2/8/07

A veteran soldier readies for battle
By Brian Jarvis

BRIAN JARVIS/Manning Times
Tom Vose enjoys one last Sunday with his family before his deployment to Afghanistan. Also pictured: wife Pat, granddaughter Ashley and their dog Taylor.

While most men his age are spending their weekends puttering around the golf course or playing with their grandchildren, Tom Vose is donning his Army National Guard uniform to embark on a mission to Afghanistan.

“It’s what I signed on for,” Vose said. “I’ve been training for thirty-odd years to do this job. This is the culmination of my military experience, my opportunity to put up or shut up. I want to show that the government hasn’t just been wasting tax dollars on me all this time.”

For Vose, a Sgt. 1st class whose military career spans four decades beginning with ROTC at Utah State University, the news didn’t come as a shock.

“I’m not surprised, especially after 9/11,” he said. “We knew last spring that it was a likelihood, and it was confirmed again in the fall. Nearly all brigades in the U.S. have already gone and we knew it was our turn. It was just a matter of time.”

A veteran of disaster situations, Vose and his battalion were called to extended duty to provide both relief and law enforcement in the wake of Hurricane Hugo. Though briefly stationed in Germany, this will be Vose’s first trip to the Middle East.

With non-stop media images of suicide bombers and religious fanatics, it’s becoming difficult for even the most fearless patriots to view the war in the Middle East without skepticism – or at least trepidation. Vose, however, is opting to wait and judge with his own eyes.

“I won’t believe it’s going to happen until I’m actually in the country,” he said. “But we go where the president wants us, and we put trust in our leaders to lead and do what’s right. It’s an honor to serve my country, but quite frankly, I’m going more for the guys in my unit than for seeking glory or anything like that. I believe that my being there can be a steadying influence to younger soldiers. Something I teach them might make a difference in a combat situation. The biggest challenge will be to stay focused, stay motivated and stay in contact with family.”

A program director for the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s mapping unit, Vose lives in County Club Estates with wife Pat, who taught for two decades at Manning Primary School.

“I like the people and we live in a good neighborhood. The pace of living is comfortable, not too frenetic,” said Vose, who attends The Presbyterian Church in Manning. “I have a lot of people wishing me well and putting me on their prayer list. If for some reason I get bounced back, I’ll have to hide out for 18 months because I’m on so many prayer lists.”

Vose’s family, for their part, has been supportive despite their unease.

“They know I want to serve,” Vose said. “They’re not crazy about the idea, and they’re not going to sit there and just be honey-sweet with God and flags and apple pie. But they understand my reasoning.”

“I’m not anxious for him to go,” admitted wife Pat. “But I grew up in the military and I know what you have to do. When he leaves, it’s one less day I have to wait for him to come back.”

In the end, Vose spent the last day before his deployment doing what he normally does: chopping firewood and working in the yard.

“That’s what makes it home,” Vose said. “Help do the yard, then sit out and enjoy it.”