Although he fulfilled his active duty obligation seven years ago, Drill Sergeant Gus Orozco, has continued to serve his country in various roles. For his commitment to his country and duty, he has been chosen as the Military Hero of the Week for Week 1.
Drill Sergeant Orozco joined the US Army in August, 2005 as an M1A1 Abrams Tank Crewman. After attending basic training in Ft. Knox, Drill Sergeant Orozco's first assignment was to Ft. Lewis, Washington where he was assigned to Alpha Co. ⅕ of the 25th Infantry Division. In late 2006, he was assigned to Alpha Co. ½ Stryker Cavalry Regiment and moved to Vilseck, Germany. The squadron was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in June, 2007. Once on the ground, Drill Sergeant Orozco was moved to the Squadron's Recon Platoon "Shadow". The squadron's vehicle was the first to hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Baghdad. Fortunately, no one was injured. While in Baghdad there were constant firefights, IEDs, and the occasional rocket attack. As the battle for Sadr City was coming to a close, the Squadron drove north to Mosul where their deployment would eventually end 15 months later.
The squadron returned to Vilseck, Germany to begin training for the next deployment.
Drill Sergeant Orozco's Active duty contract ended in 2010. Drill Sergeant Orozco graduated from The United States Army Drill Sergeant School in late 2011 and has served as an instructor in the Army Reserves since. Drill Sergeant Orozco currently sits as the Veterans Affairs Commissioner on the President's Cabinet at California State University, Long Beach. He also sits on the advisory board for the US Vets, Long Beach and serves as treasurer for the Long Beach Veterans Day Committee. In February of 2017 Drill Sergeant Orozco was appointed to the Mayor's Veterans Affairs Commission.
