Oregon National Guard Staff Sgt. Aaron Cochran had the chance to relax with his friends one last time this winter break before his expected departure to Iraq in February.
But unlike the nearly 70 other Guard members from Eugene whose lives were changed by deployment in October, Cochran chose to put his life on hold and follow his friends into active duty.
The troops have been training in Fort Hood, Texas, since October, and they may be gone for up to two years once they leave for Iraq.
Cochran, 28, would have started his fifth year at the University this fall as a business major, but instead he said he volunteered to remain with his unit when it was called to active duty. Cochran is a member of the Charlie Company’s 2nd Platoon of the Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry.
Even though Cochran has served in the Guard for the past two years as a contracted member of the University’s ROTC program, he said he was initially not allowed to join other guardsmen preparing to go to Iraq because the purpose of ROTC is to train commissioned officers for service after they complete their education.
He said he tried to find loopholes in the system, but in the end he realized he would have to leave ROTC. After getting confirmation from the Guard that he would be allowed to go to Iraq, he dropped his University classes before fall term began and left the ROTC program.
“That was the only way that he could volunteer,” University military science Professor Lt. Col. John Sneed said.
He said Cochran’s choice to leave the program was unusual, but he understands the decision.
“He had established pretty strong bonds with the soldiers in his National Guard unit,” Sneed said, adding that he would have liked to see Cochran finish up his last two terms and become a commissioned officer.
Cochran’s friends say his decision to volunteer was a brave choice.
University senior Justin Hinds, who is an ROTC cadet, said Cochran felt he needed to remain with his unit.
“He would always regret it if he didn’t go, especially if any of them didn’t come back,” he said. “He’s such good friends with all of them.”
Cochran said his decision had nothing to do with his opinion on the war. When he chose to volunteer, he was thinking of his battalion.
“It’s like if they deploy and I just choose to stay here because I know I can, it’s like I’m leaving all my friends, and I’m letting all of them down,” he said.
Cochran, who also served in the Army for four years prior to moving to Eugene, has spent the past couple of months training in simulated situations he can expect to encounter in Iraq. He spends 12 to 15 hours a day learning tasks, such as how to perform route clearances for supply convoys.
Cochran said training was disorganized when he first got to Texas and there were problems with supplies, but the media has exaggerated the treatment of the Guard unit.
“In the beginning it was kind of disorganized, but then at the end everybody got things together and it turned out real well,” he said.
The guardsmen returned home for the holidays for about 10 days in December. Although his family is in New York, Cochran said he chose to spend his free time in Eugene because it would have been too emotional to say goodbye again.
“It also makes it easier for them to accept me going to Iraq and it makes it easier for me,” he said. “This way is easier because I don’t really see them again until everything’s done and said with.”
Cochran said some days in training are harder than others, but he tries to push negative thoughts out of his mind.
“You do have your good days and your bad days,” he said. “We’re still not there yet. You know, we’re still safe, we’re still in Texas, we’re still just training for it.”
Cochran said each day of training depends on what kind of mood everyone else is in, but he tries to remember “the next day’s a different day,” and he has no regrets about his decision to volunteer.
“I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do,” he said.