Who I was
Hello everybody, my name is Tommaso
Troia and, like many of you reading here, I have been lucky enough to be one of
Mrs Spila’s pupils in my high school years.
In high school I was quite a good
student with a passion for swimming, Maths and Physics, who loved studying the English
language but not English poetry and literature. I particularly enjoyed pushing
Mrs Spila’s patience to the limit, which is why our beloved teacher will hardly
ever forget about me. J
I also spent my spare time playing
Magic The Gathering, and studying some computer science on my own.
My Choice
I have to say, I didn’t think about
my future much till the fourth year of high school, since I was pretty sure that
whatever was in my future, it would be great.
It was right in the middle of my
fourth year of high school that I clearly realized what my dream job was. A
tough one, both physically and mentally challenging, but with strong values and
sound rules to follow. Thus, when I
asked myself what I was going to do in my life, I clearly saw that my choice
could be no other than to join the Army. So I started dreaming of entering the
Military Academy of Modena.
Of course, as I had made my mind, I visited
the Italian Army official website and found all the information I needed to
enlist, which is what I did. So, since first step was to pass a series of tests and exams of
different types, I started studying and doing some extra exercise to pass whatever
test I was to go through.
Military Education
I succeeded and was admitted as a
cadet in the Military Academy of Modena just a few months after finishing my school
– leaving exams.
In the first two years everyday life was not relaxed or relaxing, as for
any cadet, especially during the first one, when you feel more all the changes respect
to your previous life. With so many things to do and such a short time to do
them all, always running from here to there, from physical training to
university classes you can guess it was not easy.
Furthermore, in the Military Academy,
you receive the basic training to be a good
soldier and an officer, which is one of the most engaging part. I did things that I thought I would never be able
to and was taught to challenge my limits.
Military Academy is also a place for
strong emotions, which I recall with deep pleasure, and where some friends and
ties are built that will hardly ever get lost.
After two years in Modena, cadets
are appointed officers and go to the
Scuola di Applicazione, in Turin, to complete their military education. So did I, being appointed an officer in the
Italian Army Signal Corps.
In Turin I also took my oath to the
Italian Republic, which I consider one of the most important days of my life.
Then three years of specialized education ensued,
which I really loved, and I could not better express how much if not quoting “find a job that you like, and you will never
work a single day of your life”.
So my three years in Turin ran away
fast, both for the city, which is wonderful, and for the wonderful friends I
spent them with. I am convinced that I started military education entering the
Academy as a boy, and came out of it a man, after five fantastic years.
And next …
Upon completing my military
education, I was assigned in Rome to finally
serve in active duty, which made me truly happy because I felt I was going to
get the best from my job, with the great chance to be at the same time close to
my family.
I now feel I receive lots of opportunities to grow up in my job every day and have already served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2014.
Let me then conclude that, despite I
have obviously met some obstacles in these years, I’ve also learnt how to face
and how to overcome them. My work in the
Army has made me a man I may be proud of.
What job would you like to try if you weren't an officer?
ReplyDeleteI had not pushed my planning so far to decide what I wanted to be if I failed the race to enlist, I just had made my mind to go to university and study Aerospace Engineering
DeleteWhat was the most satisfied part of your military education?
ReplyDeleteI have to honestly say that I am not able to clearly identify the one part of my education and training which most gave me proud and satisfaction...
DeleteWhy have you wanted to became a solider since you were a child?
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I did not write I wanted to be a soldier since I was a child...
DeleteI just took my decision when I was maybe 17 years old =)