5 minutes with... An operation Vacation Soldier

Name: Sgt. Roy Roland Jones III

Age: 27

Place of birth: Freeport, Texas

Branch of the military: Army, 3-16 FA 2BCT 4th ID

Family: wife Angela; and children, Savannah (age 4), Waylon (age 6) and Stetson (age 7)

When and why did you join the Army?
Nov. 10, 2004; Patriotism and being a part of the global war on terrorism

Where have you been deployed?
Iraq

Where was your favorite place you’ve been stationed?
Fort Hood, Texas

What experience in your travels overseas most surprised you?
The busyness of the Iraqi people is really amazing. The 10-year-old boys over there have jobs that 30-year-old men have here.

First thing you’d buy after winning the lottery?
A house for my rugrats and the family

What do you like to do in your free time?
Play guitar; we play putt-putt golf a lot with the kids; fish; and we do pageants with our daughter, which are fun. My wife makes all her costumes.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I’m not going to lie, I wanted to be GI Joe.
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received:
That education is important. I didn’t listen at first and had to go back and learn the hard way.

Any tattoos? What are they and what is the meaning behind them?
Yes, a brown recluse because I kind of keep to myself and don’t run with anyone else. I’m a loner, a family man.

If you could invite any three individuals in history to dinner, who would you invite, what would you serve, and what would you talk about?
President Bush, Willie Nelson and George Strait; I would serve T-bone steaks, green beans and mashed potatoes … Good, old-fashioned Texas food; and we would talk about anything but the war – golf, beer drinkin’ or something else besides Iraq.

What’s your most memorable military experience?
I was in Iraq talking with some of the locals and watching a soccer game and the Iraqi soccer players are very athletic. I expected to go over there and see a broken country and I was very surprised by the athletes.

What are you looking forward to doing while in Glenwood Springs?
Giving the family a break, learning how to ski, and sending the wife to get her hair done

Favorites

Movie: “Ground Hog Day” … I like how he won the girl in that movie.

Video game: Pocket Tanks

Breakfast cereal: Whatever the kids leave behind, mixed together

Music: Southern rock and country

Sport: Football

Team: University of Texas

Athlete: Vince Young

Food: Steak

TV show: “George Lopez Show,” “Family Guy,” and “The Simpsons”