{"id":169633,"date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=169633"},"modified":"2024-05-06T23:18:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T23:18:36","slug":"stay-true-to-yourself-samoan-soldier-continues-legacy-of-service-supporting-tradewinds-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=169633","title":{"rendered":"Stay true to yourself: Samoan Soldier continues legacy of service supporting TRADEWINDS 24"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>

\n
\n
\n Staff Sgt. Sabrina Vimoto, platoon sergeant with the Signal Detachment, Group Support Battalion, 7th Group Special Forces Group, poses for a photo at Paragon Base, Barbados, May 2, 2024. While at exercise TRADEWINDS 24, Vimoto reflected on her heritage, her experience as an Army child, the tragedy of losing a sibling in combat and as a Soldier who served under her father\u2019s leadership. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joshua Taeckens)
\n (Photo Credit: Sgt. Joshua Taeckens)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

PARAGON BASE, Barbados \u2013 Staff Sgt. Sabrina Vimoto, a platoon sergeant with the Signal Detachment, Group Support Battalion, 7th Group Special Forces Group, readied her Soldiers and equipment in preparation for TRADEWINDS 24 (TW24).<\/p>\n

As she awaited the arrival of her team, Sabrina reflected on her heritage, her experiences as an Army child, the tragedy of losing a sibling in combat, and serving as a Soldier under her father\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

Sabrina, born in Honolulu, was forged from a family of leaders.<\/p>\n

Her maternal grandfather was the chief of his village in American Samoa, and her mother was the Matai, or princess.<\/p>\n

But her Family\u2019s history of U.S. military service and leadership began with her father\u2019s legacy of service.<\/p>\n

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Isaia Vimoto joined the Army Nov. 5, 1981, and moved through the ranks to hold every position of a noncommissioned officer (NCO), from team leader to International Joint Command Sergeant Major.<\/p>\n

Isaia\u2019s service inspired Sabrina and her brother, Timothy, to follow in his footsteps.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy older brother and I had a plan to join the Army right when we graduated high school, but he was 18 months older than I, so he got his chance first,\u201d said Sabrina. \u201cHe joined as an 11B, infantryman, went to Airborne School, and joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade, where my dad was deployed to Afghanistan as the brigade command sergeant major.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabrina said her brother and father arrived in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan, May 2007. Only a few weeks after arriving, on June 5, 2007, Pfc. Timothy Vimoto was killed in action on Hill 1705 during an ambush on his position.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Stay
\n <\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n Pfc. Timothy Vimoto stands with his weapon at Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan, May 2007. Vimoto was killed only a few weeks after arriving in theater in an ambush on his position on hill 1705. (Courtesy photo)
\n (Photo Credit: Sgt. Joshua Taeckens)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

It was his first firefight.<\/p>\n

Under the guidance of Isaia\u2019s commander, he exited the combat theater to attend his son\u2019s memorial service in Vicenza, Italy.<\/p>\n

Sabrina said he was adamant to go back and join his troops in battle.<\/p>\n

In an article written in 2016<\/a>, Isaia said that the Soldiers he led reminded him of his son, and he pledged to take care of them as the senior enlisted leader of the brigade..<\/p>\n

Sabrina recounted her father mentioning that his Soldiers needed him as much as he needed them, but his Family didn\u2019t understand his reasoning.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and my siblings thought, you know, \u2018He doesn\u2019t want to be here with us,\u2019\u201d Sabrina said. \u201cBut knowing what I know now, as a Soldier, I think he didn\u2019t want my brother to die in vain. Him returning to battle after such a personal and tragic event would send a message to his Soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

After her brother\u2019s death, Sabrina and her Family decided it was best for her not to join the military.<\/p>\n

Sabrina instead attended college, but she said military service remained in her mind.<\/p>\n

As her father\u2019s retirement approached and he was set to deploy one last time, she came home to spend Thanksgiving with her Family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were sitting at the table, eating our Thanksgiving meal, and I just blurted out, \u2018how cool would it be if I joined the Army and deployed with you?\u2019\u201d Sabrina recounted with a chuckle. \u201cEveryone at the table, all my Family, was talking about how cool that would be, but my dad didn\u2019t really say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

But after a few weeks, her father blessed off on her decision, so she finished her exams that semester, loaded up her car and headed to Fort Liberty, where her father was stationed.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Stay
\n <\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n Pfc. Sabrina Vimoto, left, 7th Group Special Forces Group, stands with her father, Command Sgt. Maj. Isaia Vimoto, 173rd Airborne at her Basic Combat Training graduation at Fort Jackson, S.C., Oct. 30, 2013. Sabrina Vimoto reflected on her heritage, her experience as an Army brat, the tragedy of losing a sibling in combat and as a Soldier who served under her father\u2019s leadership. (Courtesy photo)
\n (Photo Credit: Sgt. Joshua Taeckens)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

In August 2013, she enlisted as a 25L, cable systems installer-maintainer.<\/p>\n

After completing basic combat training, advanced individual training, and airborne school, she joined her father at XVIII Airborne Corps, where he was the senior enlisted advisor of the corps.<\/p>\n

She deployed with her dad only a few months after arriving at the unit.<\/p>\n

She said that serving in the organization where her dad was the highest ranking enlisted Soldier was both comforting and challenging.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving my dad there with me in a war zone was a safeguard, a blanket, and it was pretty comforting,\u201d remembered Sabrina. \u201cBut it was hard making friends because people knew that my dad was the sergeant major of the corps and I noticed there was a perception that I was a daddy\u2019s girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said she had to beat the negative perception through her technical proficiency and work ethic.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Stay
\n <\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n Spc. Sabrina Vimoto, right, cable systems installer-maintainer, and Command Sgt. Maj. Isaia Vimoto, XVIII Airborne Corps senior enlisted leader, conduct physical training while deployed together in Kabul, Afghanistan, August, 2014. Sabrina Vimoto reflected on her heritage, her experience as an Army brat, the tragedy of losing a sibling in combat and as a Soldier who served under her father\u2019s leadership. (Courtesy photo)
\n (Photo Credit: Sgt. Joshua Taeckens)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cOnce I got to work, showed my work ethic and just did what you\u2019re supposed to do as a Soldier, I think I earned the last name of Vimoto and was accepted on my team,\u201d she said proudly.<\/p>\n

That last name that she wears proudly on her chest gets recognized from time to time.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will look at my name on my uniform and then look at me, and I can see it on their face that they knew my dad,\u201d said Sabrina with a prideful smile. \u201cOne Soldier, she spoke about my dad and how inspirational he was to her. When I hear those things, now that I\u2019m mid-career and he\u2019s been out for a couple of years, it impacts how I want to lead, and to know that he’s made such an impact that people still remember something he did or said is pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

One Soldier that has had the opportunity to serve with the father-daughter duo in the XVIII Airborne Corps is Sgt. 1st Class Javier Rodriguez. Rodriguez is also Sabrina\u2019s current first-line supervisor and is with her here in Barbados.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I served under Command Sgt. Major Vimoto, he exuded what a senior leader is and his presence was one of those NCOs where Soldiers would gravitate toward him because he was approachable,\u201d recalled Rodriguez. \u201cWhen you meet someone like that, it sets a standard of the leader you want to emulate, and he was one of the best NCOs I\u2019ve seen in the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Sabrina was cut from the same cloth as her father.<\/p>\n

\u201cI first received her as a private first class at XVIII Airborne Corps, and you can tell that her father mentored her through her career because she has constantly strived toward the next step or challenge,\u201d claimed Rodriguez. \u201cShe has the same type of presence her father did even as a young staff sergeant and she will probably, and deservingly, be the next sergeant major Vimoto.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Stay
\n <\/a>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n 1 \/ 2<\/span>
\n
\n Show Caption +<\/span>
\n Hide Caption \u2013<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n Staff Sgt. Sabrina Vimoto, platoon sergeant with the Signal Detachment, Group Support Battalion, 7th Group Special Forces Group, checks radio communications at Paragon Base, Barbados, May 2, 2024. While at exercise TRADEWINDS 24, Vimoto reflected on her heritage, her experience as an Army brat, the tragedy of losing a sibling in combat and as a Soldier who served under her father\u2019s leadership. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joshua Taeckens)
\n (Photo Credit: Sgt. Joshua Taeckens)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Stay
\n <\/a>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n 2 \/ 2<\/span>
\n
\n Show Caption +<\/span>
\n Hide Caption \u2013<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n The Vimoto Family poses for a picture in Lacey, Wash., April 8, 2022. Staff Sgt. Sabrina Vimoto, second from right, platoon sergeant with the Signal Detachment, Group Support Battalion, 7th Group Special Forces Group, reflected on her heritage, her experience as an Army brat, the tragedy of losing a sibling in combat and as a Soldier who served under her father\u2019s leadership. (Courtesy photo)
\n (Photo Credit: Sgt. Joshua Taeckens)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Sabrina said that she wants to continue her father’s legacy as a leader and her brother\u2019s legacy as a hero, but she also wants to write her own story in the Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like my father was known as the father of the XVIII Airborne Corps, my Soldiers call me<\/p>\n

\u2018Momma V\u2019 because I\u2019m their platoon sergeant, and I take care of them,\u201d said Sabrina with a smile. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you’re my Soldier or not, I try to empower all the people in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

She ended with a message she often gives to her Soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t do anything to disgrace the name that is on your chest, because the best job is the one you have with the people you have it with,\u201d stated Sabrina. \u201cThe real measure of success lies in the positive impact on the situation and the lives we have in our immediate vicinity. Never underestimate the influence you have on the world and remember the power you wield to change your surroundings.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staff Sgt. Sabrina Vimoto, platoon sergeant with the Signal Detachment, Group Support Battalion, 7th Group Special Forces Group, poses for a photo at Paragon Base, Barbados, May 2, 2024. While at exercise TRADEWINDS 24, Vimoto reflected on her heritage, her experience as an Army child, the tragedy of losing a sibling in combat and as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169635,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-169633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=169633"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169642,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169633\/revisions\/169642"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/169635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=169633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=169633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=169633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}