News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Zack Ingle is at the very tip of the point of the spear.
The 1997 Sisters High School graduate is a Sergeant in the 7th Cavalry, 3rd Infantry Division, tasked with forward reconnaissance in northern Kuwait.
Sgt. Zack Ingle. Photo provided
His unit is sure to see combat in the looming war with Iraq.
Ingle is a top-notch soldier. In fact, he passed the grueling selection for the elite U.S. Army Special Forces and could now be headed for language school. He opted instead to return to his unit in the face of war.
His mother, Miriam Burke, who teaches at Sisters Middle School, said her son expressed only one fear to her:
"If I'm afraid of anything it would be that I'm letting my men down," he told her. "I want to bring all these guys back."
Miriam noted that her son credits high school football coach Bob Macauley with instilling in him qualities that have made him a successful soldier.
Zack reported falling back on high school football experience during the pain of Special Forces selection.
"He says, 'I owe that to Bob Macauley for all the times he yelled at me in practice,'" Miriam said.
Miriam said she "made a promise to be a real good soldier's mom when he went in" and she fulfills that vow by supporting her son in his mission.
That doesn't mean she is not nervous and upset.
"Apart from his physical safety, I'm concerned for what he will be asked to do," she said. "I know that war will forever change people, but that is a real big concern."
She said she understands that many people oppose or have doubts about American policy in Iraq. But she said she worries that opposition to policy can turn into anti-military sentiments that will harm the troops.
"It comes off as anti-military," she said. "I would like to see a candlelight vigil for the military."
Josh Reid has made the military his career. After active duty in the Army, Reid took on one of the few full-time positions available in the National Guard, working out of the Redmond Training Center.
Specialist Josh Reid. Photo provided
His unit, the 1149th Engineering Unit, has been called to active duty. The unit deploys to Fort Lewis, Washington, on March 26. From there, the unit will likely end up in the Persian Gulf.
Josh leaves a wife and five-year-old son behind.
As a combat engineer, Specialist Reid "builds bridges and knows how to blow 'em up," said his mother Lynn Reid of Sisters.
She and her husband Ted have seen their son off into a danger zone before. He deployed twice to Kuwait while on active duty in the army. During his second deployment after the Persian Gulf War, his unit was fired upon by Iraqis.
Still, deployment in wartime is something new.
"This is different, a little more intense," said Ted. "This has got us a little more worried. You never want to see your children in that situation."
Both parents have some reservations about going to war against Iraq, but they back their son 100 percent.
"I support our troops," Lynn said. "I'm not so sure I support the idea of the war, but I do support the men and women who are over there doing their job."
Ted said he is proud of his son and all the troops, especially since they are volunteers. To him, an all-volunteer military is "something to really be proud of."
"There's no draft," he said. "Everyone that's out there wants to be there. I support them more for that."
The 28-year-old is a 1993 Sisters High School graduate, who has lived in Sisters since he was a sixth-grader.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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