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FORT CARSON, Colo.— "That dream of a land in which life should be
better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each
according to ability or achievement,” James Truslow Adams wrote in
“The Epic of America.”
Pfc. Patrick Berger, combat engineer,
Company B, 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade
Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, experienced his own journey to
realize the American dream and become a citizen.
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Commanding General Maj. Gen. Paul LaCamera, 4th Infantry Division
and Joint Task Force Carson, presents a certificate of achievement
to Pfc. Patrick Berger, combat engineer, Company B, 299th Brigade
Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, at a naturalization ceremony held Sept. 18, 2014. “People
from other countries are wearing this uniform and going to combat,”
said Sgt. 1st Class Steven Gonzalez, platoon sergeant, Company B,
299th BEB, 1st SBCT, 4th Infantry Division. “It makes me appreciate
those Soldiers even more.” (Courtesy Photo)
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“I started out having a pretty normal life; I grew up in
Switzerland,” said Berger. “I have a big family with three
sisters and one brother.”
Berger, who attended
kindergarten and elementary school in Basel, Switzerland,
said he was drawn to America at an early age.
“We
vacationed in the United States a couples times when I was a
kid and my parents really liked it here,” said Berger.
After his father received a job offer from an American
company in 1999, his family moved to Miami with his father's
temporary work visa. After two years, the company went
bankrupt and the Bergers were forced to move back to
Switzerland.
“It had a big impact [on us] because we
really enjoyed it in Miami,” said Berger. “The weather is
really nice and it's always sunny. Then we were back in
Switzerland where it's snowing seven months out of the
year.”
Berger said his yearned to return to Miami, so
his father formed his own company with a business partner,
received a new work visa and his family moved back in 2006.
Berger finished high school in 2009 and began pursuing
an associate degree in professional pilot technology at
Miami Dade College.
He said life was great until his
father's work visa renewal was denied and his family was
given three months to leave America. His parents had to sell
their house, cars and move back to Switzerland.
“I
built up my life here and then I was stuck back in a country
where I could barely speak the language,” said Berger.
His parents decided to send him back to America so he
could finish his college education.
“Luckily I was
granted a student visa to come back to the United States,”
said Berger.
Berger returned to Miami by himself at
age 19. He moved into a small apartment and tried to finish
his degree.
Unable to have a job because of his
student visa, Berger struggled with the cost of living and
the extra tuition cost that international students must pay.
Eventually, he lost his legal status when he couldn't afford
the amount of classes required in a semester by his student
visa.
“I was worried,” said Berger. “I thought that
if I go back to my country, I'm never going to have a chance
to come here again.”
Berger said he felt it was time
to come clean with his girlfriend Mayra, who gave him the
second chance that he needed.
“When I told her that
I'm about to be homeless, she talked to her family and they
took me in,” said Berger. “I was just glad to have food and
a roof over my head.”
After dating for six months,
Berger said he followed his heart and proposed.
“She
was in shock, but her parents were really cool about it,”
said Berger.
Mayra said, yes. After eight months and
a lot of paperwork, Berger received permanent residency in
the United States.
“Finally I was legal, had my
permanent residency and got my social security number. I was
able to work, went back to school and finished my degree,”
said Berger.
He used his degree to obtain a job as a
flight instructor in Miami. After a year, he said he became
bored with his job.
“I've always wanted to fly for
the military,” said Berger.
Berger's family has
served in the military for generations because military
service is mandatory at the age of 18 in Switzerland. He
said as a child he was always in awe whenever he saw jets
streaking across the sky.
After visiting a recruiting
station for each branch of the U.S. military, Berger said he
decided to join the Army and planned on becoming a warrant
officer so he could fly helicopters. He said it took a
couple months to convince his wife.
Berger enlisted
as a combat engineer and left for Fort Leonard Wood,
Missouri, Dec. 31, 2013. to begin basic training. He was
stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, in April 2014.
“I
remember him looking scared when he first got here,” said
Spc. Jonathan Hall, combat engineer, Company B, 299th BEB,
1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div. “He turned out to be a great worker;
better than the other new guys we had coming in.”
Berger was awarded U.S citizenship July 17, 2014 after
passing the American civics test and enduring a stressful
interview. Commanding General Maj. Gen. Paul LaCamera, 4th
Inf. Div. and Joint Task Force Carson, presented him a
certificate of achievement at a naturalization ceremony
Sept. 18, 2014.
“People from other countries are
wearing this uniform and going to combat,” said Sgt. 1st
Class Steven Gonzalez, platoon sergeant, Company B, 299th
BEB, 1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div., who said his parents went
through a similar experience to obtain their naturalization
in the 11200s. “It makes me appreciate those Soldiers even
more.”
Berger began the long process to bring his
family back to America from Switzerland and said that none
of this would have been possible without his wife's support.
“It's been an interesting ride but I wouldn't go back
because I love this country,” said Berger. “When my family
first came here I really appreciated the love people have
for this country. You see American flags flying outside
everywhere and the military isn't mandatory because there's
people brave enough to enlist because they want to defend
this country. I wanted to be a part of that.”
By U.S. Army Sgt. William Howard
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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