Jun 28, 2002 By Patty Shultz 5 min read

ANNVILLE – “When the need arises, you can count on the American soldier.” The sentiment is one Sgt. Arnold Perkins lives by as Company D, 1st Battalion, 103rd Armor, based in Connellsville prepares for deployment to Europe.

Perkins is the readiness training officer at the Connellsville Armory from where 37 men departed Wednesday for Fort Indiantown Gap. The unit will undergo two days of briefing and training before moving to Fort Dix, N.J.

For several months, he has been overseeing the ongoing training for the soldiers that will take part in a security mission in parts of Europe.

“They will do whatever it takes,” he said. “These are all good men and good soldiers.”

“I just want to go and get it done,” said Sgt. Scot Sage before leaving for Fort Indiantown Gap.

Sage originally enlisted in the Navy in 1987, seeing duty in the Mediterranean the next year and in Desert Storm shortly thereafter. He left the Navy in 1994. Not wanting to “throw away” his seven-year investment in the military, he enlisted in the National Guard in 2001.

“But when I signed on with the National Guard, I never thought I would see battle again,” he said. “But who thought Sept. 11 would take place?”

While anxious to start the mission, Sage paused as he spoke of missing the first anniversary of his marriage to his wife, Amy, and the other family events that will take place while he is in Europe.

“It will be all right. …We’ll be back soon,” he said.

Lt. Tom Guthrie said the mission will take its toll at every level, from the soldiers who will be in harm’s way, to the families who will miss them and to the employers who will be without their workers for several months.

“When I look at my nieces and nephews, I know what this is all about,” he said. “I’m doing this for them.”

The Smithfield resident is a counselor at the State Correctional Institution at Greene. He enlisted in the National Guard in 1991 as a challenge to himself, to help with college expenses and to serve his country.

“We’re facing a challenge,” he said. “The nation has to remain steadfast so we can do our job.”

Although Sage and Guthrie were to attend briefings and training at Fort Indiantown Gap with their unit, their orders changed and they were dispatched to the “Gap” a day ahead of the unit. They moved on to Fort Dix the next day.

“Things can change fast around here,” said Lt. Dana Keith, unit commander. “Wherever we go we send an advance group and they were picked because of their experience.

“These are the guys that will get the ball rolling and allow the rest of us to hit the ground running when we get there.”

Pvt. Jamal Straughters said he’s gaining experience at a very quick pace.

After enlisting in the National Guard in February 2001, he was sent to Texas for advanced infantry training. While there, the terrorist attacks took place in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Somerset County.

“I was scared,” he said. “I just got in and I thought we’d be heading out immediately.”

The 2000 Connellsville Senior High School graduate thought, like many others, he would complete his basic training and enroll in college. That notion, he said, quickly passed.

“We started hearing rumors and then in March we were put on alert,” said Straughters. “I knew we would be going.”

The 20-year-old is one of the youngest members of the unit and has mixed emotions about leaving his mother, Dorthea, sister, Terre, and niece, Tyra.

“I’m going to miss them, but I’m looking forward to the experience,” he said

Spc. Jarrod Shultz also had to put his college career on hold in order to take part in the security mission.

“I’ll start my senior year (at Indiana University of Pennsylvania) when I get back,” said the environmental science major.

Shultz, also a Connellsville Area graduate, signed on with the National Guard in 1997 before entering college, and he thought at the time he would be spending one weekend each month and two weeks during the summer in training – not going to war.

“That’s something I didn’t think would happen,” he said.

Sgt. Ron Pisano of Uniontown soon will celebrate his 20th anniversary in the military.

The Army veteran joined the National Guard in 1997 as a way to finish out his service.

“I have a soldier’s heart,” he said. “I always have and always will.”

Pisano said he hopes this will be the last overseas mission of his career because he doesn’t want to miss the special events in the life of his 4-year-old daughter, Amber.

“Over the past week, we’ve been jamming in everything we wanted to do this summer,” he said. “We’ve gone to the zoo and miniature golfing.

“We had a picnic outside on a blanket…those are the memories I’ll take with me.”