In November, we honor veterans who have served our country through the armed forces. South Windsor resident Joseph Aparo knows the impact of service more than most, and dedicated himself to protecting the United States over the span of a 20 year career in the military. This is his story.

Aparo enlisted in the military early, during the summer between his junior and senior year.

“I enlisted in the Army National Guard as a Private First Class at 17 years old,” Aparo said. Despite being under 18 years old, Aparo was able to join through parental permission.

“My father, the Command Sergeant Major of the 1-102nd Infantry Battalion, co-signed my enlistment to grant parental permission,” Aparo explained.

Once enlisted, he began drilling one weekend of each month before leaving for Basic Training on July 4th of 2001. Aparo was placed on hold, as a result of a large number of recruits, before completing both Basic and Advanced Training.

Aparo’s training was completed in November 2001, but during this training process, the September 11th attacks occurred. Like many Americans, the events of 9/11 significantly affected Aparo, and he refers to that day as “an event that forever changed the course of my military career.”

Upon completing training, Aparo reported to a local unit in Bristol, CT, where he volunteered for various state security missions. These missions included guarding the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant, the Gold Star Bridge, and the Connecticut Yankee spent nuclear fuel storage site.

“I also served on the State Quick Reaction Force (QRF), a unit kept on standby to rapidly respond to emergencies,” said Aparo.

Aparo’s volunteer missions were not limited to Connecticut, and in 2002 he provided security at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He worked on this mission alongside the United States Secret Service, performing gate checks at both the Olympic Village and Olympic event venues.

Aparo was activated to serve at West Point in the fall of 2002, and started working at base security, before transitioning to maintenance and construction responsibilities.

“My responsibilities included modifying generators and lighting systems to support ongoing operations,” Aparo said.

Joseph Aparo volunteered for deployment to Iraq while working at West Point, and was chosen through a competitive selection process.

“I was one of 30 Connecticut Infantry soldiers chosen to deploy with E Troop, 151st Cavalry Regiment, 36th Brigade Combat Team from Arkansas, attached to the 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas,” Aparo said.

Aparo deployed to Iraq at the rank of Specialist in 2004, arriving in Kuwait and traveling to Camp Cooke in Taji, Iraq. However, he had firsthand experience with combat shortly into his deployment.

“Within hours of arrival, we came under rocket attack. One platoon sergeant from Arkansas was killed, and my truck commander was severely wounded. My platoon immediately mobilized to locate and destroy the enemy position. On the return trip, we were ambushed – resulting in the death of Sergeant Felix Delgreco, Connecticut’s first casualty of the war. It was my first experience in a brutal firefight,”Aparo told The Prowl.

Throughout the rest of his deployment, Aparo primarily served as a gunner, operating either a machine gun or automatic grenade launcher in firefights. IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices, were frequently used by opposing forces during combat in Iraq, and were responsible for high numbers of injuries and fatalities among American soldiers.

Aparo witnessed many attacks of this nature firsthand, saying, “over the course of the deployment, I survived five IED attacks – two as a driver and three as a gunner – and was extraordinarily fortunate to walk away each time.”

An IED attack was also responsible for the loss of another Connecticut soldier on Aparo’s team, SPC Robert Hoyt, who was killed in battle in December of 2004.

“It was a heartbreaking loss, especially as our deployment neared its end. By the time we returned home, nearly everyone had been wounded in some capacity, and we had lost three soldiers in total – tragic, yet remarkably few given the intensity of our mission,” Joseph Aparo explained.

Aparo returned home shortly after this, and, like many soldiers, noted that readjusting to civilian life was a challenge.

“Many of us struggled to adjust, myself included, though over time I found my footing again,” Aparo said.

Aparo deployed once more in 2010, traveling to Afghanistan as a Staff Sergeant.

His unit was responsible for monitoring inbound and outbound traffic at Torkham Gate, the main border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Additionally, Aparo took part in multiple air assault missions, in which helicopters would insert groups onto mountain positions for “reconnaissance or combat operations.” The group suffered no Connecticut casualties during this deployment, which Aparo noted was “a tremendous relief.”

Upon returning home, Aparo was promoted to Sergeant First Class, and was assigned as a Platoon Sergeant within the Heavy Weapons Company. He also attended advanced courses, including Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station, or CROWS, training. This training teaches gunners how to remotely operate weapons. Additionally, Aparo attended the Senior Gunner Course, and received battalion-level gunnery range qualifications.

Aparo’s last activation occurred in 2020, as part of Connecticut’s COVID-19 response mission. He was partnered with a lieutenant to oversee distribution of COVID test kits across the state, to testing sites and nursing homes.

Sergeant Aparo served the United States for 20 years through the armed forces, retiring in August 2020.

“Saying goodbye to the uniform was bittersweet, but it was time to close that chapter of my life,” Aparo said.

Joseph Aparo reflected on the impact of his family, on his life and on his service.

“Throughout my career, my family was my foundation. I could not have accomplished what I did without the unwavering support of my wife, Christine, and our daughters, Kaleigh and Megan. They grounded me during the most difficult moments and reminded me of what I was fighting for,” Aparo explained.

This month, and every month, we thank Sergeant Joseph Aparo, and all our South Windsor veterans, for the service.

This story was originally published on The Bobcat Prowl on November 20, 2025.