Bostian assigned to Iraq

For junior Brian Bostian, Oct. 5 will be an unforgettable day.

It’ll be the first major deployment for the U.S. Army reservist. And it’ll be to Iraq.

“I’ve been getting advice from veterans,” said Bostian. “They’ve said it’s normal to be nervous.”

Bostian’s interest in the military came after doing an ROTC class through Wesleyan in January 2002.

The semester had not even ended before he decided to officially sign up for the Army Reserves in April 2002.

His training schedule interrupted his school schedule that year. Instead of being able to go to basic training in the summer, Bostian went to Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. in Sept. 2002 for nine weeks. Following basic training, he went to A.I.T. or Advanced Individual Training school at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga. He did not plan on having to leave Wesleyan for a year.

“When I signed up, I initially thought about splitting it up, doing basic training one summer and then going to the school the next summer,” said Bostian. “They said that couldn’t happen because the school I wanted to go to was four-and-a-half months.”

Currently, Bostian works as a signal support system specialist. Currently ranked as Specalist, he looks to attain Sergeant within the next week.

However, his job in Iraq won’t be the same as what he has been trained to do.

He’s been trained to work with communications. In Iraq, he’ll be working in administration, processing paperwork for the soldiers.

He knows of several comrades who have gone to Iraq.

Some of those have been people he graduated with from basic training and A.I.T. school.

They were re-classed to do things that they weren’t initially trained for, such as being MPs or truck drivers.

But that comes with the duty of being in Iraq.

“It’s whatever the army needs,” said Bostian.

The next year or so remain uncertain for Bostian.

But the certainty of returning to Wesleyan once he returns from Iraq is clear.

“I’m definitely coming back after the tour,” he said. “What keeps a guy alive are the things that matter—family, friends, a girl back home. That kind of thing.”

Throughout his army career, there is only thing that he tells people with whom he serves.

He doesn’t care if they remember his face or who he was.

The former common area and beach volleyball court are being relocated.

He just tells them to keep one quote in mind:

“Follow your heart, pursue your dreams…no matter what.”