Ever since she was a little girl in North Bergen, Saray Durango aspired to become a police officer.
“I always wanted to be a cop since I was very young,” said the 22-year-old Durango, a member of the North Bergen High School Class of 2000 who played basketball and soccer at the school. “It was always my dream.” Durango also had another goal in mind throughout her life.
“I was always the athletic type who tried to do dangerous things,” Durango said. “So I was always thought about the military.”
So when Durango graduated from North Bergen High School four years ago, she enlisted in the United States Army National Guard.
“Basically, I did it to try to get money to go to college,” Durango said. “But I always thought about joining the military.”
For the last four and a half years, Durango has spent one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer serving with the National Guard at the Teaneck Armory with the 58th Infantry as a logistic specialist, working with supplies.
“I’ve always been on alert to receive the call,” Durango said. “I never knew when my unit would get called.”
In March of 2003, Durango was able to fulfill her ultimate goal, when she was sworn in as a police officer in her hometown.
“I was able to accomplish all of my goals,” Durango said. “I was living out my dream.”
Durango enjoyed her life as a police officer and as an active member of the U.S. National Guard, changing uniforms with ease whenever she had to. She was assigned as a school resource officer, working in the North Bergen schools.
“I love kids and love working with the kids,” Durango said. “I really enjoyed what I was doing.”
However, last month, everything changed. Durango’s unit was called to active duty, which meant that she was going to have to temporarily relinquish her position with the North Bergen Police Department to serve with the U.S. Army.
Her original assignment was to go to Iraq. She was to spend nearly two years there, but she applied for Title 10 hardship because her mother, Maria Cardona, is battling lung cancer.
“I wouldn’t have minded going to Iraq,” Durango said. “I understood that was part of the deal when I enlisted. But at this point, it would have been too emotional for me to leave my family. I could have been deployed, but I applied for a letter of hardship and it was granted. I realize that a lot of strings had to be pulled for that to happen. I had no idea what was going to happen. I wanted to be able to stay close to my family. I never thought it would come down to this. I don’t think anyone ever does.”
North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco and North Bergen Police Chief Angelo Busacco made the necessary calls to see if they could keep Durango close to home while she fulfills her military commitment.
“Thanks to Mayor Sacco and Chief Busacco, my letter of hardship was granted,” Durango said. “I’m very thankful for that.”
“She was ready to serve in Iraq, but the conditions changed,” Sacco said. “We did our best to assist her in her time of need with her mother being ill. We really didn’t know how successful we would be. I think she was prepared to go to Iraq, but I’m glad we could be successful. She never showed a sign of not being willing to go. It’s just that the conditions changed and it was a great strain to Saray, because she needed to take care of her mother. I’m glad that it has worked out for her and her mother at this trying time.”
In Jersey
While Durango will have to serve two years of full-time military service, she will either be stationed at Fort Dix or the Teaneck Armory, while her mother is in need of medical care.
“This way, my family can come and see me if they need to,” Durango said. “I don’t know where I’ll be stationed yet, but it will be in New Jersey for the time being.”
Durango will receive her orders on Monday and will be called to report the following day.
“It’s going to be a long time,” Durango said.
Before Durango left to serve her military duty, the North Bergen Police Department threw a party in her honor at Tapas Restaurant on Bergenline Avenue.
“I was really surprised by it,” Durango said. “It was really nice of them. They all got together and we had a really nice time.”
Durango said that she has been informed by Busacco that her job as a police officer will be waiting for her when she returns from her tour of duty.
“Chief told me that I have nothing to worry about, that my job will be there for me when I get back,” Durango said. “That’s a big relief, because I never want to give up being a police officer. The whole department has given me a lot of support, and I’m very grateful to them. I love what I do and I would much rather be home working as a police officer than going off to be a soldier.”
However, Durango said that she has no regrets about the recent turn of events.
“I would never turn my back on my country,” Durango said. “I’m very patriotic and I realize that I have my duty. I realize how important my role is. I love being a member of the military. At one point, I was a recruiter for the National Guard. I wouldn’t change my life for anything. I’ve done exactly what I’ve wanted to do all my life.”
So while Durango will put away the badge and the blues for two years, she’s grateful to have been given the chance to live out a dream.
“I can’t ask for anything more,” she said.