Home » Archives » "Tech Loves History, and Makes It, Too"

Tech Loves History, and Makes It, Too

Jul- 5-2006 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

Written by Spc. Rich Vogt

TAL AFAR, Iraq (June 20, 2006) -- Specialist Jeremiah Zumsteg was not sure what he was getting into when he joined the Army. Most of his family had gone into the Air Force. He had no way of knowing that he would carve out a spot in history for himself and make a lifetime’s worth of memories in one year in the middle east.

A native of Modesto, Ca., Zumsteg had all of the paper work filled out in order for him to join the Air Force but joined the Army instead. He is a dental technician with the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, a unit that is part of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

“I got into dentistry because my whole family is pretty much medical.” Zumsteg said. “My step-dad’s a [Physician’s Assistant], my mom’s an RN, and my brother went to 91 Whiskey [combat medic]. I said, ‘I’ll try dental.’”

Zumsteg’s choice has given him many experiences as the 172nd SBCT is in its tenth month of supporting of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“Dental techs don’t deploy as combat medics,” he said. “If they do, they don’t travel to the Combat Out Base’s and Forward Operating Base’s. They stay in an office.”

Staying in an office does not give Soldiers that many stories to tell. Some Soldiers get to fly in blackhawks or a Marine Sea Stallion. Many can never say they have ridden in a Stryker combat vehicle. Those are some of the stories that Zumsteg plans on telling his friends when he returns home to the states.

Zumsteg has carved out his own niche in the history books. He was the first and will be the last dental technician for the brigade, which is being reorganized into the 25th Infantry Division after the Soldiers return to Alaska.

“I am the first dental technician in the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and upon redeployment in 6 weeks, (who’s counting?), I believe we are doing a change of unit ceremony where our Brigade patch will be retired and we convert to the 25th Infantry Division,” he said.

Zumsteg said he is going to wear the 172nd Stryker patch because it has a lot of history behind it. It’s actually a big honor. This is my first duty station. I came into the unit as the only brigade dental tech.

“It’s been an honor knowing that I can look at the flag when I’m older and my grandchildren can look at it and I’ll say, that was the 172nd SBCT and I was the only dental tech in that unit’s history. It’s was an honor to be with the unit, especially since these people, the 172nd people, have been really good. People come from various parts of the United States, and the world, to serve in the Army.”


Advertisements