Soldier hangs up his boots

Some people join the military for four years as a stepping-stone to college or other career endeavors.

Others, like Louis Anthony Aguilar, give decades of service to their country and, in the process, make it a way of life.

In one month, Aguilar will retire from the Army, a place he has called home since he was 17 years old. And although he will soon be leaving his “home,” he will be taking a big part of it with him — the knowledge and work ethic that got him through those many years of service.

Born and raised in Gonzales, Aguilar graduated from Gonzales High School in 1988. He then pursued further academic studies at Texas State University where he ran cross-country for three years.

Aguilar, 44, has amassed some 27 years in the military, serving in the Texas Army National Guard from June 1987 to November 1994, and in the US Army from December 1994 to August 2014. He eventually attained the rank of First Sergeant. Aguilar says he yearned to be a soldier as far back as grade school.

My dad, Victor Aguilar was in the Texas Army National Guard for as long as I could remember,” he said. “I remember in second grade, when my teacher asked us to draw a picture of what we wanted to be when we grew up, I drew a picture of me on a tank. I told the teacher I wanted to be a soldier when I grew up.”

“My brother, Victor J. Aguilar, also joined the National Guard five years before me, so when I turned 17 my junior year of high school I immediately signed up,” he said. “I actually attended basic training between my junior and senior year under the split option program.”

Aguilar says his dad and brother retired from the military a little more than five years ago, and that he will officially retire from the Army this August.

“Between my dad, brother and me we have 75 years of military service,” he said. “That is something I am very proud of.”

He has been deployed to a combat zone three times: The first deployment, from March 2004 to March 2005, was to Camp Cooke, Taji, Iraq.  

“I operated the largest supply warehouse in Iraq,” he said. “My unit was responsible for receiving, issuing and storing repair parts for both air and ground vehicles.”

Aguilar was next assigned to a military transition team in 2008 where he was deployed again for a year — this time to India Base, a small base outside of Mosul.

“As a combat advisor I was embedded with the 2nd Iraqi Army Division where my team of 10 soldiers advised the key leadership on logistics,” he said.

Aguilar’s final deployment was to Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2011, where he was assigned as the senior enlisted member of a property accountability team.

“I traveled the entire Area of Operations inspecting the many units’ inventory records to ensure property was not ending up in the black market,” he said, “and that the commanders were aware if any property was missing.”

Aguilar remembers a particular experience from which he learned a lot, specifically when he deployed to Iraq the first time in 2004.

“During this time I had just taken over the 1st Cavalry Division’s main warehouse,” he said. “There were many things being done in combat that had not been done before.  We learned to become effective and efficient on the go.”

Aguilar ran a 24-hour operation and would go days without sleep to ensure parts were getting processed.  

“We had to treat every single part with equal importance, that one part could be the difference between making an Apache helicopter operational, or something for an infantryman on combat patrols,” he said.

After giving over two-and-a-half decades of his life to the country he loves, Aguilar has made plans to retire. But he’s still going to find a way to keep himself busy.

“I’m officially placed on the retirement list Sept. 1, 2014,” he said. “Right now I’m out there looking for a job. Hope I’ll find one soon!”

When it comes to the domestic side of life — the part Aguilar loves the most — he’s more than happy to tell us about those nearest and dearest.

“I’m married to Tracy Medina of Seguin. She and I met in January of 1994, married in October 1994 and will celebrate our 20-year anniversary this year.

The couple have two sons — and a grandchild on the way.

“I have two boys, Michael, who is 22 and Jeran at age 12.  Michael was recently married in November, and we’re expecting our first granddaughter soon.”

A devout fitness enthusiast, it should come as no surprise that Aguilar’s biggest interests are running and weightlifting.

“I’m currently working on completing my Bachelor of Science degree in Sports and Health Science,” he said. “And I just recently received a scholarship from the American Council of Exercise to become a personal trainer.”

While Aguilar believes that anyone can be successful in the military, he also feels they have to put maximum effort into what they do.  

“The groundwork has already been laid to succeed, but if an individual is not willing to follow the appropriate steps, they will not be successful,” he said. “Although the military provides for soldiers and their families, it is not for everyone.  The family has to be strong as a whole; there are many times that soldiers are away from their loved ones.  I tell everyone that I come across that wants to join, always have a positive attitude and there have been many men and women that have served before us, if they were able to do it, so can you.”