By John Montesano
The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club has named Jorge Arciniega the June Veteran of the Month.
He was born May 8, 1984 in East Los Angeles, Calif.. Except for living in Los Angeles for sixth and seventh grades, he lived with his sisters in Chicago and Chicago area from third grade through his graduation from Morton East High School in Cicero. Jorge gives credit to his sisters with successfully raising him. They kept him in check. He had four jobs, which forced him to grow up, learn to care for himself, and understand the benefits of hard work.
He excelled at soccer. He tried out and was named to the Illinois Olympic Soccer team, but was not immediately notified of his acceptance. In the meantime, in June 2002, Jorge reported to the Marines. He had signed up in September 2001, and began his training to be a radio operator. It wasn’t until after completing his training that he finally received the acceptance letter from the Olympic Committee. By then, it was too late. Fate had decided that Jorge was to be a Marine.
As a radio operator, Jorge was assigned to different units during his service:
• First deployment: March 2003 through December 2003 at Nasiriyah and Diwaniyah, Iraq in Transportation and Combat Support Groups. Duties included 50 cal operator on missions; security guard; burn pit.
• Second deployment: June 2004 through March 2005 at Camp KV near Ar Rutbah, Iraq: in a Service Support Group MSSG1/5; radio operator at Battalion level and on missions; provided and set up radio equipment for vehicles going out on missions.
• Third deployment: early 2006 through early 2007 at Camp KV near Ar Rutbah, Iraq, with Battalion Landing Team (BLT2/4) attached to an infantry/combat unit; Same duties as second deployment, but as a corporal. He had more responsibility for coordinating radio communications.
Early 2008 to May 2011 at Paris Island, South Carolina. Worked as drill instructor.
• Fourth deployment: Mid 2011 through early 2012 Helmand Province, Afghanistan: Radio supervisor, Sergeant E-5.
• Fifth deployment: January 2014 through July 2014 Afghanistan: Radio supervisor.
Jorge was honorably discharged September 8, 2014, as a sergeant, E-5. He was married in 2004 and has two children. He and his wife were divorced in 2019 and by then had earned an associates degree at Waubonsee College and a bachelors degree in public relations and advertising at Lewis University in Romeoville. He is making his way in the job market to find something that will utilize his knowledge and skills.
He shared some thoughts about his service time in Iraq and Afghanistan:
• There are the smells. He never will forget the smell of burning human excrement mixed with an accelerant at the burn pits.
• Having to be constantly on alert. During his first deployment, he and another Marine were in a friendly town when they were surrounded by several adults and children. He didn’t know what they were saying, nor did he know if they would turn hostile. Everything went quiet for the sunset call to prayer. He was so uncomfortable that he loaded his weapon and was ready to shoot. He had no control of the situation. The idea that he was ready to shoot into the crowd if need be was very disturbing. It happened a few times again, but the first time meant so much more.
• Once they were attacked at Camp KV by mortar fire which killed the sergeant major who was in a port-a-john. Jorge saw his body when it was removed. He can never look at a port-a-john without seeing that image.
He said it’s a horrible feeling to go on a mission and someone doesn’t come back, he said.
When he was in charge of sending men out on missions, if they were injured or killed, he would blame himself. It’s not necessarily combat that bothered him. It’s different occurrences that affected him. It’s hard to explain feelings.
He spoke about the positives of being in the Marines. The Marines took talents that he had and brought them out and amplified them. His whole life, he had been trying to do more than everybody else and the Marine Corp allowed him to do that because they allowed him to volunteer when no one else wanted to volunteer. He learned the meaning of brotherhood, commitment, hard work, multi-tasking.