Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/print.php?story_id_key=9776
October 31, 2006
Staff Sgt. Edwin Ramos is quick to credit those around him for his success in the military. Raised in Puerto Rico, Ramos – a platoon sergeant with the 241st Military Police Company at Fort Meade, Md. – learned English from squad and platoon leaders who required he write compositions and meted out tough love for errors.
"For every mistake I made I had to do sit-ups and push-ups," he said. "They showed me they cared. They helped me learn the language and be one of the guys. There was no racism; it was pure equality. That's why I love the Army. They don't care about my background, just what I can do.”
Ramos was one of four Soldiers asked to speak about their military experiences for the Association of the United States Army at the launching of the Army’s new slogan, “Army Strong.”
“The Army allowed me to get my bachelor's degree in marketing, jump out of an airplane, go to countries I never heard about, meet exciting people with new ideas and, build a whole society and show them what America stands for," he said.
Born in 1965 in Jersey City, N.J., Ramos moved with his family to Puerto Rico. He joined the Puerto Rico National Guard in 1986 and in 1992 he enlisted in the Army.
“I joined because my father inspired me to," he said. "He used to tell me a citizen is someone who takes the defense of their country as a personal responsibility. It was difficult because my English was not the best, but I saw what an active-duty Soldier could do. I also saw the Army as a way to grow, to become a better man. And it was an opportunity for travel and education."
Deployed seven times in 14 years, Ramos is equally grateful to the Soldiers who served alongside him. "They are brave, they're dedicated, they're selfless," he said.
On weekends, Ramos is executive officer for the Sands Platoon Young Marines Program in Cumberland. He helps instill "good values in the next generation," he said. Retiring in 2012, Ramos plans to become a high school Junior ROTC instructor.
"I think there's a lot of kids without direction who don't have a mentor, someone who cares about them," he said. "But they will see a man who will tell them, 'I'm here to help you find it.'”