Soldier Finds Way Through Deployment

By Spc. Joseph Rivera Rebolledo

3rd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.

BAGHDAD - Historically, Soldiers have faced and experienced different emotions on the battlefield or while away from home at overseas locations. Changes in routines, adapting to a new environment or culture, to include making new friends and getting used to new policies and commands, are things most experience.

Whenever these changes arise, Soldiers try to look and find different ways to entertain themselves and comrades. These changes result in making lifelong friends and memories. During times like these, Soldiers learn to manage their spare time by either playing video games, watching movies or using their computers and the Internet.

However, things like that are usually done while "inside the wire" at a forward operating base or combat outpost in Iraq, but what they do while "outside the wire" to keep their morale up, and what makes it so memorable is the greatest question of all.

For Spc. Jackie Moore, a Fox, Ore. native, it's as easy as just singing to his fellow Soldiers through the internal communications system of his vehicle.

Spc. Jackie Moore, a Fox, Ore., native, prepares for a mission at Camp Taji prior hitting the road in northern Baghdad. Moore is a vehicle gunner serving with Company B, 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National-Division - Baghdad. His singing and dancing when on patrol makes him popular among his fellow Soldiers. To him, singing and dancing helps keep fellow Soldiers awake during long overnight patrols and helps to boost morale as well.

As he sings, Moore dances in the turret as the vehicle rolls through the streets of northern Baghdad. Moore, who has been in the Army for more than two years and serves as a vehicle gunner with Company B, 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National-Division - Baghdad, is well-known among his peers, noncommissioned officers and commander for his artistic abilities.

For Moore, singing and dancing is something that helps him keep the morale up through the 15-month deployment. It is also what helps keep his fellow Soldiers awake and alert while on long, overnight combat logistics patrols.

"Why not try to make the best out of it? It keeps everyone awake, alert; I try to keep everyone's spirit up," said Moore. "It keeps me awake for the most part too, keeps me moving, and I don't really get a lot of time for PT so I get it by dancing a little bit."

Part of Moore's repertoire includes songs like "I Will Survive," from Donna, Summer to country music. However, he also has music of his own where he makes up the words to relate to current situations.

Music and dancing has been part of his life since his childhood. His children, Kyle and Heather, seem to have inherited their musical abilities from him as well. It is something that seems to run in his Family. His wife, Christina, has also joined in the dancing and singing routine.

"They love all kinds of music. I let them decide," Moore said.

As for Moore, he has a message to his fellow Soldiers.

"Spend your time here bettering yourself. We are here for a purpose; have fun, take care yourself; keep positive; you are not out here for four or five years, you are here for 15 months," he said.

His outlook on his mission is a positive one as he deals with the challenges of the deployment in his own unique way.

"Spc. Moore is a character," said Sgt. 1st Class Joe Bernal, a Fresno, Calif. native, who serves as Moore's platoon sergeant with the 64th BSB. "Everybody has their own way of dealing with things, especially being out on the roads for sometimes from 12 to 18 hours.

"Some people seem to enjoy it - especially when we have passengers in the back. It keeps them awake and also keeps them entertained," Bernal concluded.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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