Honoring Those Currently Serving
Submitted by Michael T. Naya, Jr. (2023)
Kenilworth resident Private First Class Nicolas Soriano, David Brearley Class of 2021 is currently serving in the 46th Engineer Battalion, 524th Firefighter Detachment, U.S. Army. Soriano enlisted in February, 2021 and was shipped out on July 19, 2021. He attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he was then San Angelo, Texas for training as a 12M (firefighter).
When asked about why he enlisted he stated, “I enlisted in order to better my physical and mental health. I wanted to get a head start on my firefighter career and get ahead of my financial challenges.”
According to Soriano he is one of eight active duty firefighters currently stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Fort Polk, soon to be named Fort Johnson, will serve as his primary station for the next three and a half years.
When asked about his plans after graduation he stated, “I will be discharged in 2026 and want to work for the Department of Defense in a federal firefighting job.”
In addition to this he offered advice to those looking into enlisting in the military, “Take it day by day, jump in head first and see how you do. My first night as a basic I was nervous but throughout my career I became more and more relaxed. My mentality started to get better and I was focused on what I wanted and needed to do.”
He said that his short term goal is to become a non-commissioned officer and attend air assault training. A long term goal of his is to attend sapper training and move to South Carolina where he will seek employment.
Kenilworth residents such as Nicolas show that one can have an impact on their community, their country, and nationally by serving in the U.S. Military.
This is part II of an ongoing series honoring those currently serving in the U.S. military from Kenilworth. If anybody knows of those currently serving they should contact Michael T. Naya, Jr. at 732-986-7768.
