“Sometimes you know what to expect, sometimes you don't. One thing that is constant is that you are always learning. Whether it's the job you have, your environment, the different people and cultures, there is always learning.
It is always an adventure.
I remember I was in Abu Ghraib. One day, the Marine company stationed by us was under attack. When they ran out of ammo...we knew we had to get out there and help them. The only thing we thought about was to go help them. Over there, it doesn't matter what branch you are in, we care about you.
That unity is the one thing I will never forget about our military.
The military and athletics have a lot in common. My team is like my family, uniting with a common goal. If someone has trouble, I try to help them, and my teammates help me when I need it too.”
Most college students go through four years of school, by simply focusing on academic tasks and receiving a degree.
Some college students choose to become athletes while at college, where the focus shifts from exclusively academics to balancing a hectic lifestyle of school, practice and competition.
Very few choose the path that involves attaining a degree, participation in Division I Athletics and a military career-all at the same time.
This is the chosen path of Army Reserve Specialist Arnaldo Farjardo, who has been on active duty in the military for the last three and a half years. While serving, he is also a sprinter on the Fairleigh Dickinson University Indoor Track and Field team, and is currently completing the second semester of his sophomore year towards his Bachelor's in Criminal Justice.
Why does one decide to take such an arduous path? It may have been easier to serve in the military and have a college experience separately, but Fajardo has never seen it that way.
“In high school, I was in a group called Serve America. Immediately after 9/11, we were allowed to clean up debris in surrounding areas. The experience taught me the value of helping others, and of doing something to serve America and its citizens. When it came time to decide on a school, I decided to complete part of my education in the biggest and the best school in America-the United States Army. They not only helped me continue my education in a traditional manner, but they also taught me what I needed to know to make a difference for my country.”
Being an athlete before going into the military helped Arnaldo adapt to the rigorous military lifestyle. Without athletics, he feels that there would have been three essential concepts he would have been lacking in before joining the Army. “Teamwork is the number one thing that athletics taught me before the military. That is something that both the Army and a team try to instill in you. In basic training you didn't complete the course unless the whole group did. It is number one in being an athlete and in the military. Time management is a skill I learned as an athlete too. ?You're late if you're on time, and you're in time if you are early.' It is the same in the military. It transitions right over. Dedication is also a very important trait that I developed. Everyone wants to be really good at what they do. It doesn't matter what you are doing, you want to do your best. In the military it is the same. You just don't go out there and do it unless you do it well.”
What makes Arnaldo's experience so unique is that he is completing his degree while being on active duty in the Army. Since he enrolled in college in 2003, he has spent 18 months in Abu Garib in Iraq. Whenever he is not deployed, he is working hard to complete his education. Being in Iraq has changed Arnaldo's perception on many things that he took for granted-namely his education and the opportunity to play sports.
“The military has helped me value my experiences more. Before the military, school and sports were just that. Both got boring after so many years of doing them. Once I was in the military, I learned to cherish it. You don't know if or when you will get the chance to do these things again. My education began to mean so much more. I was a three-year freshman because I had to go away for two years. Once I came back from each tour, I was desperate to go back to school, and I didn't waste time. I now cherish my education, and athletics started to mean a lot more.”
Arnaldo's hopes for the future not only involve both his degree and military training, but also his desire to help others. “I have an eight year contract with the military and staying in the Army after that is an option for me. If I stay in I want to be an officer and go that route. Criminal justice is my major, so law enforcement is another option. The military and law enforcement are two careers that I have the skills for now. My dream, though, is to teach music in high school.”
Arnaldo Farjardo exhibits certain qualities that one will find in any quality athlete, student or soldier. Understanding teamwork, a desire to be the best one can be and a desire to help one's fellow man are only a few of these characteristics. His experiences as a soldier and an athlete have enhanced these traits. While he has not chosen to experience life in a way that most would, he has gained much more from the life that he has chosen-a life where he can serve, protect and compete.
