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December 31, 2012 - Following in his
ancestors' footsteps, Cpl. Wesley Giddens is currently serving on
his second deployment. Giddens, an intelligence analyst with
Regimental Combat Team 7, from Paris, Texas, is currently serving on
a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. During his deployment,
Giddens obtains and formulates information to give the troops on the
ground a clearer picture of the situation. Photo by USMC Cpl. Mark
Garcia
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CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan (1/1/2013) – Coming from a rich
military family history, Cpl. Wesley Giddens knew he wanted to serve
his country as his ancestors had done.
Giddens' grandfather
liked to study their family's genealogy as a hobby. Through his
studies, he was able to learn their family's ancestors had served in
both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Giddens' father, along
with both grandfathers, had also served in the military.
Giddens, an intelligence analyst with Regimental Combat Team 7 in
Helmand province, Afghanistan, is currently serving on his second
deployment. His first deployment was with the 31st Marine
Expeditionary Unit where he spent time in Okinawa and the
Philippines.
“My family has been in the military for a while,
so that's what kind of drove me to enlist,” said Giddens, from
Paris, Texas. “We have a very rich military family history.”
Before deciding to join the Marine Corps, Giddens spent time talking
to his father about each of the branches of service and what they
had to offer.
“I spent some thinking about which branch I
actually wanted to join instead of just jumping right into it,”
Giddens said. “I sat down and talked to my dad, and he gave me a lot
of information about the differences between each branch of the
military. The deciding factor was the Marine Corps seemed like there
was more honor involved in it, and I could be proud to be a Marine.”
Giddens choose his military occupational specialty after
speaking with his recruiter and learning about the future job
opportunities associated with the intelligence field.
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“I choose my current job because if you want a good job
(in the civilian sector) that pays well and has a lot of job
openings then intelligence is a big thing to get into now,”
Giddens said. “After the Marine Corps, I plan on staying in
the intelligence field because I actually like the job. Once
I start college, I plan on getting a degree in either
intelligence studies or intelligence analyst, or if it's
possible, getting a double major. I would like to get a job
with the CIA or FBI once I have my degree.”
As of
right now, Giddens would like to re-enlist and perhaps make
a career out of the Marine Corps. He enjoys having the title
of Marine though it has been difficult for him at times.
“I like being in the Marine Corps. Originally I didn't
plan on staying in for a full career, but at this point it
might happen,” Giddens said. “I've enjoyed my time in the
Marine Corps, but it's been hard sometimes. The first time I
went away on a deployment it was on the 31st MEU last year.
During that deployment, I didn't get to see my son being
born, so things like that make it hard sometimes. But I
still like it, and I enjoy my job.”
Now having a
young son, leaving for his current deployment was even
harder than the first.
“This time leaving was more
difficult. Having a newborn son was the hardest part,”
Giddens said. “Just leaving him for a year-long deployment
was rough.”
While in southern Afghanistan, Giddens'
day-to-day job entails obtaining and formulating information
to give the troops on the ground a clearer picture of the
situation.
“We try to gather information on an area.
We take what has happened, what is happening and combine
those into what will happen,” Giddens said. “So we're really
trying to make things easier and safer for the people
actually pushing out and doing the fighting. We just try to
give them a 360 degree idea of what's going in an area that
way they won't be surprised by anything they encounter.”
By USMC Cpl. Mark Garcia
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
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