 Thomas Morga
Local Guardsman fulfills call
BY MARIA HERNE, Staff Writer
Sgt. Keith S. Pogash is sacrificing his holiday season so that others can enjoy theirs.
As a sergeant in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, the 26-year-old Saint Clair man is on active duty at Philadelphia International Airport with the 1st/213th Division, Air Defense Artillery, Pottsville, for the next several months.
He'll be standing guard at airport security checkpoints in the terminal during the busy holiday air travel season.
Although the events of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack are still fresh in the minds of most Americans, Pogash is hoping the presence of the National Guard will help ease fears about flying.
Unfortunately, by accepting these duties, Pogash will have to curtail the time he usually spends on Christmas with his wife, Sheila, 24, and his family.
But even so, Pogash said he is proud to serve his country in this manner.
"I am honored to have been chosen from so many men and woman who answered the call," he said. "There are a few things I have to put on hold for a while, especially spending time with the most important person in my life, my wife, Sheila. However, she's extremely understanding and supportive of my role in the Guard."
It is not the first time that Pogash's military duties have separated the couple, who have known each other for nine years and were married 18 months ago.
For two years, from 1993 to 1995, Pogash served active duty with the U.S. Navy, aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz (CVN-68), with its homeport in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.
"I'm very proud of him and I have always tried to be supportive of him, because I know this is something he really wants to do," Sheila said.
When the call came for volunteers at the end of September, there was much to consider before he accepted.
Pogash was right in the middle of campaigning for a seat on Saint Clair's Borough Council in the November election, a goal he felt very strongly about.
He was unsuccessful in that bid, but he vows to continue to be actively involved in local government by attending council meetings regularly and volunteering where he's needed in the community.
Pogash worried how the decision would affect his new family and their financial responsibilities. After all, they have a new house, and of course, a mortgage to consider.
He also hoped his employers at his new job at Tamaqua Cable would be understanding of his military responsibilities.
Fortunately, all the details at home were worked out, and Pogash was able to report for duty on Sept. 29.
He was assigned to airport security.
The positive responses from the folks back home have made all the difference in bolstering his morale, Keith said.
"When I told them at my job that I would be reporting for duty, they were really supportive," he said. "And my whole family has been very supportive, too."
Pogash comes from a family of civic-minded individuals.
His father, Francis Pogash, served four years in the Marines; his mother, Catherine, served on the Saint Clair School Board for 12 years.
And his late grandfather, Jack Whitford, a Saint Clair native, was a World War II Army veteran and a former Saint Clair Borough Council member in the 1940s.
The young couple admits it will be difficult, but they're willing to adjust to the situation.
"I'm going to really miss him, because he's not going to be around during the holidays much, but I'm still going to decorate the house and put up a tree this year," Sheila said.
"We'll still be able to spend some time on Christmas together," Pogash said.
During the week, Pogash said he usually stays at a hotel with other National Guardsmen. But if he has off the next day, he usually heads home.
Sometimes, he will be off-duty two days in a row, so on these occasions, the couple plans special outings or goes out to dinner.
The couple's 3-year-old German Shepherd dog, Dakota, has been especially protective of her since Keith has been away, said Sheila.
"He's always by my side," she said.
Standing guard for hours may sometime get tedious, but Keith finds it has its rewarding moments.
He savors the smiles and words of appreciation he gets from passengers who tell the soldiers they are grateful for the National Guard's presence in the airport.
"The first day we started, you can't imagine how many people came up to us and said "Thank you for being here," Pogash said. "The other day I signed my first autograph. That made my day."
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