Susan Marie Nabor Sobrepeña, a former combat veteran of the Afghanistan war, credits the influence of her Filipino grandparents who served with U.S. troops during World War II fighting to free their home country from the Japanese as the reason she joined the military.
Her paternal grandfather, Ramon Sobrepeña, served with the Philippine Forces allied with the United States of America, was a POW during World War II, and survived the Bataan Death March. Her maternal grandfather, Dr. Artemio Nabor, was part of the Philippine Guerilla Movement in that war and worked with General Douglas MacArthur.
“I always loved the idea of serving the country [United States] that has afforded me so many opportunities and freedoms the rest of the world can only dream of having,” Sobrepeña said.
She followed in their footsteps in 1998, when she entered West Point Military Academy in New York, about three years after graduating from Secaucus High School with time spent at a smaller military prep school in between.
“It was a great experience and something I will always cherish and be proud of.” – Susan Marie Sobrepeña
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The Jersey City resident, now 33, planned to spend her Veterans Day reflecting upon those with whom she served and those that continue to serve by calling one of her close friends from West Point or the Army to “just chat.”
“It was a great experience and something I will always cherish and be proud of. There is nothing I loved more than being a soldier,” Sobrepeña said. “I think about the soldiers I’ve served with and how all the experiences have shaped me and made me stronger, and if it weren’t for the tough times, I wouldn’t appreciate all I have today.
Serving with distinction
Sobrepeña looks back with pride at the time she served in the heat of battle. She was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 for Operation Enduring Freedom VII and was awarded the Bronze Star for being a company commander in the Logistics Task Force. That included traveling through hotspots such as Mazar El Sharif – a long way from her birthplace of Bacolod City, Philippines, and from her American home of Jersey City, where she lived with her family from the age of four to 10.
And light years after a nomination by former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli for an appointment to West Point. She has a hard time choosing which experience she cherishes most from her years in uniform.
“There are too many to remember, but I will always remember my first day at West Point, my graduation day, commanding my company in Afghanistan, and Airborne School,” Sobrepeña said.
But she has very few, if any, regrets about leaving the military. In recent years as a civilian she has earned an MBA in Executive Management from the New York Institute of Technology and studied at the New York University School of Continuing & Professional Studies. She has worked as a financial analyst in the Real Estate Group of New York Life Investment Management LLC. And she has found time to also become an investor in the 2010 independent film, “Sinners and Saints,” a cop thriller set in post-Katrina New Orleans.
“I loved the military, and still love the military,” Sobrepeña said. “But I felt it was time to move on and take what I’ve learned, together with my experiences, and pursue other careers and interests.”
Yet she still thinks a good deal about her past service as she offers advice for those who come after her.
“No matter the situation, take and learn from those that lead you, those you lead, and the soldiers that surround you. Sometimes, it’s the worst experiences that make you stronger,” Sobrepeña said. “Never give up, and always keep positive. Having faith and a strong sense of self can get you through the toughest times.”
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.