by Bea Peterson
There is a large poster in the main lobby of Hoosick Falls Central School with the names of men and women who were, or are, in the military. The poster states the year they graduated and in which combat area they served. It doesn’t mention what branch of the service they were, or are, in. The graduating years range from 1973 to 2009. Twenty men and one woman from HFCS have served in Iraq. One was in Iraq twice, another four times. One served in Kuwait and Iraq. Thirteen men and one woman have served in Afghanistan. The list may be far from complete.
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The latest to serve in Afghanistan is 2009 graduate Ryan Corbin. In high school he wrestled and played football and baseball. Now he is a Lance Corporal in the US Marine Corps. He has been a Marine for two years and served the last eight months in Afghanistan where he was an Infantry Team Leader in the Nawa District of Helmand Province. His battalion was spread out over a large area. He described it as being “out in the middle of nowhere,” though there were many small villages nearby. To the east was desert, he said. To the west the land was forested up to the Helmand River. In the winter there is no snow, but the temperature can drop to 12 degrees. Daytime temperatures were in the 40s, though they could range from 10 to 20 degrees. In the summer it has been as hot as 135 degrees though the average was between 115 and 120 degrees. “It only rained twice during my tour,” he said. It was still very humid as the farm fields were often flooded by the many canals coming from the River.
The job of his Marine unit was to train the Afghan police. Corbin said he picked up some of the language and
experienced a different way of life. “When we first arrived they were not well trained,” he said of the Afghan Police. “Now they are the best trained police.” He feels he had something to do with that. “We are definitely making a difference,” he added. They were told because of the training his battalion has given the Afghans, the US forces in the area can be reduced from 18,000 to 6,000.
The experience has given him a far better understanding of the people they were helping.
His whole squad was a recipient of Suzanne and Gary Fitzpatrick’s “Operation Christmas Cookie,” which was a real treat. The only thing he ran out of during his deployment was smokeless tobacco. They adopted a puppy that kept them company, but it had to be left behind.
He said they faced the Taliban more than once. “We had some double purple hearts, but we didn’t lose anyone.”
Corbin said it was good to be home. “I’m still adjusting to life here – it’s a lot different.” He was home for two weeks and on February 1 he reported to Camp Lejeune, NC, for more courses and schooling. He has two more years to serve in his enlistment and, at this point, contemplates staying in longer.
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