First sergeant reflects on service and pride

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Barb Haynes
  • 916th Maintenance Group
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  I was standing in the check-out line at the shoppette and I noticed an older gentleman looking my way and he smiled. I smiled back and then he said, "Thank you for what you do." I have to tell you, my heart skipped a beat and I swelled with pride that he would speak those words to me. You've probably seen the famous commercial by Anheuser-Busch depicting the returning troops receiving a standing ovation in the airport. We have all probably read a similar story as the one I just told of being thanked by someone because they see you in uniform.

What makes you proud to serve? Maybe you're following in someone's footsteps. Maybe it's the sense of pride of wearing the uniform. I work at Camp Lejeune. You won't find a group of individuals more proud of wearing that uniform than a U.S. Marine. I attended a financial management conference at Camp Johnson in late February 2006. During the conference, one of the Marines in attendance was promoted to chief warrant officer. He requested the "pinning" take place at the Beirut Memorial right outside the gate to Camp Johnson. Right across the street is a veteran's cemetery, so you can see the significance of his request. The conference attendees were invited to attend the promotion ceremony. Little did we know it would take place at 7am on a very cold day in February.

While we stood with our coats buttoned up to our ears and our hands in our pockets, there stood this young Marine, without a coat, in the cold, being pinned by his wife and commanding officer. As I'm writing this, a chill runs down my spine. Not because I vividly remember how cold it was that morning, but because of where we were and what we witnessed on that day.

Maybe it's the sense of pride of serving your country. I remember the look on my parents' faces when they met me after I graduated from boot camp. I remember the words my dad said to me even clearer, "I always thought my son would go in the military, but I never dreamed my daughter would. I'm so proud of you!"

Yep, that's my dad!

He served in the Army and mom has pictures of him in uniform. He was so young - much like our young service men and women today. I was always impressed by those pictures of my dad. There were pictures of him in tanks in the snow in places like Germany and Korea. He never talked about his military service that much but you won't see him today without his ball cap that bears a U.S. flag pin and U.S. Air Force pin. The U.S. flag is flying in his front yard, there are bumper stickers all over his truck saying 'Support our Troops' and a smile on his face every time someone asks him about me and how I'm doing in the military. Yes, every one in the town of Newport, North Carolina knows Henry's daughter is in the military.

I'm most proud of my husband, Lee. He retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in May 2005 after serving 31 ½ years. All of that time was not in the Reserve, however. He tried to enlist in the Marine Corps when he was 17. They sent him home when they found out how old he was but he got his mom's permission and went right back to the recruiter. He gave them 12 years of active duty then went into the Coast Guard Reserve.

He loved, or should I say loves, the military. As a Marine, he saw action in VietNam - twice. While in the Coast Guard, he served during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He achieved the rank of master chief petty officer during his career. He led redeployment teams while attached to the Army in Kuwait. His expertise lies in port security and hazardous materials inspection. While deployed to Kuwait, he worked with some of our very own 916th Security Forces personnel. Small world!

I think one of the hardest things I've ever seen him do was put on that uniform for the last time when he retired on May 5, 2005. He was very quiet and reserved. When it came time for him to give his retirement speech, I was wondering if he would even be able to speak at all. But he did a great job. He talked about how proud he was of the people he served with, both here and abroad. He talked about doing the right thing all the time and protecting those who can't protect themselves. He talked about how much he loved being a part of the greatest military in the world. Can you tell I'm swelling with pride again?

I think of all these things when I watch the news and become discouraged by what I see happening in the world today. But then I remember why I serve. I serve a mighty God. He has allowed me to serve my country that I love and to help protect those, as my husband says, who can't protect themselves. Whether you serve here or abroad, you can be proud of the fact that you make a difference and sometimes that is enough.

I know there are many more reasons each of us is proud to serve. Take a moment to reflect on why you serve. The reasons may just astound you.