Rank, name

Staff Sgt. Juan Hernandez

Unit

HHC, 165th Infantry Brigade

Military Occupational

Specialty / Job title

Brigade schools noncomissioned

officer/11B, Infantryman

Years in service

11

Family

Married, one child

Highest education

Some college

Hobbies

Doing research, reading and studying cars

FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- In the 11 years Staff Sgt. Juan Hernandez has served, he has been deployed to Iraq twice. In addition to Fort Jackson, he has been assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hi., Camp Greaves, Korea and Fort Carson, Colo.

Hernandez said his most memorable experience in the Army was the day he arrived to his first duty station in Hawaii. His new squad leader was a "stereotypical infantryman" -- in stature and in attitude, he said.

"He made a big impression on me," he said. "It was like a wake-up call."

He said the person who influenced him most in his military career was a former platoon sergeant, who is now a sergeant major.

"He was just a professional with everything he did every day," Hernandez said. "It was something that I wanted to be."

As for his goals, Hernandez puts education at the top of the list.

"One (of my goals) is to finish my college education," he said.

He also wants to reclassify into another military occupational specialty to become an electronic warfare specialist. The MOS focuses on various forms of technology, including electromagnetic impulses and internet security, he said.

"It just attracted my attention," he said. "It's something new (and) I'm curious about it."

Hernandez' advice for junior enlisted Soldiers is to continue to press on, regardless of the circumstances.

"No matter how bad they think they (have) it, somebody has it worse," he said. "They should never give up. Things are never that bad."