Cadet John Acfalle, University of Texas at San Antonio, 2nd Regiment, Advanced Camp, is a father of two chasing his dream of getting a college degree in applied science with a focus in health science.

Acfalle joined the Army at 33 years old as a combat medic. He spent a lot of time in the field to prepare for Combat Training Center rotations, which are a culmination of training events to validate unit readiness. They spent about two weeks a month for 12 months in the field.

Acfalle later joined an airborne infantry unit as a medic on Fort Polk, La., then went to Italy with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. This job allowed him to take care of Soldiers, make sure all their admin data is correct and ensure their training is on point with the Army’s standards.

Eventually, Acfalle was promoted to sergeant and led a platoon in 174th Infantry Brigade as a senior medic. This became his opportunity to lead and guide others. He used the lessons learned in the field to pass on wisdom across five battalions.

Once you become a platoon sergeant or senior medic, you move away from the Soldiers and became more involved in administrative tasks. Although Acfalle enjoyed this leadership role, he saw an opportunity to make his dreams come true and go back to school.

“I’m already doing the planning, operations and intelligence from the medical aspect for FORSCOM units, so I might as well make the transfer (to ROTC) to complete my degree and get back to the Soldiers on the line,” said Acfalle.

Joining ROTC, Acfalle has had the opportunity to share his wisdom with younger Cadets and encourage them to push through discomfort during training.

Throughout his experiences, Acfalle traveled all around the world including: Italy, Croatia, Sylvania, Poland, Greece, Germany, Austria, Spain and France.

Going to a new place halfway across the world can be intimidating, but for Acfalle, he missed his kids. When he could call, the time difference would prevent them from contacting each other. Being away from home for extended periods of time with few opportunities to talk was difficult and created a sense of homesickness.

“It brought me closer to the Soldiers and leaders around me, because they are sharing the same experience,” said Acfalle. “It took away that homesick aspect when we created our own little family.”

Being away from the people you love, especially your own kids, is difficult for Acfalle. To cope, he connected with his fellow Soldiers and made invaluable relationships while serving for nine years. Those relationships became his second family and home away from home.