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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – When Pfc. Clark Cepeda took his
two sons to get their hair cut near their home in Marlton, N.J., in
2013, he came across a military recruiting station close to the
barber shop.
It had been less than a year since he moved his
family from the Philippines to the United States, and Cepeda's dream
as a child growing up in the Philippines was to serve in the
military. His grandfather, who he helped take care of, was a
decorated Filipino veteran who fought for his country during World
War II and was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. His service was
a major influence for Cepeda's childhood dream.
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U.S. Army Pfc. Clark Cepeda works on his computer at Kandahar Airfield,
Afghanistan, April 9, 2014. Cepeda, a training room clerk for 4th
Infantry Brigade Combat, 4th Infantry Division, is serving on his
first deployment. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Antony S. Lee)
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Cepeda had tried to join the Philippine Navy years before
but was turned down, he said.
“I thought I could no
longer be in the military because of my age,” Cepeda, who
was 34 at the time, said.
Despite his doubts, he
talked to a recruiter and when he learned he could join the
U.S. Army and pursue his childhood dream, Cepeda wasted no
time scheduling an appointment to take the Armed Services
Vocational Aptitude Battery.
“When (the recruiter)
told me I could still join, I didn't believe him at first,”
he said. “This (was) my last chance. This was my dream since
I was a kid.”
After passing the ASVAB, Cepeda
enlisted into the U.S. Army on May 20, 2013, and shipped to
Fort Benning, Ga., to complete his training as an
infantryman.
After graduating in September 2013, he
was stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., to serve with 4th
Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, a unit
he recently deployed with to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan,
on his first deployment.
“I'm now with one of the
most prestigious military organizations in the world,” he
said.
Cepeda's short Army career has already provided
him several valuable experiences, including his
participation in a naturalization ceremony. Three days
before he graduated from infantry school, he officially
became a U.S. citizen – a moment he says was “very much” a
big one for him. He was also promoted to private first class
shortly after arriving in Afghanistan.
Staff Sergeant
Benjamin Kimball, Cepeda's supervisor, said Cepeda is one of
the hardest working Soldiers he has ever worked with.
“He is an excellent Soldier,” he said. “As soon as he
understands his task, he completes it and excels at it.”
Although Cepeda is an infantryman, he has been working
as a training room clerk, and he has adapted to his new job,
Kimball added.
Cepeda serves in the Army in large
part because he and his wife, a nurse, want to provide
better lives for their children than they had growing up, he
said. His first son even recently told him that he wants to
join the Army one day.
“It makes me very proud
because he already knows what he's doing,” Cepeda said. “He
knows I'm fighting for the country that provided us the
opportunities and accepted us wholeheartedly.”
Cepeda's dream of serving in the military became even
greater after seeing the Sept. 11 attacks on CNN while he
and his wife were preparing for their son's first birthday
in 2001, he said.
“You (could) feel the pain,” he
said. “It (made) you angry at whoever did this.”
More
than 12 years later, Cepeda reflected on the opportunity to
serve his country in Afghanistan.
“This is my dream –
to be in the military,” he said. “I love my job.”
By U.S. Army Sgt. Antony S. Lee
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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