Staff Sergeant Adams interdicted three Anti-Iraqi Forces, and his efforts resulted in the confiscation of numerous small arms and explosive ordinance...

"THE YOUNG OUTDOORSMAN"

It was fortunate for John Adams that Hillsboro, Illinois, had a lot of wide-open spaces. The woods and fields outside of town became his boyhood playground. Fishing, hunting, camping and playing with his friends kept him busy throughout the year, and the many nearby lakes provided cool fun in the summer.

So it was somewhat surprising that John wasn't more upset when his parents decided to move to Florida before he started high school. Sure, he was sad to leave his friends behind in Hillsboro, but he also was filled with positive anticipation.
I've never minded change, and I was always looking for some new adventure, some new excitement.

A TWIST OF FATE

John Adams attended Milton High School, near Pensacola. He quickly became a Florida State Seminoles fan and was determined to study Forestry there. But he was disappointed when the scholarships he had hoped for were not offered. Not wanting to assume a huge student loan debt, Adams considered the military. He could go to college and have a career. And there was always the aspect of adventure. Between his uncle Dennis, a Navy Recruiter who often talked to his nephew about his experiences, and the nearby Pensacola Naval Air Station, Adams was well versed in the opportunities of the Navy. But the Navy didn't seem like the appropriate fit. As a high school senior in 1994, Adams decided to join the Marines. He set up a meeting with a Marine Corps Recruiter. But on the day of his scheduled appointment, Adams waited alone outside the Marine Corps recruiting office. The Recruiter was a no-show.

As fate would have it, an Army recruiting off was next door to the Marine Corps recruiting center. An Army Recruiter watched the eager young Adams pacing outside. He then approached Adams and gave him his card. The Recruiter never pressured him. He told Adams to go and do some research on the Army and come back if he had any questions.
In the Army, there are two people you will always remember: one is your Recruiter and the other is your Drill Sergeant.

A week later, Adams was sitting in the Army Recruiter's office. Not yet 18 years old, he would have to get his parents' written consent to join the Army as part of the Delayed Entry Program. After taking the assessment tests, the Recruiter spoke to Adams at length about the different opportunities available to him in the Army. At one point he looked at the wide-eyed young Recruit and asked, "Would you like to carry your weapon into battle or would you like your weapon to carry you?" That's when Adams knew he wanted to be part of an Armored Division, with the potential to someday command his own tank.

THE FIRST STEP IN SERVICE

Adams was sent to Basic Combat Training (BCT) at Fort Knox, Kentucky. BCT was the toughest thing he had ever done, but he welcomed the physical and mental challenge. It wasn't long before he began training on an M1 Abrams Tank. He learned how to drive it, how to load the massive gun rounds and how to shoot. He would spend most of the next decade atop or inside one of these $3.5 million technological marvels.

"I'LL SEE THE WORLD"

Adams was sent to Schweinfurt, Germany, to join the 2nd Battalion of the 64th Armor Regiment in the 3rd Infantry Division. He loved the adventure of being overseas and training with his unit. On his time off he explored the German countryside. The next few years would take him back to the States for intensive tank training in Colorado, and to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he studied leadership and learned the value of teamwork. Proud of his gunnery skills, Adams and his tank crew registered several perfect scores during field training exercises. To Adams, there was nothing more exhilarating than firing the 120mm cannon from a 68-ton vehicle while it barreled over the range at 30 mph.
It was an overwhelming feeling to achieve several perfect scores with zero discrepancies. We were good!

TRAINED FOR PEACE, BUT READY FOR WAR

John Adams met his wife, Jodi, at a wedding in her Indiana hometown. John and Jodi married on July 15, 2000, and, shortly thereafter, Adams received orders to depart Fort Knox for Camp Casey, South Korea. He took his new bride with him on this next adventure. It was Jodi's first time on an airplane, but it certainly would not be her last. John trained in armor tactics in the rugged terrain of the Korean Peninsula, and then was selected to attend the Basic Noncommissioned Officers' Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. While in Kentucky, the Adams' welcomed their beautiful daughter, Emma to the Army family.

Upon graduation, SSG Adams received orders to Vilseck, Germany. He settled his family into the lovely German countryside and joined his unit in Kosovo for a two-month deployment as part of a NATO peacekeeping mission. After returning from the Balkans, John received word his unit was deploying to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They immediately began preparations. It was hard to leave his family, but Adams knew the mission was important and his team was well-equipped and well-prepared.
It was Valentine's Day, 2004. That's when I said goodbye to my girls. It was a tough day for all of us.

THEY LEAVE THE TANKS ALONE

In Iraq, Staff Sergeant Adams commanded his own tank. Adams' unit immediately began conducting wartime operations that included convoy escorts, search missions, main supply route overwatch and quick reaction force missions. There was always action and excitement, but as a Commander of an M1 Abrams, Adams sometimes saw it differently.
We would move into battle and oftentimes just sit there. Something happens to the enemy when they see the Abrams roll in. They just leave the tanks alone and run.

At other times, Adams conducted operations outside the formidable M1. His unit often conducted missions at night, patrolling supply routes in HMMWVs in an attempt to keep them clear of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and ambush points.

THE BURIED KILLER

Throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, insurgents bury IEDs on roadways and supply routes in an attempt to disrupt Coalition transportation and mobility. IEDs are the single greatest cause of casualties to Coalition forces.

IEDs can be made out of anything. A soda can, a water container, even a shoebox can be used to create explosives. Often the insurgent bomb makers used smuggled or stolen artillery ordinance. It's simple: bury the bomb in the road or near it (usually under the cover of darkness), attach a triggering device such as an alarm clock, and wait. The bombs can be detonated remotely with a cell phone. Staff Sergeant Adams and his men were constantly on the lookout for these deadly devices.