SSG Joshua Birden poses for a photo with his wife and five children

  • Name: Staff Sgt. Joshua Birden
  • Hometown: Bedford, IN
  • Time in service: 15 years
  • MOS: 31B - Military Police
  • Crane Army title: Security Specialist

Why did you join the Army?

"I was 12 years old when I saw the Saddam Hussein statue fall in Baghdad and what the Army was doing in Iraq. I knew immediately I wanted to join and serve my country. I enlisted when I was 19."

SSG Joshua Birden poses for a photo with Soldiers in his Army Reserve unit while deployed in Afghanistan

What are your hobbies?

"I run a pressure washing business on the side of my Army Reserve service. I enjoy traveling to nearby cities and getting to make home exteriors look better.

I have five kids and I really enjoy getting to spend time with them. Other than that, I also like to hunt and fish."

Fun fact, being a first responder is in his blood:

"I used to volunteer for a local fire department and I was also once a reserve officer for a police department in a small town."

About Crane Army

Crane Army Ammunition Activity produces and provides conventional munitions in support of U.S. Army and Joint Force readiness. It is part of the Joint Munitions Command and the U.S. Army Materiel Command, which include arsenals, depots, activities and ammunition plants. Established Oct. 1977, it is located on Naval Support Activity Crane.

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