Fort Eisenhower, Ga. – Their backgrounds are as diverse as the opportunities in the Army are abundant; but they’re all signal Soldiers, and each of them has different reasons for serving.
About a dozen Soldiers shared a glimpse into their lives during the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Greater Augusta-Fort Eisenhower Chapter’s April Breakfast and Brief event at Eisenhower Conference and Catering on April 23.
Command Sgt. Maj. Linwood Barrett was the event’s featured guest, but he turned the spotlight on his Soldiers, who in turn captured the audience’s attention.
Addressing a room packed with Soldiers and community members from across the Central Savannah River Area, the Signal Corps’ 25th regimental command sergeant major said, “Today you will get a small dose of ‘orange,’ but more importantly, you will get to hear from some of our amazing Signaleers on why they serve and the jobs they do.”
One-by-one, each Soldier briefly introduced him or herself, stating their name, military occupational specialty (MOS) and hometown. Following introductions, Soldiers shared insight on their reasons for joining the Army, and Barrett encouraged all attendees to feel free to ask them questions.
“What we want to make sure we do today is really highlight why we serve this great nation and what they do as Signaleers,” he said. “You can ask whatever questions you want, and I promise you a uniformed service member will answer it.”
Staff Sgt. Krystal Workman, a California native and signal operations support specialist (25U) with the U.S. Army Signal School, opened the “why I serve” portion of the event by sharing that she initially joined the Army because as a single mother at the time with two young children, she needed to figure out a way to provide for them. Nine years later, her “why” has changed some.
“I continue to serve because I love the comradery that the Army gives you … I love the fact that I’m a Soldier, and everywhere I go, I have friends,” Workman said. “Anytime I need somebody across the world, across the country, somebody is there. The Army provided that for me.”
Like some of her counterparts, Pfc. Janiya Kadi had a career prior to the Army, but she wanted something more. Currently an information technology specialist (25B) in training, the North Carolina native was a nurse before she enlisted.
“I loved [nursing], but realized I just felt stuck, and then I fell out of it,” Kadi explained.
Now she embraces every opportunity for professional development that comes her way and looks forward to what her future holds, to include a shot at becoming an Army Ranger.
“Last month I was able to work with some of my battle buddies and cadre to recruit at local high schools,” she said. “And I’ve been going through [Ranger Assessment and Selection] for about three months now, and it’s pushed me to my limits physically and mentally.”
Coming from a family of mostly nurses, Pfc. Ozong Ayukota said she joined the Army as a signal operations support specialist because she “wanted to try something different – add a little bit of spice to the family,” and she felt like the military was the best route to go.
Originally from Cameroon, Ayukota is the first person in her family to join the Army, and she has zero regrets.
“When I started, I got an injury and my mom was like, ‘Come home, go back to school,’ and I was like, ‘No, I choose this, so I want to continue, I want to keep going.’”
“As you can see, we got some extremely talented Soldiers in this room that are committed to defending this nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” Barrett said.
Reflecting on his own nearly three decades of service, Barrett said that like many of his peers, his reasons for serving have changed over time.
“For me, it has changed a whole lot, and this right here is why I serve,” he said, referring to the junior Soldiers in the room. “These young men and women who are going to replace all of us … and while we’re sitting on a couch rootin’ for them, they’re going to go out there and make things happen – whether it’s at Ranger School, being a 25U, or being the next sergeant major of the Signal Regiment – they are why I continue to serve.”
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