Posted on 03/28/2011 5:52:45 PM PDT by SandRat
KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, March 28, 2011 As a college cheerleader, Mateo V. Salado was accustomed to being a member of a team. He lived, ate, worked out and competed with the same group of athletes every day.
This year, hes doing the same thing, but on a bigger team.
Being in the military and living in the barracks, eating in the chow hall, and going out and training is no different than an NCAA athlete on a scholarship, said Salado, whos now an Army specialist and infantry team leader.
This yearlong deployment in Afghanistan is our Super Bowl, Salado said. This is where we have a culmination of every training event, every past mission, every patrol.
Salado, who is assigned to the 101st Airborne Divisions Company B, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, Task Force No Slack, 1st Brigade Combat Team, made some good friends while competing as a cheerleader for the University of Hawaii. He even went to the College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship in Orlando, Fla.
But Salados closest friend during his deployment here, Army Pfc. Dylan Z. Glaze of Waterloo, Iowa, said climbing mountains in eastern Afghanistan is a little different.
I get out there walking, and it just hurts, said Glaze, an infantryman also assigned to Company B. Your back hurts, your legs hurt, and your head hurts. You hurt down to your soul. They crush your soul every day out here, but you just got to think about the guy to your left and your right and just keep moving on."
Since being deployed to Afghanistan together, Salado and Glaze have lived together, eaten together and patrolled together. Yet, the stakes are higher in this competition.
Thats one of the big differences here: if you lose here, youre not coming back home, said Salado, whos from Tacoma, Wash.
Glaze agreed and recalled an operation a few months ago, Operation Strong Eagle I.
You knew at some point [the insurgents] were going to come up, he said. Total [chaos] was going on out there, and I just hear his voice -- Glaze! Glaze! Come over here. And I crawled over there to the rock where Salado was behind. Were just sitting there, and all you can do in that situation is what we did, and thats just laugh at each other.
You cant cry about it. You cant get scared, Glaze continued. Youre already getting shot at and youre not dead yet, so all you can do is laugh about it, get on the gun and shoot some bullets. We almost died. There were rocks chipping off right in my eyes. Its combat, but thats what we trained for.
Behind thin-rimmed glasses, Salado cracked a smile when he remembered that day. He praised his friends for their actions and said he is happy to be out of that situation. But he added that when he went on leave, he had a hard time explaining those types of days to his old college friends, whose problems paled in comparison.
Oh my gosh, I have a 10-page paper to write. I have to get up and run five miles in the morning. I have such a long day of classes tomorrow, Salado recalled. Im thinking in my head, Yeah, my guys are getting shot at right now, I dont know what to tell you. Suck it up. I feel bad telling you this, but I really don't feel bad for you.
Being in an infantry platoon has taught Salado and Glaze to appreciate each other and their teammates on a different level. They both remarked about their differences and the little fights they sometimes have.
No matter what its like back [on base], some people dont like each other, but when youre out on the mountain, its a different story, Glaze explained. When youre out there getting shot at, thats an American, hes your brother out there on the mountain, and you do everything you can to get him back safe.
Glaze laughed about his infantry friend being a former cheerleader, but explained he has the ultimate respect for him.
I guess theyre some of the best athletes out there, because they can flip around and stuff, he said. But hes willing to do anything for you, even if youre not in his squad. Thats what you have to be over here -- just really supportive of everyone. Salado, who recently was promoted to team leader, said he understands the weight of being responsible for his fellow soldiers as well as for the future of Afghanistan.
Really, Im trying to make it better for the next unit that shows up, he said, [by] helping the government get on their feet, having the people trust that government, and helping the [Afghan army] on patrols with us so they know what to do.
Hopefully, when the next unit shows up, theyll be better off, Salado added.
?
What’s the acronym? TTIUWOP
WTF?
this thread is useless without pics
yeah yeah - ever click just a little too fast with a response before reading? Case in point - I was all ready to see some Arizona or Dallas babe with rifle in hand...
Found his face book.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Mateo-Salado/511208569
One of his interest; I hate it when I wake up in the morning and Barack Obama is President.
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