Today, Archer is a private first class who recently completed combat training here, as he prepares to deploy to Iraq with his California Army National Guard unit.Archer, a Placerville, Calif., native, is part of the 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion based in Benicia, Calif. He also is a student who temporarily left his textbooks at Folsom Lake College, Calif., to deploy to Iraq. “What I am learning here at Fort Hood is very different than what I learned in college,â€Â he said. Archer serves as a transportation management specialist in his logistics unit, but his commander chose him to serve on the commander’s personal security detachment. Archer’s weeks of training here went back and forth between logistics and combat as he and other soldiers in his unit prepared for deployment. “The personal security detail training prepares us for almost anything that can happen,â€Â he said. “When bullets start flying and bombs start going off, you need that muscle memory training to rely on.â€Â His training -– provided by 1st Army Division West, the unit responsible for training National Guard and Reserve soldiers for overseas missions -– included infantry skills such as weapons training and counter-improvised explosive device training. The 749th CSSB is a logistics unit that maintains vehicles used to move supplies and equipment in and out of Iraq. Due to the projected shrinking of the Army’s area of operations in Iraq, he said, his unit will be busy helping relocate soldiers and equipment throughout his deployment in Iraq. This is Archer’s second combat deployment. He also served four years on active duty in the Marine Corps before he left for a life as full-time college student and part-time Guard soldier. Jan. 11, 2011: By Army Capt. Marvin J. Baker- 120th Infantry Brigade, Division West, Public Affairs

Olsen, a member of the U.S. bobsled team since 2007, enlisted here Jan. 6."I already represent my country," he said. "Now I have an opportunity to serve and represent my country at the same time."Olsen will train as a human resource specialist for the Joint Force Headquarters after this season's World Cup ends. Once he completes his individual entry training, Olsen plans to apply for the Army World Class Athlete Program, which provides outstanding soldier-athletes with support and training to compete in national and international competitions while maintaining a professional military career and promoting the Army to the world. "I hope to be selected and, as a soldier-athlete, I hope that I can give back as much to the program as they are giving me,â€Â Olsen said. “My plans are to continue to earn medals and make a name for my sport and the program.â€Â Olsen began thinking about the National Guard when his fellow USA Bobsled teammate Mike Kohn, who was then a sergeant in the Virginia Army National Guard, told him about the Army National Guard and the World Class Athlete Program. "He just sat me down and talked to me about it and said, 'Think about what you want to do with the sport and what you want to do with your career,'" Olsen said. "I've thought about it for a long time, and now is the right time for me." Olsen made the World Cup team in his first season and became one of the nation's top bobsledders. He is one of two pushers on the four-man team. In 2008, Olsen earned a spot on sled USA 1 with driver Steven Holcomb, winning two silver and two bronze medals in the first half of the World Cup tour. He also helped to push Holcomb to a first-place finish at the 2009 National Championships for four-man and a silver medal at the inaugural World Cup in Whistler, Canada. At the 2009 World Championships, Olsen teamed with Holcomb again to win gold in the four-man and a Gold Medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics. "The wealth and strength of the New York Army National Guard comes from the longstanding tradition of talent, abilities and dedication of our service members,â€Â said Lt. Col. Steve Rowe, commander of the New York Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Command. “As a world-class athlete, Justin has distinguished himself as the best of the best and brings to us those exact talents and desire to serve, that we look for in any of our soldiers,â€Â Rowe continued. "It's great to have someone who has already represented his country so well and we look forward to the contributions he will continue to make in his service in the nation and the Guard." Selection for the Army World Class Athlete program is open to members of the active Army, Army Reserve and National Guard who compete in an Olympic sport and have maintained good military standing. National Guard soldiers selected are brought on active duty, and their performance is monitored for selection and attendance to required military schools to ensure they remain competitive with their military counterparts. Since the program's inception in 1997, 40 soldier-athletes have participated in the summer and winter Olympic Games, winning gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals. Since 1948, 615 Army soldiers have represented the United States at the summer and winter Olympics as athletes and coaches, earning 142 medals in a variety of sports, including bobsled, track and field, wrestling, boxing and shooting. Jan. 10, 2011: By Army Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo- New York National Guard

Stowe, of Elkmont, Ala., joined the Army in June 2008 and attended basic and advanced individual training as a human resources specialist at Fort Jackson, S.C.He has deployed twice since his enlistment. He spent seven months in Iraq and now is deployed to Forward Operating Base Shank here with Task Force Knighthawk, assigned to the 10th Mountain Division’s 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. But this is where his story becomes a little bit different: Stowe’s musical ambitions have led him to a recording contract in the Christian Contemporary genre after he simply had sought some feedback. “I sent my song to them, not really looking for a contract so much,â€Â he explained. “I was really hoping for a critique and just wanting to know what they would think.â€Â In June, Stowe got a phone call in which executives offered him a recording contract. “I was a bit overjoyed,â€Â he recalled, “then a little disappointed, because we were about to deploy.â€Â The company’s executives decided they were willing to wait. “They told me we could start recording once I returned,â€Â Stowe said, “so it looks like [in] November or December … I’ll take some leave and start recording.â€Â Stowe is not alone in his endeavor. As the lead singer of his group, Sanctify Me, his band includes his younger brother Johnathan on bass and school friend Brittany Gibson on guitar. The trio has played together since high school. “I can play drums and sing when we record, and I’ll play the keyboard when applicable,â€Â he said. He laughed as he recalled the moment when his band and family reacted to the news. “They were very happy and excited, of course. They were almost more overjoyed than I was.â€Â Stowe credits his wife, Evelyn, and the rest of his family in Elkmont as the sustaining factor for his music and ambitions. “I have awesome support with everything. … You know, this is our dream,â€Â he said. The dream began during his sophomore year of high school. Stowe was given his first instrument, a white First Act electric guitar. He quickly discovered his natural affinity for music by teaching himself to play the guitar, along with picking up the drums, keyboard and bass soon after. Creating a band was a natural evolution. Stowe said he enjoys the camaraderie and support of his unit and looks to their continued backing as he moves forward with his music. The soft-spoken soldier said his fellow troops encourage his musical aspirations. “They support me,â€Â he said. “They keep my morale up.â€Â At the prompting of his co-workers, Stowe works on his lyrics and sharpens his skills with several instruments available at the local chapel and, at times, in the office. “I do it because they ask me to and for their morale,â€Â he explained Army Spc. Nicholas MacAlpin, Task Force Knighthawk chaplain assistant, said his friend’s goal of succeeding in contemporary Christian music is a no-fail aspiration. “He is the most amazing guy I have ever known in my life,â€Â said MacAlpin, a native of Painesville, Ohio. “He is a man who encompasses the Army values, and his music surpasses most artists for his age.â€Â Jan. 7, 2011: By Army Sgt. Janell Emerson- 10th Combat Aviation Brigade

Lance Cpl. Christopher L. Burkhart, a diesel mechanic with Regimental Combat Team 2, grew up working on four-wheelers and trucks, and now he works on every type of vehicle the Marine Corps has to offer.“I got my first four-wheeler when I was 5, and I have been tinkering with and fixing things ever since,â€Â he said. Burkhart said his grandfather, Milton, and his brother, Jeremy, were big influences in his life. Both of them loved working on vehicles, and Burkhart grew up learning and working with them. Burkhart and his mother, Deb, worked on a 1981 Toyota pickup truck together. It was his mother’s first truck, he said, and the oldest truck he has worked on. “My mom and I took pride in it together,â€Â he said. The newest civilian vehicle he’s worked on is his 2005 Dodge Ram. So far, he said, he has added an exhaust system, bigger tires, a new head unit and a stereo system. “It’s cool to see how far we’ve come in vehicle technology,â€Â he said. As he nears the end of his first deployment to Afghanistan, Burkhart has worked on every type of vehicle and heavy equipment in the Marine Corps inventory. His favorite: the all-terrain version of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle. “They are easy to work on, and it’s the newest thing to come out in the Marine Corps,â€Â he said. “I love learning everything there is to know about the new vehicles.â€Â The job provides plenty of satisfaction. “There is nothing better than getting a truck that doesn’t run, then being able to take it out for a road test because I fixed it,â€Â Burkhart said. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Edward V. Miuccio, who has known Burkhart since he settled in at Camp Lejeune, N.C., about a year and a half ago, said that he can tell Burkhart is motivated just by his attitude and confidence while at work. “He is energetic and enjoys his job,â€Â Miuccio, a line noncommissioned officer. “We work together to fix the trucks on the lot.â€Â Burkhart, who plans on separating when his active-duty commitment ends, said he wants to work on the sustainment team for the company that supplies the M-ATVs to the Marine Corps and sends technicians to work with Marines to resolve any issues with the vehicles in the deployed environment. “[They] are very helpful, friendly people,â€Â said Burkhart. “I’d be able to concentrate on just the M-ATV instead of the other vehicles here.â€Â On his off hours, Burkhart is easy-going and hangs out with his co-workers. Miuccio said one of his favorite memories of him and Burkhart is staying up on Christmas playing video games until 2 in the morning, just laughing and relaxing. “He is a good guy and would give the shirt off his back for any of his friends,â€Â Miuccio said. “I’d trust him with my life.â€Â Jan. 6, 2011: By Marine Corps Cpl. Megan Sindelar- Regional Command Southwest