W.H. resident hits a military milestone

Over the past year, West Hempstead resident Ashley Diaz has been hitting several noticeable milestones. After graduating from John Jay College with a degree in criminal justice last year, Diaz became the first in her family to enlist in the military. This year, however, her subsequent milestone is even greater, as she is now the first female cannon crew member in the New York Army National Guard, the military reported last week.

"She saw that as a huge challenge, to want to be part of the first wave of females in the combat arms, said Sgt 1st Class Lewis Swartz.

When she first joined the military, Specialist Diaz was suggested deskwork for her military occupational specialty. “I would not have done that for my regular job,” said Diaz, “I am not going to do that in the Army.”

Swartz then “jokingly” told her they had just opened up a combat position to females who could join the field artillery and serve as a cannon crewmember. “I would love that,” said Diaz, jumping at the opportunity.

“The duties of a cannon crew member are rigorous, a military spokesperson said, and soldiers must be prepared to execute fire missions with little to no notice, 24 hours a day. “They must maintain the standards of precision expected of the field artillery,” said Lt. Col. Peter Mehling, commander of the 1-258th. “The soldiers eat and sleep between fire missions, in harsh conditions, while maintaining security for their position.”

Diaz is part of the first wave of females in the field artillery which began in her battalion in 2008. Sgt. Aleisha Henry has been a field artillery surveyor since 2008, and the unit also has two female artillery lieutenants.

At basic training, Diaz passed with flying colors serving as a platoon guide and student platoon leader for most of the cycle. She also scored a 280 out of 300 on her physical fitness test. At advanced individual training when Diaz was trained on a 155mm M109 Paladins cannon, she knew field artillery was the place for her.

For a woman entering the world of being a cannon crewmember, the biggest challenge is loading the rounds for the cannons. At advanced training, Diaz was required to load and unload a round 15 times in 15 minutes. The first time, she dropped a round on her foot, which slowed her down. The second time she completed the task in 8 minutes and 30 seconds.

“I like that rush you get when you pull the string,” said Diaz referring to the lanyard which fires the cannon.

“Spc. Diaz will fit right into the battery because she has earned the MOS 13B by meeting and exceeding the standards at Fort Sill,” said Mehling.

Even though she just joined her unit in June, Diaz is thinking about applying to Officer Candidate School, or perhaps becoming a drill sergeant.