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Face of Defense: First Sergeant Recalls Path From Hardship to Success

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One unique aspect of Army service is how many soldiers come from countries and cultures from around the world.

For one of those soldiers, the dream of joining the Army began with an idea on how she could bring her family out of financial hardship, and allow them to stay in the U.S. without having to worry about how they would support themselves.

Born in Berkeley, California, Army 1st Sgt. Gina Aceves, the first sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division here, bounced back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico with her family. Every time money would become tight, the family would return to Guadalajara, Mexico, in order to save up money to return to the U.S.

Army 1st Sgt. Gina Aceves, the senior enlisted leader of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, leads an accountability formation prior to the start of physical readiness training at Fort Riley, Kansas, Oct. 12, 2016. Aceves joined the Army more than 20 years ago to provide a better life for her family after living in financial hardship most of her life. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Warren W. Wright Jr.
Army 1st Sgt. Gina Aceves, the senior enlisted leader of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, leads an accountability formation prior to the start of physical readiness training at Fort Riley, Kansas, Oct. 12, 2016. Aceves joined the Army more than 20 years ago to provide a better life for her family after living in financial hardship most of her life. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Warren W. Wright Jr.
Army 1st Sgt. Gina Aceves, the senior enlisted leader of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, leads an accountability formation prior to the start of physical readiness training at Fort Riley, Kansas, Oct. 12, 2016. Aceves joined the Army more than 20 years ago to provide a better life for her family after living in financial hardship most of her life. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Warren W. Wright Jr.
20 years and counting: A first sergeant’s path from hardship to successful Army career
Army 1st Sgt. Gina Aceves, the senior enlisted leader of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, leads an accountability formation prior to the start of physical readiness training at Fort Riley, Kansas, Oct. 12, 2016. Aceves joined the Army more than 20 years ago to provide a better life for her family after living in financial hardship most of her life. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Warren W. Wright Jr.
Photo By: Staff Sgt. Warren Wright Jr.
VIRIN: 161012-A-HG995-001

Transient Childhood

“Living in Mexico, we weren’t rich,” explained Aceves. “We did have to wash our clothes by hand and the bathroom was for show. As far as the toilet, you couldn’t flush it. You had to pour water into it to flush it.”

As many children do, Aceves still found ways to entertain herself while living in Mexico. Her uncles owned a barn, with hens and roosters that provided her with something to play with.

“One of the things I did was play with the hens and run after the little chicks,” Aceves said.

One of her first experiences with the animals involved her grandmother asking, “Which one do you like?”

“I was like, ‘Oh, I like that one, she’s so pretty!’ And [my grandmother] grabbed it and she killed it,” Aceves said. “She meant which one did I want to eat, so I was just a little bit shocked because I was playing with it and she was like, ‘Let’s pluck it and cook it.’”

Moving back and forth between Mexico and the U.S. caused some problems with Aceves’ education. At times, she would miss whole school years during her time in Mexico, though she used the time she was in school wisely.

“I missed a lot of education growing up,” she said. “But fortunately I was able to pass all my tests when I was in high school and I graduated high school.”

First of Many Goals

Graduating high school was the first step in providing a better life for her family, a goal she had since fifth grade when she first meet an Army recruiter during career day.

Aceves said that after meeting the recruiter, she exclaimed, “Oh, my gosh, I’m going to join the Army and I’m going to have money and my family will never have to move to Mexico again.”

And upon graduating high school, she did just that.

Aceves has now served in the Army for more than 20 years, and has held every leadership position from squad leader to first sergeant. “I love the Army,” she said. “The Army has taken care of me.”

Aceves first enlisted as a generator mechanic, and says she is proud that she was able to spend the first five years of her career doing the job she was trained for.

“That’s something a lot of generator mechanics can’t say because they go to a new unit and they’re automatically cross-trained to do other stuff without working on generators,” Aceves explained.

She has served in a variety of positions as her career progressed, but says that one job holds the most importance for her.

“Being an [advanced individual training] platoon sergeant, that’s one of the most important things I’ve done,” she said. “I was able to impact soldiers firsthand, take care of them and groom them for the next step before they hit permanent party.”

During her time as an AIT platoon sergeant, Aceves would regularly compete in various Army competitions, which led to her being named AIT Platoon Sergeant of the Year and as a runner up for the Combined Arms Support Command Ultimate Warrior Competition.

Admiration, Respect

Now, as a first sergeant, she is responsible for the health, welfare, training, morale and professional development of approximately 200 soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team’s headquarters company.

“You know that you can go to her and she’s going to get things done, especially if it’s an issue that’s affecting her soldiers,” said Army Sgt. Hijinio Gonzalez, the company’s primary armorer. “She cares about her soldiers. Her first priority at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day is making sure that we’re taken care of. I’ve never seen anyone go through the lengths that she has for us.”

Another one of Aceves’ soldiers, Army Sgt. Angiselis Feliciano-Martell, said Aceves is a role model for her.

“We’re both Hispanic, so we understand each other very well,” Feliciano-Martell said. “She looks out for everyone’s wellbeing. She genuinely cares.”

Both Aceves and Feliciano-Martell feel it’s important to understand that every soldier has a unique background and everyone should take the time to learn about all the various soldiers that make up the Army.

“It’s important, because no matter what culture and no matter what race, we celebrate it to learn from one another,” Aceves said. “At the end of the day, we have to remember that we are one Army and everyone is my brother- and sister-in-arms.”

Feliciano-Martell added that understanding the differences in heritage and background among the soldiers she works with helps her to learn from the experiences of others.

“I think it’s amazing that we all come from different places,” she said. “It’s good for overall awareness; to know where your soldier came from, and to better understand them.”

Regardless of her soldiers’ backgrounds, Aceves said her goal to take care of all, and to ensure the Army’s future leaders become successful.

“I always want to instill that leadership portion to [noncommissioned officers] and soldiers,” she said. “I want to make sure I always make a positive impact on someone.”

Even with 20 years of service under her belt, Aceves said she isn’t finished making a difference in the Army.

“I see myself staying in the Army and becoming a command sergeant major,” she said.

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