FORT KNOX, Ky. –
Not all good deeds go unnoticed and for some like 2nd Lt. Frantz Gasan they inspire them to join the U.S. Army.
Born and raised in Port au Prince, Haiti, Gasan and his twin brother wanted an opportunity to go to school, “to be able to go to school in my home country your family has to be able to provide the funds,” Gasan said.
In order to receive an education, they immigrated to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Island with their Green Cards.
“In Haiti, I used to see people doing humanitarian relief missions. I used to see trucks and helicopters, I was like this is cool, I want to do this,” Gasan said. “The first thing I did when I got to high school was joined the JROTC program.”
After joining the program and learning about the opportunities from his JROTC leaders, Gasan ran into an issue.
“Right before I graduated, there were a lot of places I wanted to go and things I wanted to do, but not being a U.S. citizen stopped me from being able to do some of these programs,” Gasan said.
Hesitant on joining the Army because of his family, Gasan applied to schools and got accepted, but he knew he would not be able to cover the expenses which led him back to the idea of serving.
“Since I was in JROTC, I always wanted to be an officer and to be an officer you have to be a citizen, so I was like what’s the quickest way to become a citizen and then an officer,” Gasan said.
Gasan enlisted in the Army and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and was able to obtain his United States citizenship.
His Army story did not stop there.
Gasan went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in psychology and attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia and commissioned as an officer in August 2022.
For Gasan it is a moment he will remember forever, “A dream come true to be honest, growing up you always watch those people on TV, and watching all the humanitarian missions that used to pass by my house, I always wanted to be in the Army… not only be in the Army but to be an officer, to lead Soldiers.”