Staff Writer
A combat engineer’s job is to help with construction, or destruction, of bridges or roads. The majority of their time is spent finding and destroying land mines, or improvised explosive devices, so troops will have a safe road to their mission.
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| Sgt. 1st Class Donald Salladay is a drill sergeant with Co. B 1/46th Inf. Photo by Chen Wang |
“I was a brand new private. Right before we deployed to Bosnia they trained me on the weekends, countless times, on the old mine detector system,” the Los Angeles native said. “Nobody would have even thought I would have been in a live mine field, but I found myself in multiple mine fields.”
He was deployed 10 months his first time to Bosnia and more than three months the second time.
Salladay’s last deployment was Iraq. He said it was his most memorable because of the intensity of the combat situation.
“We had good technology, so we were pretty safe,” he said, of looking for IEDs in Iraq.
Salladay and his comrades knew of the dangers present, but they were not afraid of looking for IEDs.
“We were proud when we did find one for multiple reasons. For one it’s a thrill. Anothor one, is it’s a self-accomplishment when you’re saving lives because we found it before someone else did,” he said.
After Iraq, the Army called on Salladay for drill sergeant school.
“It’s a challenge. I like challenges, it’s another way to progress myself,” he said.
He said he enjoys teaching, because he gets to see the progression of civilians into Soldiers.
Instilling the Army Values is the most important thing for Cadets to learn, Salladay said.
“If you don't start there, everything is going to fall short,” he said
Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Max, a fellow drill sergeant, has been working with Salladay for 17 months and called him a hard-worker.
“He never stops and always motivates,” Max said.
Salladay said he enjoys teaching Cadets.
“Sometimes they are more able to adapt to learn the system,” he said
Salladay said when Cadets mess up, whether it’s their fault or not, he takes it personal. He puts the weight on his shoulders because he wants the best for them.
“He never quits and never accepts failure, no matter what goes on, even if it’s not his fault,” Max said. “He’ll help out anybody he’ll do anything for you if you ever need it.”
Salladay will be leaving his role as a drill sergeant after Co. A. 1/46th Inf. (Co.7.) After five basic and two LTC cycles, he is headed to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii for his next assignment.