Holiday makes for a welcome homecoming

WASILLA — For one soldier, a trip home highlights just how much things have changed since he joined the Army.

Sgt. Gregory Graham — or Buddy as everyone calls him — left Wasilla to join the Army a couple months after graduating from Colony High School in 2003 and has not been home since. But after completing his second tour of duty in Iraq, Graham returned to the Valley for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“It has been about five years since I have been back and a lot has changed,” he said. “There are so many new buildings in Wasilla, like the city exploded it is so big. And my little brother is all grown up.”

For Graham, who is stationed in Fort Polk, La., returning home was a chance to reconnect with old friends and just relax.

“I have seen a few of my old classmates, but mainly I have just been visiting my family and resting and enjoying the relaxation,” he said. “I really missed not having my family and having holiday dinners, so it was really great yesterday (Thanksgiving) to see everybody, all my aunts and uncles and everybody who lives up here.”

Being back with family in Wasilla is quite a different routine than celebrating holidays in Iraq.

“Well, the last couple of holidays I celebrated in Iraq we try and decorate real festively,” he said. “Then we cut down guard duty times and rotations so that you have more time off. And we try and organize where we will have the same time off as our friends so we can eat together. Also a couple weeks beforehand they ask if you have any family members serving and they try to meet you up with them, like if you have a brother or cousin serving they try get you together.”

Graham joined the Army to serve his country and receive the GI Bill to help with college tuition, but has found that he has enjoyed his time in the service and plans to make a career in the Army.

“I probably will do 20 to 25 years in the Army, but what I really want to do is fly helicopters. Hopefully I will be able to fly Blackhawks and medical evacuations.”

He later added that it is his coworkers that make all the difference in his job.

“I have been very fortunate to work with a great group of guys,” Graham said. “You know it makes a big difference when you work with guys that like what they do and are good at it.”

He hopes to join the flight school program this February.

“I just put my papers in recently and should be accepted fairly soon,” said Graham.

It is a dream he wishes he can experience with his younger brother.

“My little brother is interested and I am trying to convince him to join flight school program with me,” he said.

Although his younger brother is not in the service, Graham explains that you can join directly to the flight school program in Fort Rucker, Ala.

Graham said his return to Wasilla has been nice, but he has to return to Fort Polk by Saturday to continue his training, where he expects a big adjustment.

“It just a big transition when you get back to base, you have people who are new to your battalion and people who are leaving,” he said.

Back on the base, Graham will be on red cycle, meaning that his battalion will help others with training and organization.

“We’re kind of like the volunteer guys on red cycle,” he said. “For example, we would help another battalion on the range by picking up brass and transportation.”

From there Graham believes he will probably start training for deployment to Afghanistan.

Graham wishes he could have just a little bit more time at home. “It has been so good to be home I was thinking about going back at a later date and switching my ticket, but I probably will not.”

Contact Lanier Hutcheson at lanier.hutcheson@frontiersman.com or 352-2265.