the U.S. Soldier.

Watching the news coverage of the US led Operation Desert Storm through the opened window of a well off family in Los Limones de Guayubin, Dominican Republic, Sgt. Gonell said to himself, “One day I will join the Army and help who need protecting” and he ran, chasing his pals pretending he was a U.S. Soldier. By the time he arrived in America, he was only 12 years old and the war in Iraq had ended, so he couldn’t join until years later

Sgt. Gonell’s journey with the United States Army began in May 7, 1999.  He was convince that being in the United States’ military would be a great opportunity for him to achieve his goal of getting an education and give back to the country that welcomed him as an immigrant seeking the American Dream. 

He arrived in basic training at Fort Jackson, N.C. a few hours before his 21st birthday. He was awaken to the sound of metal trash cans being thrown to the ground and a Drill Sergeant banging them with a metal rod. Sgt. Gonell can tell you that was not his kind of party or the way he would had celebrated such a milestone: being yelled and forced to do exercises for hours. No bueno, my friend.

On the base, he watched the news reports of the many displaced refuges arriving at Fort Dix, NJ. due to the Kosovo war.  The footages made him train harder and eager to learn how to be a great Soldier; thinking he would be sent to Kosovo to fight. However, By the time he completed basic training, the hostilities has halted. But Sgt. Gonell didn’t let that to discouraged him. He applied to join the NATO forces as a volunteer and be deployed to keep the peace there. He would like to think that he didn’t get picked was because he was a freshly-minted private with no experience.

His desire to complete his college education became irrelevant as news networks showed the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks. Although he had traveled with the Army overseas to South Korea for annual training and to Egypt to join the NATO forces conducting a training exercise called “Operation Bright Star”, all he wanted was to join the rescue efforts and the fight to avenge the heinous assault that shook America to its core. 

In December 7, 2003, Sgt. Gonell was mobilized for 545 days in support to the Iraq War theater of Operation “Iraqi Freedom II”. Despite the threat of bomb-filled roads, he volunteered to conduct supply missions for his unit’s detachments, U.S. and allied forces, and local Iraqi schools in our attempts to win the locals’ harts and minds.

Sgt. Gonell have proudly taken the oath to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States before he was a U.S. citizen and several times since throughout his life —first when he joined the U.S. Army Reserve, when I got promoted to Sergeant and Staff Sergeant in the Army, when he became a U.S. citizen, when he joined the U.S. Capitol Police, and most recently, when he was promoted to Sergeant as a law enforcement officer.   On January 6, 2021, Sgt. Gonell fulfilled his commitment to the United States once again by defending the U.S. Capitol--the Seat of Democracy--from the enraged violent mob incited by the former president.

Sgt. Gonell has honored his commitment and Oath to our Country at home and abroad and against foreign and domestic threats.