Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August 1990. Egypt called on the United States and other Western nations to intervene, which started the first Persian Gulf War. The conflict in the troubled region led to a second Gulf War (also known as the Iraq War) that began in 2003. Cesarina Frias, a hispanic immigrant, lived in a culture that expected her to stay home, focus on marriage, children and housework. and family and work, but she wanted to join the military.
These were her wishes since high school, with the approval of her husband, Darryl Stephens, Cesarina, a wife and mother of two, fulfilled her dreams in 2003 when she enlisted in the National Guard. First Days of Service Sgt. Frias began her basic training at Fort Jackson located in Columbia, South Carolina. She joined when she was 28 years old, which made her the oldest soldier there (besides her drill sergeants). When she arrived at the base it was hectic and crazy. She arrived at 4pm and everything was fast paced, and hectic the moment they stepped foot into the base. Even the training was crazy.
Even though it was painful Sgt. Frias liked the challenge it brought and felt that it was also rewarding. Her drill sergeants played a big role in former he into a soldier. There was a male, who was strict and tough and a female, who was more sensitive to the feeling and they soliders health. She got through the training with a lot of patience and positive thinking. After the rigorous training, she went to her first overseas mission. Experiences Sgt. Frias served in the second Persian Gulf war (Iraq War) through 2005-06. The deployment lasted eight months. She was stationed in Pastiche Providence Balad, Iraq.
The flight lasted eighteen to nineteen hours, there were a lot of stay overs and had to board three planes to get there. Her job was a Signal Support Specialist, who took care of convo vehicle,radios, blue force tracking( mapping of vehicle, enemies, and friendly groups), and fixing the Dukes which took care of contact machines and saved lives by locating IED ( Improvised Explosive Devices). She was put in many convo missions, which put her and her team in harms way. Her job was to deliver and provide security for fuel, water, and equipment to one FOB(Ford Operation Base) to the other.
It exposed them to a lot of threats such as IEDs, fires, and many dangerous situations. During that time she only lost one friend, Staff Sergeant Cason to an IED, he was a convoy commander, which put him first on the mission. Some of her memorable experience in Iraq where when they told everyone that Srg Cason had passed away and coming home back to her family. For bravery and strength she received four medals a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, The Meritorious Service Medal,The Army Commendation Medal, and The Good Conduct Medal. These were achievable because Sgt.
Frias went above and beyond just her assigned job, being a good soldier and being there if her fellow soldiers need a comforting hand and what she did signified saving lives. Without her and her team working on the radios, convoys wouldn’t be able to communicate, going out blind is very dangerous, especially in the location they were at. Life A good majority of the time she stayed in touch with her family by emails and sometimes the occasional letter. There was an eight hour difference so phone calls happened not very often. The army treated the soldiers with the utmost care, especially the food.
The food the army provided was very good, they believed that a soldier’s last meal should be the best. Thought their supplies were limited and when they would request more it would take month for it to arrived, the soldiers improvised. If it was wood or metal they would weld it,many soldiers would make the supplies themselves if they could, they were very resourceful with that. There was a lot of stress, put on the solider and Sgt. Frias, stress that there was that slight possibility of death when they went on out on convoys and somebody wasn’t going to come back.
Also her mind was on family, during that time she was in the middle of divorce with her spouse, so there was a lack of communication and was very difficult for her. Many soldiers had “good luck” charms, Sgt Frias held a green rock engraved with an elephant,which she received from her daughter. She took it everywhere. The army provided entertainment to keep the soldier’s mind off the bad things. They had USO, MWR (Morale Welfare Recreation). During that time there were a lot of artist such as Carrie Underwood, and comedians. When she got her first leave she came back home and took her kids and went to Honolulu, Hawaii for nine days.
Sgt. Frias is still currently still service, but during that time she went to many place in Iraq. She went to Liberty camp, which is where Saddam Hussein lived and many places in the Iraqi nation. She would be flown by the black hawks, which was exciting for her. After Service Sgt. Frias returned in October 20th 2007 from Iraq. It was a happy and sad day for her. She was glad to be back, but when she arrived her family was no where to be found, because of miscommunication her children did not attend the welcome back ceremony.
After some recovery time, three months, she went back to her job at Department of Correction and she already completed her education. So the G. I bill did not apply to her because when she joined the national guard she already had a major in physiology and justice study. She now uses the G. I bill pay for her sons college and soon her daughters. Later years and Closing Her military training she believes that every person should join the military for at least a year or so. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, she think about situations more calmly, whether it her personal life of foreign affairs and knows how to analyzing.
She does attend reunions and, but theirs and they would just have a good time. The training was a strain on physical endurance classes. They were trained in self-defense, gun handling with M16, M4, 9 and 49 millimeter guns and many more. The training was non stop. Then after basic training the training was more focused on her speciality in radio communication. She liked that they were able to communicate during long distance and with new technology they can communicate with satellite which makes it easier to get in contact.
What she dislikes about is that the military is slow to update these new technology and that can also have an effect on communication and that puts people in a bad place. During the war there was structured living from the first war, so living was comfortable. Even though it was a bad location the war didn’t have any negative effect on her, like it did other soldiers. She takes care of herself to prevent her from getting these effects. many people believe that america should of been in Iraq. As a soldier, she is taught to do as she told, but as a mom she often though why we are here and she believes that this wasn’t our war to fight.
