NCO, Soldier of the Year get out-of-this-world experience

By Dottie White (USASMDC/ARSTRAT)December 1, 2009

CSM
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Kids
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SOY
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Launch
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Watching
7 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – USASMDC/ARSTRAT Soldier of the Year Sgt. Travis Parsons (far right) and other spectators look to the sky as space shuttle Atlantis blasts off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the STS-129 mission to the International Sp... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

COCOA BEACH, Fla. Aca,!" Being the Noncommissioned Officer or Soldier of the Year can provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

Sgt. Sarah Haskins and Sgt. Travis Parsons shared one such opportunity with their parents as they attended the STS-129 Space Shuttle Atlantis launch Nov. 16 here.

Haskins, SMDC/ARSTRATAca,!a,,cs NCO of the Year, said, Aca,!A"That was the coolest thing IAca,!a,,cve ever seen. I really enjoyed it. To be as close you can get without being involved with it and the power that was behind it was really cool.Aca,!A?

Haskins said sharing the experience with her parents made it even better.

Aca,!A"With being in the Army and living so far apart, I donAca,!a,,ct see them every year like I should,Aca,!A? she said. Aca,!A"So when we get some time together and get to do something so totally wicked Aca,!A| it is totally worth it.Aca,!A?

Haskins is a Signals Analyst with 4th Space Company, 1st Space Battalion out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

Parsons, SMDC/ARSTRATAca,!a,,cs Soldier of the Year, said the whole experience was incredible. Parsons is a Satellite Network Controller from Echo Company, 53rd Signal Battalion in Okinawa, Japan.

Aca,!A"Getting to meet my parents here was absolutely great,Aca,!A? Parsons said. Aca,!A"They were extremely pleased to be included in something like this. They got a little taste of what itAca,!a,,cs been like for us to go around with the command sergeant major [Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph C. Borja] after winning the competition at the command level. I know they are extremely grateful for the opportunity.

Aca,!A"I think the most important part was that we got to meet one of the Army astronauts when we met Lt. Col. Shane Kimbrough,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"We had a good 20-minute talk with him. We were able to ask questions and find out a little bit more in depth about what it means to be an astronaut and what they do Aca,!" all of those little things that IAca,!a,,cve always had questions about. Top that off with watching the shuttle launch ... IAca,!a,,cve never seen anything like that before. IAca,!a,,cve always seen videos on television, and that doesnAca,!a,,ct do it justice."

Borja said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can only be fully experienced live, in person, down at Cape Kennedy.

Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs great to share this event with the Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year and their parents,Aca,!A? he said.