Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Volunteering to help in Puerto Rico, these Ohio Guard members take time off from college By  1st Lt. Dustin Lawson
                Ohio National Guard
 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - When a Soldier receives the order that they are being deployed, they often have months to prepare. When a National Guard Soldier is called up to help with recovery efforts for a natural disaster, they usually only have days to prepare. Joining the National Guard comes with the understanding that when a crisis hits the United States, a Soldier must be ready to quickly put life on hold to answer the call to help. For many in school, that may mean taking a semester off from college that has already started. This is the case for at least three Ohio Soldiers serving with the 285th Medical Company (Area Support) who deployed to Puerto Rico Oct. 5, with about 35 others, and have been providing medical services to citizens in San Juan and surrounding cities. "The opportunity to help others is more important to me than continuing classes right now,"said Spc. Jacob Parker, a health care specialist who also attends Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, where he is working toward a degree in wildlife management. When he was given the option to go on the mission to Puerto Rico, Parker didn't take long to make his decision, raising his hand to volunteer. "The same classes will be there in the spring; this opportunity to assist will not,"he said. Pfc. Matthew Gamble, an ambulance aide attached to the 285th, is a 21-year-old junior majoring in exercise science at Youngstown State and said he eventually wants to work in the cardiac rehabilitation field. Gamble was a month and a half into the semester when he was given the option to join the mission. It took him only one day to decide to take the semester off. "The people in Puerto Rico need my help more than I need another semester of school,"Gamble said. Pfc. Spencer Smith is a 19-year-old freshman studying public and leadership management at The Ohio State University in Columbus. Smith was only three weeks into his college career when the opportunity to go to Puerto Rico and the opportunity to help people presented itself. "For me, the decision was easy, Ohio State wasn't going anywhere,"said Smith, a health care specialist with the 285th. "But, I wanted to help people. This is what I joined the National Guard for." Parker, Gamble and Smith all said their professors were understanding and said they would work with them if they wanted to stay enrolled for the semester. However, Parker and Gamble both decided to take the semester off so they could focus entirely on the mission without the worry of schoolwork lingering. Smith decided to balance his class work while serving in Puerto Rico, showcasing the unique strengths of an Ohio Citizen-Soldier. Though they each said the decision to volunteer for the Puerto Rico mission was easy, some of the Soldiers still had concerns about leaving in the middle of a semester. Although, their lingering concerns were silenced one morning before leaving, when they were visited by Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., the Ohio assistant adjutant general. Harris asked a group of 285th Soldiers who among them had dropped out of college for the semester to go on the mission. About 10 people raised their hands. "When I saw the amount of people on this mission who raised their hands, when asked who took time off from school, I gained more respect for them. I felt less alone,"Smith said. It is a sacrifice to take a semester off, but each of the Ohio National Guard Soldiers who volunteered to deploy in support of hurricane relief efforts put the mission first and said they consider their sacrifice to be minor in comparison to the importance of helping their fellow Americans in Puerto Rico — in their greatest time of need.
 SHARE
 PRINT
  Hurricane Maria
 
 Puerto Rico National Guard ready for 2020 hurricane season
 By  Puerto Rico National Guard
  N.Y. Airman returns from hurricane support with furry friend
 By Staff Sgt. Stephanie J. Lambert
  Airmen aid Puerto Rico town first struck by Hurricane Maria
 By  Master Sgt. Chris Botzum
  More
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course Guard News • 2 hours ago
 38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise Guard News • 10 hours ago
 Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska Guard News • 10 hours ago
 Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 2024 (196)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil