By Robin Thomas
Correspondent
February 26, 2008 06:47 am MERRIMAC — Stephen Adam Ringuette was deployed to Iraq last fall with the 972nd Military Police Company in the Army National Guard. A former part-time reserve officer with the Merrimac Police Department, the 23-year-old Ringuette expects to be overseas for nine months to a year, but "You never know how things could change in the theater of operations," he said via e-mail recently. "(Ringuette and his fellow soldiers) can be called at any time to go (off base) and do what we need to do," Ringuette wrote. "We eat at the normal times if possible, and we are keeping in shape by doing physical training, trying to keep everything on a schedule as much as possible. A typical day here is kind of an off-and-on kind of thing, and everything depends on what mission we are given." Ringuette is the son of Stephen Michael Ringuette, a full-time officer with the Merrimac Police Department for 20 years, and Linda Ringuette. The younger Ringuette said he stays "focused on the mission" by understanding that his "purpose in Iraq is that the commander-in-chief and the governor of Massachusetts feel that we need to be here and that we have a mission to do. We do it to the best of our ability, and we do it until the job is done." Ringuette acknowledged that his job as gunner "can get a little nerve-wracking, but it keeps me alert and ready to react to anything that might happen during our mission." He is part of a three-person team that includes a gunner, driver and team leader. Nevertheless, he believes he has "the best job that I could be doing over here. I am able to view more than everyone else who is in the truck with me and it gives me a different look at the country as we are conducting our operations." In his contact with Iraqis, both civilian and military, he said, they "have been very friendly and willing to help out when and how they can. Communication can sometimes be a factor, but in the end we always get through what we need to. We have been on the same range as some of the military Iraqis, and they practice some of the same drills we do, so to me it is kind of cool to know that they have some good training behind them." With his recreational time, Ringuette said he does "what most normal people in life would do by listening to music or playing video games, as well as cards and sports. Anything to keep ourselves occupied and relaxed while we are in between missions. There are a lot of good people here to sit and have a good conversation with, as well to help you relax and talk about anything that might be bothering you." Ringuette is proud of many things, including "that no one has gotten hurt, and being able to go from normal civilian life to going right into Iraq and doing the job that we were tasked out to do." He is also pleased with his Christmas Day promotion to specialist (a position formerly known as corporal). "It feels good to move up on the ladder to a higher rank. The military is based on rank, so it is nice to be able to start getting higher up. I had to work hard for it, so to me it was a big deal. It does feel good, and I know it makes my family proud." Ringuette's message to soldiers heading off to the war in Iraq is to remember that "They will be part of something to help improve the country through their mission. There are a lot of good things happening here. Pay attention to your training, and once you have learned that, and it is instilled in you, then you will not hesitate to do what you need to, and everything comes as a secondhand nature."
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