Fredonia native out of Afghanistan
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Col. Garrett Kolo of the U.S. Army Reserve had been in Afghanistan for a month until the troops stationed in Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East had begun to be rolled back. Now, Kolo finds himself stationed in Kuwait as he leaves Afghanistan behind.
Kolo, who graduated from Fredonia High School in 1987, has had a tumultuous time overseas, so much so that he didn't even tell his parents where he was. "He never told us he was in Afghanistan," said Kolo's dad, Anthony Kolo. "He was in an embassy for three months and in the airport for a month."
Kolo flew out of Afghanistan on Saturday morning, and with some bumps in the road, was able to land in Kuwait. While stationed in Kuwait, his job is to arm the Iraqi army against the Taliban, while also being in charge of flying in equipment for the Iraq army.
Kolo was one of the last people to leave, and in the process of leaving, a lot of equipment had to be left behind. Kolo's job overseas has been very personally taxing, according to his dad. "He said he was averaging two hours of sleep per night," Anthony Kolo said. "When he got on the plane, he sat on his rucksack and fell asleep on the plane."
Despite being from Fredonia, Kolo lives in Indianapolis where his wife is a part-time teacher at Purdue University, where Garrett Kolo's three daughters also attended at one point or another. Two of his children have already graduated from Purdue, while one daughter still remains. One is actually following in his footsteps.
"His wife and kids have been very supportive," said Anthony Kolo. "One of his daughters is in logistics, which is what he did."
Kolo was called up from his unit in Indianapolis before being assigned there, and is actually set to retire on May 1, provided he doesn't make the rank of general. Anthony Kolo said they are hopeful that Garrett will get to be home soon.
"The chances of becoming a general are very slim," said Kolo. "We hope this is one of his last things."