-that's nerve wracking," said Owate, who passed all three parts of the test and did better than she expected.
The agility is imperative to what's to come. The soldiers must complete a drill called Omaha Beach.
"If I wasn't in good physical condition I wouldn't be able to run 200 meters with seven pounds in front of me and close to 30 pounds on my body," said Owate.
The drill teaches soldiers to work with a battle buddy in simulated combat situations.
"We have to put our trust in that person to make sure they don't flag us with a weapon or try to shoot at us," she said. "They're going to say what they have to say for us to know what's going on and so far it's worked out perfectly."
The first thing on every soldiers mind is making sure their partner sees another day.
"I've gotten a lot of patience. I wasn't a very patient person. I'm a very patient person now," said Owate. "I've learned how to wait, understand other people, and accept things I can't change."
One thing she may not be able to change is where she is stationed. Owate says she'd like to go to Kuwait and take her battle buddies with her.
"I've met a lot of people that if I have to be deployed, I hope they're right next to me because I know I'll be okay," Owate said.
After seven weeks of training at Fort Jackson, is Owate ready for what's ahead?
"I might not be prepared for what may happen," said Owate, "but just being deployed, I think my mind is ready for it." Company 1-34 will graduate in the beginning of December.
11/23/2009 11:50:30 PM
