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Soldier sets the bar by touching lives

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Derek M. Smith
  • 326th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, USAR
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Recognition is sought by many, cursed by some and achieved by few. For 1st Lt. Juan Salas, 1st Battalion, 322nd Logistics Support Regiment, it is an opportunity to raise the bar and approach upcoming challenges with humble fervor.

Salas was recently named "Liberty USO Service Member of the Year." The United Services Organization of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey is the joint base local affiliate. The annual award honors one member from each of the five branches of the Armed Services as an outstanding member of their respective service.
Salas moved to the United States from Venezuela with his family when he was a child. He enlisted in the Army Reserves in his freshman year at Manhattanville University in Purchase, N.Y. where he earned his degree in business management.

The transportation officer currently serves as the Logistics officer-in-charge of 1st Battalion, 322nd Regiment, 72nd Field Artillery Brigade and oversees vehicle and equipment familiarization and training for units mobilizing and deploying via Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

"We are just a little piece of the big pie when these guys come through," dismissed Salas.

In addition to his regular duties, the White Plains, N.Y. resident also serves the unit as its Family Readiness Group coordinator. His wife, Massiel serves as an FRG leader back in White Plains where she cares for their one-year-old son, Arturo.

"She's great," said Salas. "She really supports me and the Soldiers. I couldn't do half of what I do without her supporting me."

These duties, assigned and volunteered, are just the tip of the large iceberg of Salas' service. After deployment to Iraq as a Civil Affairs specialist in 2004, Salas established the "My Soldier" program through Manhattanville University. This adopt-a-soldier organization pairs people from all over the country with deployed service members.

"The program encourages participants to share their time and hearts with their 'pen-pal' Soldiers deployed to hardship areas though letters and care packages," Salas explained. "It's been very rewarding."

The Manhattanville My Soldier program involved more than 450,000 participants and 175,000 Soldiers during its existence. This combined with the Iraqi people he encountered during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the countless number of service members deployed through Fort Dix who have benefited from his unit's training and preparation has left a staggering figure of lives touched by the efforts of one man.
Salas is scheduled to receive his USO award October 1 at the USO Gala in Philadelphia. Although this is recognition of his achievements, work and determination, Salas does not regard it as a culmination and end-result of his efforts. It is merely another step in life's journey.

"It's just more reason to set the bar higher," explained Salas. "People can start to expect more when you get something like this (award). So I expect more of myself."

Salas approaches the future with a zeal not often seen. When it comes to personal goals, Soldiers needs or unit goals, he approaches each with the same focus. When asked why he was chosen amongst all other applicants for the USO Soldier of the year award, he offered the simplest of answers.

"Maybe they saw something (in me)," Salas said with a shrug.

With the thousands touched by his actions, it's a safe bet that the USO award's selection committee members weren't the only ones.