Name
Spc. Matthew Thornton
Unit
HHC, 171st Infantry Brigade
MOS
11B/Infantryman
Hobbies
Traveling, trail running, snowboarding
FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- Before this year, Fort Jackson’s Soldier of the Year, Spc. Matthew Thornton, had never been to a Soldier board.
He studied for two months and performed so well at the battalion level that he was selected to represent the brigade at the Soldier of the Year competition. However, complications jeopardized his participation.
“The Soldier of the Month board was a week before the Soldier of the Year competition. The day that I won Soldier of the Month I got into a car accident on my way home and my car got totaled,” Thornton said. “I was a little banged up, and I almost considered pulling out of it because I had some minor injuries that I thought would hold me up.”
Thornton said his injuries made the Fit to Win obstacle course the most demanding part of the competition. But his thoughts about soldiering helped motivate him to continue despite the hurdles.
“Being a Soldier is the most honorable profession there is. The whole world recognizes you as someone to respect. It is a lifestyle, not just a job. You live this life at all times,” he said.
Thornton is an experienced two-time combat veteran who deployed with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and arrived here less than six months ago. The self-confessed “adrenaline junkie” hails from the small town of Shawnee, Okla.
“If you drive too fast, you’ll miss it,” Thornton said.
He left his hometown five years ago and enlisted at 19. Now, the Soldier has traveled so much that he names Italy’s Almafi Coast as one of his favorite vacation destinations.
“It is just beautiful, everything is frozen in time. There is so much to see and do there. It is just amazing,” Thornton said.
When it came time to deploy, Thornton continued in the legacy of 173rd Soldiers. The brigade is known for exceptional bravery in the Battle of the Bulge and completing an 1,800-mile jump mission, the longest combat operation in Airborne history. Thornton’s unit wrote its own page in history while he was there.
“Seeing one of my buddies receive the Medal of Honor for our time in Afghanistan was one of my most memorable times in that unit,” he said.
Thornton said life at Fort Jackson is a welcomed change of pace.
“I am getting some needed down time here, and it is great. I love the South,” Thornton said. Although there are no snowcapped mountains for snowboarding, he will continue touring the Southeast when time allows.
The Soldier of Year is also furthering his education while at Fort Jackson. He plans on studying nursing and transferring to University of South Carolina to become a nurse anesthetist.
Thornton said the camaraderie experienced in his units is the best part of being a Soldier.
“I am closer to my teammates than I am to some of my family members. I am still in touch with many of my friends from my old unit,” he said. “You build the most amazing friendships.
“When you are lower enlisted, you just have to be at the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform.
“But if you want to succeed, you have to go beyond what is required. It is about exceeding the standard every time, no matter what.”
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