Staff sergeant comes to Glenwood for first family vacation in six years

Operation Vacation is a program that brings to the Roaring Fork Valley military personnel who have fought overseas. Bob Johnson, a Realtor for Vicki Lee Green Realtors, in Glenwood Springs, coordinated with the Army to create the program that hosts soldiers in Glenwood every month. Local businesses have donated dinners, entertainment, outdoor activities, lodging and transportation for Operation Vacation participants. For more information about the program, visit www.operationvacation.org.



<B>Name:</B> Staff Sgt. John Eggleston

<B>Age:</B> 33

<B>Branch of the military and division:</B> Army, Second Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, Second Brigade Combat Team

<B>Birthplace:</B> Ogden, Utah

<B>Family:</B> Wife, Tanya, and four children: Jake, 13; Samantha, 11; Kaycee, 9; Rachel, 4; and a fifth child on the way (due in June)

<B>How long have you been in the Army, and why did you join?</B> 11 years; because I wanted to jump out of an airplane

<B>Where have you been deployed?</B> Bosnia; and Baghdad and Ramadi, Iraq

<B>When you were being deployed, what did you miss most about home?</B> Definitely my wife and kids

<B>Where is the most memorable place you've visited in the world?</B> Royal Gorge (Bridge and Park). When we went up on that bridge, it was pretty amazing.

<B>As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?</B> I think firefighter was what I wanted to be when I was a kid.

<B>What do you like to do in your free time?</B> Spend it with my wife and kids. My daughter does cheerleading, so we do that a lot. And we go camping up 11 Mile Canyon, about an hour and a half outside of Colorado Springs.

<B>What are you looking forward to doing while in Glenwood Springs?</B> Everything: the tram, the Hot Springs Pool. Hopefully, if the weather's good, my daughter and I — and maybe my son — will paraglide. I can't believe all this stuff there is to do. It's awesome.