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Horizon TV's Hayk Tovmasyan Reflects on His Experience in the US Army
http://asbarez.com/106471/horizon-tv%E2%80%99s-hayk-tovmasyan-reflects-on-his-experience-in-the-us-army/
Friday, November 9th, 2012
Paul Chaderjian
Hayk Tovmasyan during his tour in Afghanistan
As American-Armenians honor all those who made the ultimate sacrifice
for our nation on this Veterans Day, Asbarez wanted to share the story
of a member of its own family who is now serving our country in the
Army. Asbarez's broadcast affiliate Horizon Armenian Television
viewers are familiar with Hayk Tovmasyan's name and face. He anchored
the news daily from August 2006 until April 2011. Asbarez's Paul
Chaderjian interviewed Hayk and his wife Mari (nee Gezalyan) about his
decision to join the Army and what life for them is like in the
military.
PAUL CHADERJIAN: Hayk, when did you decide to join the Army?
HAYK TOVMASYAN: A combination of factors made me join the Army, which
I now proudly serve. First, California was going bankrupt and my
tuition at CSU Northridge was becoming unaffordable. Second, my
desperate attempts to earn a living wage and work full time at Horizon
kept failing. In addition, I lost my contract with the Voice of
America on Armenia TV when USArmenia went on the air in LA. Finally, I
wanted to get married but needed financial stability. After two months
of job hunting and 600 job applications and resumes, I came across a
financial assistant position at U.S. Army, a job that I considered to
be just a job and not a lifestyle change or serving my country.
P.C.: Hayk, what is your rank?
H.T.: Currently I am a Private First Class, which is E-3 grade. I am
with 4th Brigade 25th Infantry Division, 3rd Battalion 509th Airborne
Infantry Regiment, Fox Forward Support Company.
P.C.: Mari, what were you doing when Hayk decided to join?
Hayk and Mari get married
MARI TOVMASYAN: At the time Hayk decided to join, I was the Fashion
Editor at Yerevan Magazine, but I worked out of New York City, where I
was also completing my master's degree in Fashion Studies at Parson's.
P.C.: Hayk, tell me about the recruitment process and your concerns?
H.T.: The recruitment process was a little bit tricky. I went in
looking for a part time financial assistant, but instead joined the
Army as an active duty soldier. It all came down to joining the Army
or serving in the National Guard, which is only one weekend every two
months and would not help with my goals whatsoever. So I joined as an
active duty soldier. My concerns were about my newly created family,
deployment, pay and school. The biggest struggle was explaining to my
friends and families the step I just took that was about to change not
only my life but also their lives.
P.C.: What was boot camp like?
H.T.: The boot camp or Basic Combat Training as we call it was insane.
It was the hardest thing I had ever done not only physically but also
mentally. The summer of 2011 was the craziest summer in my life until
last summer. My spirit was broken then rebuilt by effective drill
sergeants. I lost 30 pounds, going from 214 to 184. It was a total
body transformation. But I graduated at the top of my class with
nicknames only some could imagine. Because of my last name, I was
initially called the Armenian, then Top Missile, Ron Burgundy, tomato
head, and after the combative course I was called the Armenian Devil.
P.C.: Ron Burgundy? So, your fellow soldiers knew about your other
life as an anchorman? Did they see clips on YouTube?
H.T.: Ha ha ha. Yes, they did see the YouTube clips, Music Awards
pictures and other news material. Initially, I didn't tell anyone. I
wanted to get to know them first before getting in my own history and
my personal life. It was not easy to make friends with people who
never saw an Armenian before. The first thing they would say is, `Do
you know Kim Kardashian?' or `Are you related to Kim?' They surely
were blown away with my previous profession.
P.C.: Mari, what was it like to watch Hayk go through training and be deployed?
M.T.: A lot of the training that Hayk went through was done behind
closed doors. During the months that he was at basic training we only
got to speak twice and each conversation lasted exactly five minutes.
Our only way of communication was via traditional letter writing. It
was difficult especially since Hayk was cut-off from the civilian
world, and I was forced to make decisions for the both of us.
Deployment was a whole other game though. I was able to speak to Hayk
more often than when he was in training. Most of our conversations
would get cut-off because of bad connection or blackouts. The most
difficult part of seeing Hayk leave for Afghanistan was the worry in
his eyes. You would think that his chief concern would have been
himself out there. Instead his primary concern was wondering if I
would be OK.
P.C.: Mari, what was your emotional journey like when Hayk was first deployed?
M.T.: Hayk got his deployment orders less than two weeks after we had
our big Armenian wedding. At first, my emotions were all over the
place. I was angry more than anything. I remember sitting in Army
lodging, crying. But it only lasted a minute. I knew that crying
wouldn't change anything, I had to buck up and push ahead because that
was the only thing I could do.
P.C.: Hayk, what was your first tour like? What was it like to be
among a new family away from everything and everyone who was part of
your other life as a broadcaster in Little Armenia?
H.T.: I went to Forward Operating Base Lightning in Paktiya Province
of Southeastern Afghanistan. It was definitely something. I had to
adapt to this new group of people and adjust myself to a war zone
environment. I was in Armenia in the early 1990s and experienced
another type of war, but I was young and did not have a weapon in my
hand 24/7. A lot of people were shocked to think of me in Afghanistan,
in uniform and with a weapon in my hand.
P.C.: Mari, did meeting other military wives help?
M.T.: It was difficult for me to relate to a lot of women here in
Alaska. Most of them were from small towns and had kids. However, I
was able to meet a couple of women as I settled into my new home. Over
time, I was able to establish a great network of women that made
Hayk's deployment much easier. We became each other's support group,
therapist, you name it.
P.C.: Mari, what are your thoughts about young men and women deciding
to put their lives on the line to serve their nation?
M.T.: Every time I think about what Hayk does or any other young
soldier, I am overcome with emotion. I personally don't think I would
ever be able to do what they do. It's not just physical but mental.
They are young men and women who have one of the most selfless jobs
one can ever think about pursuing. In a moment's notice, they may be
given orders to leave their families to complete a mission that no one
would ever know about. I am forever grateful for their service,
because they are the ones that able us to live the way we do in this
country, never worrying about our rights or freedoms.
P.C.: Hayk, what do you have to say to others who want to serve and be
an important part of world history as it unfolds?
H.T.: Regardless of your nationality or your origins, if you are an
American citizen or call yourself an American, you need to serve your
country in some way - whether it is in military or any other public
service. The US affords you tons of privileges that you do not get
anywhere else in the world. Serving is one way you can pay your nation
back.
Serving in the military challenges your body, your mind and your soul.
The Army pays you not only to proudly serve your country, but to also
stay in great shape, eat three full meals a day, and have a decent
roof over your head. It encourages you to finish your civilian
education with tuition assistance. You get to travel the world for
free and see places you would never imagine seeing. Of course, there
are disadvantages too. You can and most probably will get deployed to
a war zone and be away from your family for at least nine months. But
these are sacrifices you have to make if you want to make the military
your career or serve for a short term and then be honorably
discharged.
P.C.: Thank You. Godspeed.
From: Baghdasarian
http://asbarez.com/106471/horizon-tv%E2%80%99s-hayk-tovmasyan-reflects-on-his-experience-in-the-us-army/
Friday, November 9th, 2012
Paul Chaderjian
Hayk Tovmasyan during his tour in Afghanistan
As American-Armenians honor all those who made the ultimate sacrifice
for our nation on this Veterans Day, Asbarez wanted to share the story
of a member of its own family who is now serving our country in the
Army. Asbarez's broadcast affiliate Horizon Armenian Television
viewers are familiar with Hayk Tovmasyan's name and face. He anchored
the news daily from August 2006 until April 2011. Asbarez's Paul
Chaderjian interviewed Hayk and his wife Mari (nee Gezalyan) about his
decision to join the Army and what life for them is like in the
military.
PAUL CHADERJIAN: Hayk, when did you decide to join the Army?
HAYK TOVMASYAN: A combination of factors made me join the Army, which
I now proudly serve. First, California was going bankrupt and my
tuition at CSU Northridge was becoming unaffordable. Second, my
desperate attempts to earn a living wage and work full time at Horizon
kept failing. In addition, I lost my contract with the Voice of
America on Armenia TV when USArmenia went on the air in LA. Finally, I
wanted to get married but needed financial stability. After two months
of job hunting and 600 job applications and resumes, I came across a
financial assistant position at U.S. Army, a job that I considered to
be just a job and not a lifestyle change or serving my country.
P.C.: Hayk, what is your rank?
H.T.: Currently I am a Private First Class, which is E-3 grade. I am
with 4th Brigade 25th Infantry Division, 3rd Battalion 509th Airborne
Infantry Regiment, Fox Forward Support Company.
P.C.: Mari, what were you doing when Hayk decided to join?
Hayk and Mari get married
MARI TOVMASYAN: At the time Hayk decided to join, I was the Fashion
Editor at Yerevan Magazine, but I worked out of New York City, where I
was also completing my master's degree in Fashion Studies at Parson's.
P.C.: Hayk, tell me about the recruitment process and your concerns?
H.T.: The recruitment process was a little bit tricky. I went in
looking for a part time financial assistant, but instead joined the
Army as an active duty soldier. It all came down to joining the Army
or serving in the National Guard, which is only one weekend every two
months and would not help with my goals whatsoever. So I joined as an
active duty soldier. My concerns were about my newly created family,
deployment, pay and school. The biggest struggle was explaining to my
friends and families the step I just took that was about to change not
only my life but also their lives.
P.C.: What was boot camp like?
H.T.: The boot camp or Basic Combat Training as we call it was insane.
It was the hardest thing I had ever done not only physically but also
mentally. The summer of 2011 was the craziest summer in my life until
last summer. My spirit was broken then rebuilt by effective drill
sergeants. I lost 30 pounds, going from 214 to 184. It was a total
body transformation. But I graduated at the top of my class with
nicknames only some could imagine. Because of my last name, I was
initially called the Armenian, then Top Missile, Ron Burgundy, tomato
head, and after the combative course I was called the Armenian Devil.
P.C.: Ron Burgundy? So, your fellow soldiers knew about your other
life as an anchorman? Did they see clips on YouTube?
H.T.: Ha ha ha. Yes, they did see the YouTube clips, Music Awards
pictures and other news material. Initially, I didn't tell anyone. I
wanted to get to know them first before getting in my own history and
my personal life. It was not easy to make friends with people who
never saw an Armenian before. The first thing they would say is, `Do
you know Kim Kardashian?' or `Are you related to Kim?' They surely
were blown away with my previous profession.
P.C.: Mari, what was it like to watch Hayk go through training and be deployed?
M.T.: A lot of the training that Hayk went through was done behind
closed doors. During the months that he was at basic training we only
got to speak twice and each conversation lasted exactly five minutes.
Our only way of communication was via traditional letter writing. It
was difficult especially since Hayk was cut-off from the civilian
world, and I was forced to make decisions for the both of us.
Deployment was a whole other game though. I was able to speak to Hayk
more often than when he was in training. Most of our conversations
would get cut-off because of bad connection or blackouts. The most
difficult part of seeing Hayk leave for Afghanistan was the worry in
his eyes. You would think that his chief concern would have been
himself out there. Instead his primary concern was wondering if I
would be OK.
P.C.: Mari, what was your emotional journey like when Hayk was first deployed?
M.T.: Hayk got his deployment orders less than two weeks after we had
our big Armenian wedding. At first, my emotions were all over the
place. I was angry more than anything. I remember sitting in Army
lodging, crying. But it only lasted a minute. I knew that crying
wouldn't change anything, I had to buck up and push ahead because that
was the only thing I could do.
P.C.: Hayk, what was your first tour like? What was it like to be
among a new family away from everything and everyone who was part of
your other life as a broadcaster in Little Armenia?
H.T.: I went to Forward Operating Base Lightning in Paktiya Province
of Southeastern Afghanistan. It was definitely something. I had to
adapt to this new group of people and adjust myself to a war zone
environment. I was in Armenia in the early 1990s and experienced
another type of war, but I was young and did not have a weapon in my
hand 24/7. A lot of people were shocked to think of me in Afghanistan,
in uniform and with a weapon in my hand.
P.C.: Mari, did meeting other military wives help?
M.T.: It was difficult for me to relate to a lot of women here in
Alaska. Most of them were from small towns and had kids. However, I
was able to meet a couple of women as I settled into my new home. Over
time, I was able to establish a great network of women that made
Hayk's deployment much easier. We became each other's support group,
therapist, you name it.
P.C.: Mari, what are your thoughts about young men and women deciding
to put their lives on the line to serve their nation?
M.T.: Every time I think about what Hayk does or any other young
soldier, I am overcome with emotion. I personally don't think I would
ever be able to do what they do. It's not just physical but mental.
They are young men and women who have one of the most selfless jobs
one can ever think about pursuing. In a moment's notice, they may be
given orders to leave their families to complete a mission that no one
would ever know about. I am forever grateful for their service,
because they are the ones that able us to live the way we do in this
country, never worrying about our rights or freedoms.
P.C.: Hayk, what do you have to say to others who want to serve and be
an important part of world history as it unfolds?
H.T.: Regardless of your nationality or your origins, if you are an
American citizen or call yourself an American, you need to serve your
country in some way - whether it is in military or any other public
service. The US affords you tons of privileges that you do not get
anywhere else in the world. Serving is one way you can pay your nation
back.
Serving in the military challenges your body, your mind and your soul.
The Army pays you not only to proudly serve your country, but to also
stay in great shape, eat three full meals a day, and have a decent
roof over your head. It encourages you to finish your civilian
education with tuition assistance. You get to travel the world for
free and see places you would never imagine seeing. Of course, there
are disadvantages too. You can and most probably will get deployed to
a war zone and be away from your family for at least nine months. But
these are sacrifices you have to make if you want to make the military
your career or serve for a short term and then be honorably
discharged.
P.C.: Thank You. Godspeed.
From: Baghdasarian