I'm Sergeant Jennifer Smith. I'm a 25U, which is also
known as the Signal Support Systems Specialist, in the
Connecticut Army National Guard.
Over the past two weeks my battalion was in Fort Drum
and Fort Devens, Massachusetts getting
some of our tasks done that we have to do every
year. It's just a yearly requirement.
And with that, you have the mortars.
They were shooting over a thousand rounds during
the last four days. We had the sniper section,
the scouts. We had alpha, bravo, charlie, delta
company doing what they do best.
We had hotel company as the support company
and recovery element. And then HHC as the
headquarters element.
So, this right here is a sand table that we created during
this annual training period. It's indicative of the area
that we're operating in. The different terrain features
listed on here are going to be the sticks, which show
roads, and then the blue are going to be showing water.
Then that little area right over there is kind of a
zoom-in of a map that is an objective.
My part as a 25U, a Signal Support Systems Specialist,
was to help the battalion get their communications up
and then maintain the communications throughout
the past two weeks.
I always have to be coordinating and working
with the other 25 series. So, we have the 25B's.
25S's.
25Q's.
25N's.
And multiple 25Us. This is just in order to
support them in their mission, which all ends up
to be the same mission. It's to keep the
communications up and everybody talking.
Before i joined the Connecticut Army
National Guard, my family would have never thought,
I would have never thought that I would have
joined the Army.
I didn't even tell my family until I got home, and I told
them I made a decision. They were all very surprised
You know, they always ask, "What would you be doing
in five years?" This was never my plan.
But since I joined and it is my plan now, and I'm trying
to make a career out of it, I wouldn't change it
for the world.
One of my hobbies is CrossFit. I take fitness
very seriously. I do it in order to stay in shape
for the Army, but I also do it as a hobby.
I try to work out between five to six days a week,
and I try to have my nutrition match that.
My favorite workout is the bench press. I always seem
to surprise myself and definitely some of the guys
when it comes to being able to lift the same, if not
more than, some of them. So that's always super fun.
The mortars are currently getting their rounds so then
they could do night fire.
(mortar firing)
Being a Sergeant in my MOS is great.
I mean, I love the experience and i love being able to not
only lead Soldiers but share my knowledge with them.
It's not about being a male or a female. I just want to be
an equal. I always try to show that during the PT test.
And with our new Army Combat Fitness Test,
I think that's really going to show that we are all equals
regardless of your gender.