When UL Lafayette student Jarred Degeyter enlisted in the Louisiana National Guard four years ago, he was still in high school. He didn小蝌蚪APP檛 know he would eventually be serving in Iraq along with his father.
小蝌蚪APP I really believe everyone should serve their country. Both of my grandfathers served, as well as my father. So, I always viewed it at something you were supposed to do,小蝌蚪APP he said.
A combat medic, Degeyter, 22, is stationed at Camp Slayer. His dad, Capt. Curt Degeyter, 43, is a division veterinarian and an agricultural and veterinary advisor at Camp Victory. Both camps are within the Victory Base Complex in Baghdad.
小蝌蚪APP My son小蝌蚪APP檚 enlistment inspired me to return to service,小蝌蚪APP said Curt Degeyter. After serving in the Louisiana National Guard from 1985 to 1992, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 2008. He volunteered to go to Baghdad when he learned there was a shortage of veterinary officers there. Both men were deployed in January.
As an advisor, Curt Degeyter helps the Iraqi people establish sustainable livestock and agricultural practices. 小蝌蚪APP淚 do a lot of teaching. The U.S. Army is applying research and technology in a number of areas, including the artificial insemination of dairy cattle. We小蝌蚪APP檙e teaching the technicians in the field how to improve their breeding stock and increase milk production,小蝌蚪APP he said.
小蝌蚪APP The majority of people that I work with are really no different than the people that I associate with back home in South Louisiana. They are hard workers that want the best for their families. They, however, don小蝌蚪APP檛 have all the luxuries that we have available and they don小蝌蚪APP檛 take the few luxuries they do have for granted, such as security, clean fresh water and electricity.小蝌蚪APP
Curt Degeyter was a combat medic during his previous military service, so he understands his son小蝌蚪APP檚 work in a way most people do not. 小蝌蚪APP淛arred has been trained to perform techniques in the field that combat medics were not allowed to perform back in the 小蝌蚪APP80s, such as inserting chest tubes and performing tracheotomies. The combat medics we have in the Army today are better trained than any other military force in the world. They know their job and because of that, thousands of soldiers have gone home alive.小蝌蚪APP
When Jarred Degeyter signed up to become a combat medic, he had just completed his junior year at Catholic High School in New Iberia, La. At the time, he was considering a career in medicine. But he changed his mind. Now a junior at UL Lafayette, he is majoring in industrial technology.
Father and son get together about once a week for some down time. Jarred Degeyter is part of the 256th Infantry Brigade, which has its headquarters in Lafayette, La. Most weekends, its members relax a bit and cook some Cajun food.
Curt Degeyter is usually invited. 小蝌蚪APP淭here are maybe 20 or so guys and some of them are from South Louisiana. When you小蝌蚪APP檙e hearing the accents and enjoying the food, you can almost forget you小蝌蚪APP檙e in Baghdad,小蝌蚪APP he said.
In addition to easing the stress that comes with deployment, serving together has changed the Degeyters小蝌蚪APP relationship.
" I've always had a very close relationship with my son. He's very mature and a squared-away soldier. However, I would say that I see him more grown up and it kind of puts things in perspective. I have come to respect him as a grown man and not like a young child anymore," Curt Degeyter said.
Jarred Degeyter agreed. "I believe if anything has changed, it's that we have even more of a mutual respect for each other.小蝌蚪APP
Curt Degeyter is slated to return home to St. Martinville, La., this summer and his son will return in November.
" When I redeploy this summer, a part of me will be left here. I小蝌蚪APP檓 more concerned about my son's safety than my own," he said. "I've actually thought about extending my deployment until the end of the year but my wife said it was time for me to come home."
While it will be difficult to leave Iraq knowing that his son will remain there for several months, Curt Degeyter looks forward to spending time with his wife, Jamie, and returning to running his family business, a general construction firm.
小蝌蚪APP I grew up in the general contracting business. My father, Larry Degeyter, is a design-build general contractor. I小蝌蚪APP檝e worked for him since I was 10.小蝌蚪APP After graduating from veterinary school in 1994, Curt Degeyter moved to Texas and started an equine practice. In 2000, he sold the practice and returned to Louisiana. He took over the family construction business in 2006. Curt and Jaime Degeyter have three other children: Jacob, 20, Jill Katherine, 16, and Jaden Elizabeth, 10.
Jacob Degeyter is a student at South Louisiana Community College in New Iberia. 小蝌蚪APP淗e has done a superior job of taking care of his mother, his sisters and the home while I小蝌蚪APP檓 away. He has definitely made it much easier for me to keep my mind on my job here in Iraq,小蝌蚪APP Curt Degeyter said.
Jarred Degeyter is also looking forward to returning home. 小蝌蚪APP淚 was married two weeks prior to my deployment,小蝌蚪APP he said. He and his wife, Lyndsay Judice Degeyter, are planning a long-delayed honeymoon. Lyndsay Degeyter is also a UL Lafayette student. She is majoring in fashion merchandising.
小蝌蚪APP After that, I will continue with school and get my degree,小蝌蚪APP he said.