{"id":9512,"date":"2019-11-22T08:18:50","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T13:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/guardsman-carries-on-tradition-through-service\/"},"modified":"2019-11-22T08:18:51","modified_gmt":"2019-11-22T13:18:51","slug":"guardsman-carries-on-tradition-through-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/guardsman-carries-on-tradition-through-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Guardsman carries on tradition through service"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>SPEARFISH \u2013 For some, the military is a way to see the world while learning the skills to become successful in life. However, for one South Dakota Army National Guard Soldier it is about so much more. For Spc. Jacey Garcia it is about continuing a family legacy and helping the community where he grew up.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family has been in the military for as long as I can track back. My father was in Vietnam, my uncle and grandfather were in the Marines, and my father\u2019s uncle was in Korea,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cAll the way back to my great-great-grandfathers we were always warriors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia is a member of the 155th Engineer Company in Wagner, where he serves as an interior electrician. He chose to be an electrician to gain skills to help him fix things around the house and have a skillset to put on a resume.<\/p>\n

Outside the National Guard, he is pursuing his degree in education from Black Hills State University in Spearfish. Garcia says the military has given him the skills to be successful in his first year of school.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents and the military have instilled discipline in me,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cWhen there is something to get done you have to go do it. It does no good to wait around. That has really helped me stay on top of things in college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia is a member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe. In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, he took some time to explain the importance of the observance to him and his people.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really important for people to know the history of our country. It is good to recognize our mistakes from the past \u2013 the way that Native Americans were treated was wrong,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cHaving a month dedicated to Native American people is important because it gives us the opportunity to learn and talk about our history. It gives Native Americans a bigger stage to share our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia recognizes that the National Guard allows him to be a role model and a voice for the people on the reservations. He believes that it is important to use his position in the military to help the people from where he is from.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s important to understand that there are all types of people in the world and they all struggle in different ways,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cIt is important for us to use our voices for good. I want to learn as much as I can and do the best possible for my community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia chose the National Guard so that he could help the people from the community where he grew up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you do something within your community, and you know every one personally, it makes it feel that much better,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cIf the Guard does a project and helps a family out, and you know that family, it really makes you feel a sense of pride.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Guard has been a benefit Garcia said. He reflected back on the types of people he has met during his time in the National Guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore I went to basic training, I was only around Native Americans and white Americans in my community. I didn\u2019t have very many relationships with different types of people,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cThe military has allowed me to get past mental and social barriers towards other people that I had growing up. Some of my best friends in basic training were people that were completely different than me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia says helping people in his community is what he enjoys the most about being in the National Guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe feeling you get and how you can make someone else feel by helping them leaves an impression on you,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cIf I help somebody, and they really benefit, it gets me motivated to go out and do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia has some advice for anyone that is thinking about joining the National Guard or the military in general, just do it!<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be that person that says I was going to join, but I just didn\u2019t,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cThe military will teach you much more than you ever thought it could, and you are going to get to do a lot of stuff with some awesome and amazing people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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SPEARFISH \u2013 For some, the military is a way to see the world while learning the skills to become successful in life. However, for one South Dakota Army National Guard Soldier it is about so much more. For Spc. Jacey Garcia it is about continuing a family legacy and helping <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> November 22, 2019<\/p>\n

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