2009 Galena grad Dakota Walker is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan

It has been a long haul for Galena’s Dakota Walker since he graduated high school last year.
Even as early as his freshman year at Galena High School, Walker knew just what his future had in store.
“I’ve always wanted to join the military,” Walker said. “I actually wanted to be a Marine, but I found out that I wanted to join the Army.”
So, to the U.S. Army he went and now, Walker is on the verge of deploying to Afghanistan.
He is currently awaiting his deployment at Fort Carson in Colorado, and he has reflected on being a three-sport athlete at Galena to preparing to head to Afghanistan with the 1st Battallion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
“It is kind of good to get out and see all the different places around,” Walker said. “It is kind of crazy to get out and see everything.
“Being from there, you are kind of sheltered from a lot of things.”
Walker’s tour, which begins later this month, will last for seven months because his unit shipped out while he was still in basic training at Fort Benning, Ga.
And, like any new soldier, Walker has the nerves of going on his first deployment.
“I’m excited and a little nervous,” Walker said. “I’m ready for it and I have trained for it, but no matter what there is always that fear on your first deployment.
“I am going to combat, so I am scared.”

Family
One bright spot for Walker is that his older brother, Cody, is already deployed with the 10th Combat Hospital — also out of Fort Carson, Colo. — at Camp Victory in Baghdad.
That means that big brother has been able to teach a little to little brother about what it is like to deploy to a theater of action.
“Patience, to believe in your training and put the things you have learned into everyday work, and you will come home soon,” Cody said, via e-mail from Baghdad. “I tell him while the job is dangerous, thousands of young men like him and I have gone to war and came home safe.”
That has given Dakota some sense of relief as he heads to Afghanistan.
“He is a good soldier and he is squared away,” Dakota said. “It is hard to be away and he taught me to stay strong and he has helped me with things like that.”
If anyone knows of the difficulty of being deployed 8,000 miles from home, it is Cody.
Cody has been in Iraq for the last year and has missed a year with his daughter as well as his immediate family.
So, his insight has been crucial in a tough time for his little brother.
“It's difficult at times to keep up with all of the changes going on back home while you are 8,000 miles away,” Cody said. “I have a great family who got things done for me when I needed things done. I have the best support possible from family.”
In fact, during his mid-tour leave, Cody returned to the United States and saw Dakota graduate from basic training in Georgia.

Marching Orders
Dakota, a three-sport athlete through his sophomore year, elected to stop playing football after that and just concentrate on basketball and baseball.
That was in large part to the fact that he suffered a serious back injury during his sophomore football season.
“I didn’t want to ruin my military career, so I just stopped playing football,” Dakota said.
Over the course of his junior and senior seasons, Dakota excelled at both basketball and baseball and has used that to his advantage in the military.
“Sports ties into the military a lot especially when you rely on the guy next to you,” Dakota said. “You go over things over and over until you have it down so, when it is game time or time for a mission, you know just what you have to do.”

Seeing Him Off
By having his brother already deployed in Iraq, there is one big surprise that is in the works regarding Dakota and Cody.
Because Cody will be returning to Fort Carson just days after Dakota arrives in theater, there is the possibility that the two may cross paths and actually meet in Kuwait, once Dakota arrives.
“He talked to a Sargeant Major that he knows and they are trying to find a way for us to meet,” Dakota said.
That is another sense of relief for the brothers that are stationed at the same base in Colorado but have not seen each other since Dakota graduated from basic training several months ago.
“I’m sure at a time like that it will mean a lot to him as well since its normal to be nervous, and scared about going over seas to war. I hope seeing each other will relax his mind,” Cody said. “You never know when it could be the last time you get to see somebody so we are going to make the most of it [time in Kuwait together]. I have only seen him for 36 hrs in the last 13 months. I look forward to seeing him in Kuwait more than I do going home.”
Seeing his brother may also help with the fear factor of Dakota’s deployment.
“I really haven’t done that yet,” Dakota said. “There have been guys that have talked about it and once it starts to happen, your training really kicks in and you do what you are trained to do.”

Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140. Follow Morning Sun sports at twitter.com/mssports