Spring Break
Eastern students ready to deploy to Afghanistan
Bob Bajek / Student Government Editor
Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: News
In a few months, three Eastern students will be deployed to Afghanistan.
On Monday, Dave Holzrichter, Jon Austin and Matt Blount have orders to travel to Effingham.
From there, they will leave for Fort Benning, Ga., on March 20, where the three will join the rest of their battalion to work on active-duty training, weapon skills and medical training.
The students will be stationed at the fort for two to four months before their battalion is shipped to a base in Kuwait. A week there will prepare them to finally be deployed to Afghanistan.
"We've been told we're going to be gone eight months, but it's not set in stone," said Holzrichter, a sophomore journalism major.
He said he has heard from some military officials and veterans that the western and northern regions in Afghanistan are docile right now, but the south is intense.
However, Holzrichter said fighting might pick up throughout the country when winter ends.
Both Holzrichter and Austin, a sophomore finance major, have been training for three years and are ready to go.
"It's an honor to do it because less then 1 percent serves in the military," Holzrichter said. "It's a dangerous job and someone's got to do it, and I don't look down on others for not serving."
Austin said he had been thinking about deploying for a while.
"The main reason why I want to go there is to strengthen my future and get on the right track," Austin said.
Both Holzrichter and Austin completed basic training with their National Guard battalion, Bravo 21 130th Infantry.
Austin said he is confident to deploy after receiving basic training and advanced individual training with his battalion.
In order to better prepare and not waste money, Austin and Blount, a sophomore communication studies major, left this semester
Austin said he did so to be safe because he did not know the time of deployment until too late.
Holzrichter and Austin both said they want to come back and finish school.
Holzrichter stayed in school, which was a risk. He had to pass the halfway point of the semester in order to gain credit without grades. If not, the classes would not have counted.
Holzrichter and Austin have been active in Eastern's Army ROTC program, but are not official members.
The ROTC is a college program that can pay for school and prepares students to be officers in either the Active, Reserve or National Guard component of the U.S. Army upon completion of their college degree.
Lt. Col. Larry Coblentz Jr. said Illinois National Guard or Reserves only deploy, not people contracted with ROTC.
Students entering the Advanced Course in the ROTC program sign a contract with the government and earn $450 to $500 tax-free each school month during their last two years of college.
Holzrichter, Austin and Blount are not contracted with ROTC, Coblentz said.
"You could not deploy if you are contracted," he said. "These individuals are participating, taking our classes while in college, but they have not signed the contract with ROTC."
The impending deployment is weighing on the students' families.
As an only child, Holzrichter's active service makes his parents a little anxious.
"Dad wants me to do what I want and supports me, but I know he is scared and won't admit it," he said. "My mom is taking it in stride, but no mother wants to see their only child go to war."
Austin said his family also has mixed emotions.
While his dad Tom is excited and happy for his deployment, his mom Judy and sister Amelia are a little nervous. Although, Austin said his sister thinks it's cool that he's serving.
His family already has experience with kin going to war.
Gordon Creek, his uncle, served in Germany during World War II. Another uncle, Joe Creek, served during the Vietnam War.
While Holzrichter has not had family members who have been deployed, 1st Lt. Jared Southworth was a good friend of his for five years. Southworth was killed Feb. 8 while attempting to disarm a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
When Holzrichter was in Oakland High School, he described how Southworth would talk to him and his friends frequently about the armed forces and how important it was to serve.
He said Southworth was the one who persuaded him to join the National Guard.
"Jared opened my eyes to the military," Holzrichter said. "He was a role model and told us stories in the town square."
He remembers Southworth telling him to use his head in combat and apply everything from the Army's training manual, which has the skills and strategies a soldier needs to know.
Master Sergeant John Boxrucker, who also served overseas, said the new soldiers have to remember their training.
"They need to pay attention to everything they do in train up," Boxrucker said. "They are going to go somewhere and do more focused, preparatory stuff. If they pay attention to that, they will be good.
Boxrucker said the students' techniques, tactics and procedures will be developed well before deployment.
If they serve a year or have an honorable medical discharge, they will be eligible for the Illinois Veteran's Grant.
The grant is available for active duty in the Armed Forces, National Guard and the Reserve.
The money provided would go toward tuition and mandatory fees. This financial assistance could be for undergraduate or graduate work while the veteran has to maintain the college's minimum GPA requirement.
"We have kids here that come from basic training and then decide they want to go overseas," Boxrucker said.
"Deployment gets them more benefits and makes them more well rounded and better when they return. They could apply their leadership tools acquired to their officer training."
Boxrucker said veterans who receive the Illinois Veterans Grant and sign a contract with ROTC are in good shape financially, having all educational expenses paid for.
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
On Monday, Dave Holzrichter, Jon Austin and Matt Blount have orders to travel to Effingham.
From there, they will leave for Fort Benning, Ga., on March 20, where the three will join the rest of their battalion to work on active-duty training, weapon skills and medical training.
The students will be stationed at the fort for two to four months before their battalion is shipped to a base in Kuwait. A week there will prepare them to finally be deployed to Afghanistan.
"We've been told we're going to be gone eight months, but it's not set in stone," said Holzrichter, a sophomore journalism major.
He said he has heard from some military officials and veterans that the western and northern regions in Afghanistan are docile right now, but the south is intense.
However, Holzrichter said fighting might pick up throughout the country when winter ends.
Both Holzrichter and Austin, a sophomore finance major, have been training for three years and are ready to go.
"It's an honor to do it because less then 1 percent serves in the military," Holzrichter said. "It's a dangerous job and someone's got to do it, and I don't look down on others for not serving."
Austin said he had been thinking about deploying for a while.
"The main reason why I want to go there is to strengthen my future and get on the right track," Austin said.
Both Holzrichter and Austin completed basic training with their National Guard battalion, Bravo 21 130th Infantry.
Austin said he is confident to deploy after receiving basic training and advanced individual training with his battalion.
In order to better prepare and not waste money, Austin and Blount, a sophomore communication studies major, left this semester
Austin said he did so to be safe because he did not know the time of deployment until too late.
Holzrichter and Austin both said they want to come back and finish school.
Holzrichter stayed in school, which was a risk. He had to pass the halfway point of the semester in order to gain credit without grades. If not, the classes would not have counted.
Holzrichter and Austin have been active in Eastern's Army ROTC program, but are not official members.
The ROTC is a college program that can pay for school and prepares students to be officers in either the Active, Reserve or National Guard component of the U.S. Army upon completion of their college degree.
Lt. Col. Larry Coblentz Jr. said Illinois National Guard or Reserves only deploy, not people contracted with ROTC.
Students entering the Advanced Course in the ROTC program sign a contract with the government and earn $450 to $500 tax-free each school month during their last two years of college.
Holzrichter, Austin and Blount are not contracted with ROTC, Coblentz said.
"You could not deploy if you are contracted," he said. "These individuals are participating, taking our classes while in college, but they have not signed the contract with ROTC."
The impending deployment is weighing on the students' families.
As an only child, Holzrichter's active service makes his parents a little anxious.
"Dad wants me to do what I want and supports me, but I know he is scared and won't admit it," he said. "My mom is taking it in stride, but no mother wants to see their only child go to war."
Austin said his family also has mixed emotions.
While his dad Tom is excited and happy for his deployment, his mom Judy and sister Amelia are a little nervous. Although, Austin said his sister thinks it's cool that he's serving.
His family already has experience with kin going to war.
Gordon Creek, his uncle, served in Germany during World War II. Another uncle, Joe Creek, served during the Vietnam War.
While Holzrichter has not had family members who have been deployed, 1st Lt. Jared Southworth was a good friend of his for five years. Southworth was killed Feb. 8 while attempting to disarm a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
When Holzrichter was in Oakland High School, he described how Southworth would talk to him and his friends frequently about the armed forces and how important it was to serve.
He said Southworth was the one who persuaded him to join the National Guard.
"Jared opened my eyes to the military," Holzrichter said. "He was a role model and told us stories in the town square."
He remembers Southworth telling him to use his head in combat and apply everything from the Army's training manual, which has the skills and strategies a soldier needs to know.
Master Sergeant John Boxrucker, who also served overseas, said the new soldiers have to remember their training.
"They need to pay attention to everything they do in train up," Boxrucker said. "They are going to go somewhere and do more focused, preparatory stuff. If they pay attention to that, they will be good.
Boxrucker said the students' techniques, tactics and procedures will be developed well before deployment.
If they serve a year or have an honorable medical discharge, they will be eligible for the Illinois Veteran's Grant.
The grant is available for active duty in the Armed Forces, National Guard and the Reserve.
The money provided would go toward tuition and mandatory fees. This financial assistance could be for undergraduate or graduate work while the veteran has to maintain the college's minimum GPA requirement.
"We have kids here that come from basic training and then decide they want to go overseas," Boxrucker said.
"Deployment gets them more benefits and makes them more well rounded and better when they return. They could apply their leadership tools acquired to their officer training."
Boxrucker said veterans who receive the Illinois Veterans Grant and sign a contract with ROTC are in good shape financially, having all educational expenses paid for.
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
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