Associated Press
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) - When Irma Ugrincic, a ballerina, and her husband, Predrag Jovanovic, a police officer, arrived in New York City from Bosnia-Herzegovina five years ago, they never could have imagined ending up in the New Hampshire National Guard.
They had no friends, no relatives and they barely could speak English.
They wanted a normal life - a job, a car, basic freedoms.
“Unfortunately, in our country that was not possible because of all the destruction and war,” Ugrincic said.
They lived in Chicago for a while, then about a year later they settled in New Hampshire. Ugrincic joined a Nashua-based ballet company. Jovanovic found a job working as an engineer in Manchester.
Then Jovanovic decided to join the New Hampshire Army National Guard, despite Ugrincic’s objections. She wanted to escape the arms and the uniforms.
“After four years of being at war, you just want to get away from that,” Ugrincic said.
“But I realized it’s not like you see in the movies; in the Guard it’s just a big family. People really care about each other.”
Jovanovic, 30, was called to active duty five days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and served as a flight medic aboard VH-60 Blackhawk helicopters with the 1159th Medical Company of the Army National Guard.
“I don’t think it’s enough to pay taxes,” Jovanovic said. “This country gave us the opportunity to start over again. This is a better way.”
Now, four years later, Ugrincic has signed up for duty.
Ugrincic volunteered to serve her new country in the New Hampshire Air National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing as a laboratory technician.
“I just think it’s a wonderful opportunity to give a little back to this country,” she said. “When we arrived here, we didn’t have anything. This country gave us opportunity.
“At first I thought about going into the Army, but, no offense, I just like the Air Force better,” she said.
The couple also applied for citizenship in January.