We leave the early fall and
warmth of Fort Gordon, Georgia and return here to Pennsylvania with its
colorful fall leaves and brisk coolness and the 28TH Infantry
Division (ID). The 28TH ID is
an integral part of our nation’s defense and only one of eight Divisions within
this nation’s National Guard units.
Walking down the colorful, tree
lined Philadelphia Avenue of Boyertown this fall, you may come across a slight
young woman, with long &flowing blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. At 5’ 1 ¼”, and weighing only 102 pounds,
Private First Class (PFC) Alaina Dutill counts every fraction of her height.
I recently sat down over hoagies
with this 2012 graduate of Boyertown High School. Nineteen year old Alaina was with her fiancée,
another member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. She was originally from Gilbertsville and
presently lives in Allentown where she attends community college. She is studying Radiology, following her
studies of Radiography at technical school while attending high school.
A caring person, Alaina is a
caregiver at Chestnut Knoll. This is
where what we think we know about Alaina ends. I asked her about her military occupational
specialty (MOS). She responded with a
smile... “91 foxtrot.”
I continued my questioning. “What is 91 foxtrot?”
She responded, “Small arms and
artillery repair.”
Our conversation grew more
interesting from this point forward. She
told me she joined the military for physical training (PT) and shooting. When most troops within the U.S. Army can get
a maximum of 300 points on a physical fitness test, Alaina scores 342. Her favorite weapon to shoot, within the U.S.
Army’s vast arsenal, is the squad automatic weapon (SAW). Her favorite weapon within civilian life is
the AK-47.
This is not a fluke, Alaina is
an expert in the repair of the Berretta M9, Remington 870, M4 carbine, M16, M24B,
M249 SAW, Mark XIX Desert Eagle, M2 Browning, M107 Barrett sniper rifle,
various mortars, and the M777 lightweight howitzer.
While seeing her striding along
these cold sidewalks of Boyertown, you may also find her with her black duffle
bag walking toward the local Karate studio where she holds a black belt. She is currently working toward her second
degree, and instructs as well. On her
down time, she either skateboards or snowboards.
Alaina’s father is an
electrician. Her sister, Kara, is 13 and
loves horses. Even though she says she
is the total opposite of her sister, she still feels close to her. With Christmas around the corner at the time
of this interview, I light-heartedly asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She had to think a long time when she humbly
said, “a touch screen laptop.” Again,
that smile of hers gave me pause as I smiled quietly myself.
Alaina, if I had it to give, I
would personally see to it that the laptop make it under your tree. Maybe Santa has plans... for the slight and
the mighty.
