By Pfc. Adrian Muehe

3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

DIYALA, Iraq – “I found a way to combine my love of being in the Army with my love of words,” said Spc. Loren Cook, a native of Cleveland, Mo., and a radio telephone operator for 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Specialist Cook has proudly served his country for the past two and a half years. He executed his duties as an infantryman and an RTO, but longed for something more. He dreamed of being a writer.

            In a Chinook helicopter flying high above Muqdadiyah, Iraq, Spc. Cook made his dream come true on the night of March 12. While shouting over the roar of the massive twin rotors keeping the aircraft airborne, he repeated the oath that will once more change his life. He re-enlisted for four more years to become a public affairs specialist, which focuses on military journalism.

            “It’s what I wanted to do in the first place,” said Spc. Cook, when asked why he chose to be a journalist. “I was an English major in college before I made a stupid decision and dropped out.”

            After an unsuccessful year of college, Spc. Cook enlisted in the Army. 

            “I joined because the Army is always hiring,” he said “I gave them a list of MOS’s (military occupational skills) that I wanted, with infantry being my last option if everything else failed.”

            After enlisting he went to Fort Benning, Ga., to complete one-station-unit training to learn how to be an infantryman. When his initial training was complete he was assigned to 2/3 Inf. at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Wash.

During his current deployment he has worked the late night shift at the 2/3 Inf. tactical operations center. He wasn’t happy and wondered how he could make his dream a reality.

            “I found out about this job on goarmy.com [the Army’s recruiting Web site],” he said. “I’ve been looking at it for a couple of months now, and finally just went to the retention office and made it happen.”

Specialist Cook is slated to attend the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Md., next March to learn his new craft for the Army. Even though he will no longer be a Patriot with 2/3 Inf., he will still be a patriot by telling the Army story. He is hopeful for the future and excited to see where his new career field takes him.

“I requested for Europe, but I’ll see, I’ll take whatever they give me,” said Spc. Cook when asked where he wants to go after his time with the infantry. “I’d like to be a journalist and write in my spare time as well.”

Armed with a pen in his hand and a rifle at his side, Spc. Cook is ready to see the Army in a different light, and capture that vision for the world to see.

He feels he received the breath of fresh air he needed, and a change that has given new meaning to his life as a Soldier.

“I was just going to finish my enlistment and get out of the Army, now it’s very possible that I’ll make a career out of this,” said the future journalist.