Anderson high school teacher is also U.S. Army leader, mom

LAUNDRY TIME:
Even Command Sergeants like Janell Word need a clean pair of socks and a fresh uniform from time to time.

A major Army training exercise, Pacific Warrior 2008, has been in full swing here since June 7. About 4,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have converged on Fort Hunter Liggett to participate in this year’s exercise.

One of those soldiers is Command Sgt. Maj. Janell Word, 47, a teacher and mother from Anderson. Word is the senior enlisted member of the 469th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), an Army Reserve unit based out of San Jose.

Her unit’s mission at Pacific Warrior Exercise 2008 is to run Forward Operating Base (FOB) 8J, which they’ve set up to emulate the typical base that forward deployed units in combat would operate out of; 8J is one of three FOBs in use on the expansive Fort Hunter Liggett, near King City.

With 19 units consisting of 650 men and women using their base, Word and her soldiers are training, getting hands on practice to enhance the skills they will need to run the FOBs that they may be sent.

“We’re here to run the FOB mayor’s cell and to provide support. We’re here to take care of soldiers,” Word said.

At the “mayor’s cell,” they maintain the living conditions of a deployed force. They make sure that the laundry, showers, dining facilities and sleeping areas are in good order so that soldiers can experience some of the comforts of home.

“Like city managers, we make sure that the garbage is picked up and the showers work,” said Lt. Col. Frank Cannizzaro, the 469th battalion commander.

As Command Sergeant Major, Word takes her job seriously. Two of her top priorities are security and safety.

“We’ve had our security guys hopping,” she said. “Safety is a big issue; it’s always a concern.”

“She (Word) is big on safety, she’ll come and ask how we’re doing, how our day or task is going,” said Sgt. Rocio Diaz, a cargo specialist with the 469th.

“She does put a lot of focus on safety issues,” said Cargo Specialist Pfc. Aaron Haupt. “She goes to the front gate often to make sure they’re okay.”

For some of the newer soldiers, this is the first time using military specialty skills in this type of exercise.

“I walk around to check hydration and make sure soldiers are in a proper uniform and safe,” Word said.

“They’re motivated and doing a great job. We’re working them hard,” she said.

Word has been the 469th Command Sergeant Major since the unit was created March 2006 as part of the ongoing Army Reserve transformation. November will mark her 30th anniversary as a soldier; she joined fresh out of high school at age 18.

“I was working at A&W and going to school when a friend asked me to go with her to see a recruiter. Two weeks later I joined and my friend never did,” Word said.

“I haven’t seen her since then but it would be nice to — so I could thank her. It’s been pretty good for me.” Word said. “It (the U.S. Army) helped me become a teacher.”

Word has been an educator for 21 years. She currently teaches at North Valley High School, an alternative education school in Anderson.

“I’ve been working with alternative education kids for 12 years. I like working with the kids I have,” Word said.

“I try to teach them that they’ve just got to take responsibility for their life,” Word said. “If they let the problems that others have had shape their lives they’ll have a tough time; they can’t just blame their current conditions on past actions. They need to do something to make it better.”

A parent herself, Word has had to balance soldiering, teaching and motherhood. She has a 16-year-old daughter and 28-year-old son. Her son, Arturo Reyes, currently lives in El Paso, Texas, and her daughter, Kristin Hoots, a student at Anderson New Tech High School, lives with her.

“My mom has been my saving grace; she takes my daughter during the week when I’m gone. She makes sure Kristin gets back and forth to school and to other activities,” Word said. “My daughter has had to deal with a lot. Kristin is the real hero, because she had to accept when I’ve been gone for birthdays, holidays and other special events in her life. My son was a different story – we (Army Reserve Soldiers) didn’t have such a high OPTEMPO (operating tempo) when he was young.”

Word is scheduled to return home June 27.