Fox Lane Graduate Brings Soldier Stories Back to Somers Intermediate School

Last Tuesday, Fox Lane High School graduate Jonathan Kelton spoke and presented a slide show before 150 5th graders at the Somers Intermediate School. A lieutenant in the special forces, his unit patrols the border of Pakistan and lays artillery fire to help suppress enemy insurgency into Afghanistan. Not mincing words, the 24 year old Ranger summed up in plain language what the U.S. presence means to the local people.

"The Taliban comes across the border and threatens the people," said Kelton, whose mother Kathleen has taught at the school for two decades.

A Struggle to Stay Sane and Safe

So even though civilians are very receptive to the American presence and its efforts to rebuild, there's a constant struggle for him and his men. Overall, the US soldiers hope that they can hand off their mission to the Afghan National Army. But for now, he told the kids that every single day is like a battle.

Nonetheless, to stay sane and sharp, he and his men try to keep a sense of humor about as many things as they can. Juxtaposing the challenges with laughter, their far away situation can't help but be a typical punch line. “In a place like Afghanistan, everything seems funny,” Kelton joked.

Still, real laughter comes out of interaction with the Afghan children. Since a U.S. presence has been a constant from birth, they usually speak fluent English and are constantly engaged in playful bartering with the troops. Either way, he said, "We give them pretty much whatever they ask for."

Of course, it also helps that the fifth graders at the Intermediate School have done their share to help shorten the distance between here and there."Soldiers love girl scout cookies," said Kelton.

So much so that it only takes about 30 seconds for a few men to gobble down a dozen, he revealed. Far from home, though, they make sure to kid with each other.

One soldier in his command turned 18 just as they were embarking for Afghanistan last January. So they made him get a permission slip from home before he left. "Yes, my son can go to Afghanistan," read the signed note from his mother, said Lt. Kelton.

A Very Serious Mission from Top to Bottom

Minus actually bringing their moms along, he likened the role of unit sergeant to almost the same thing. That means the man in charge watches over them like a mother hen. Discipline is kept and if the troops get out of line, Kelton said, the sergeant puts them right back where they belong.

As for his role leading 24 men into battle, The Virginia Military Institute International Studies major accepts the challenge of leadership with dedication and accountability. "If my platoon fails, it's my fault," he told the kids definitively.

After about 350 missions, he assured there’s much more to it than this day's lighthearted presentation. "It's very real and very serious,” said Kelton.

Their base has been attacked and missions scare him most when intelligence cannot inform them on what they can expect to encounter next. Regardless, when his tour ends in December, he intends to reenlist for another three years.

An American to be Proud of

After that, Kelton predicts hardship may come only in the mundane kinds of things that the rest of us are challenged by. "I might go to law school or something boring like that," Kelton joked.

His mother would certainly welcome a bit more of that at times. "Whenever I hear of American fatalities," said Ms. Kelton, "I just gasp for air."

Nonetheless, she concluded, he makes me proud to be an American.

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