Immigrant Serves Adopted Country
(November 2, 2009) | 
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Army Spc. Meirong Wang hands out mail at her
forward operating base in Afghanistan's
Nangarhar province. A native of China's Fujian
province, Wang serves with Task Force Mountain
Warrior. |
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NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2009 A native of
China's Fujian province who was not in the United States
long before she decided to serve her adopted country says
the dedication of her fellow soldiers helps to inspire her
own service.
Army Spc. Meirong Wang was about to finish her college
degree and start teaching high school physics when she was
granted the opportunity to leave China and travel to the
United States.
“When you see a different country, it's not about the
country or the area, it's about the people,” she said of her
decision to leave China. “People are brave to stand up for the things [they] want to
fight for.” |
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Wang said she is proud to be here, and cited the discipline required in the
military as something that makes it different from any other career.
“As long as you maintain discipline, you want to do better,” she said. A human
resources specialist for Task Force Mountain Warrior's 4th Special Troops
Battalion, Wang uses her discipline to better herself every day.
“Specialist Wang makes my job easy,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason A. Coulter,
Wang's noncommissioned officer in charge. “Her work ethic, attention to detail
and willingness to take on responsibilities [make her] the type of soldier
leaders want and the Army needs.”
Though Wang's discipline and desire to do better drive her every day, Coulter
said, she still faces some challenges as she works to overcome the language
barrier.
“Specialist Wang has identified that as a weakness, and has improved her English
tremendously,” he said. “As leaders, we identify our weaknesses and seek
self-improvement. Wang has many characteristics of a leader, and that is just
one of them.”
Wang attributes much of her success to her fellow soldiers and leaders.
In the process that led to her being named as Task Force Mountain Warrior's
soldier of the quarter, Wang had to face many challenges and her teammates
helped her to prepare. Even though the competition was an individual event, she
noted, it still took a team effort for her be selected.
“So many people stood behind me and supported me,” Wang said, adding that her
leaders want her to be a good leader as well.
“They also tell my comrades we need to support each other to be good leaders,”
she said.
Coulter proudly recalled how Wang's fellow soldiers helped her prepare for the
evaluation board.
“Specialist Wang and her co-workers pulled together as a team; they went to the
gym together, woke up early and did physical training,” he said. “And the team
drilled her with evaluation board questions daily.”
The support paid off in Wang's selection as soldier of the quarter.
“There's no way I could win this board without everyone here,” she said. Coulter
said it's typical of Wang to give credit to her leadership and fellow soldiers.
“She is an unselfish soldier [who] exemplifies selfless service,” he said. | |
Article and photo by Army Spc. Eugene H. Cushing
Task Force Mountain Warrior public affairs office
U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Melissa Milner
Special to
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2009
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