Brothers Come In With A ‘Storm' And Leave At ‘Dawn'
(April 3, 2011) |
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| CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (March 30, 2011) — This is not just
another deployment for two brothers, it is a historic
deployment as well. Clay Massengale from Chickamauga, Ga.,
and John A. Massengale from Ringgold, Ga., both are assigned
to the 230th Sustainment Brigade headquartered out of
Chattanooga, Tenn. |
The 230th Sustainment Brigade has been tasked
with the robust mission of logistical
sustainment of units in Kuwait, Iraq and
Afghanistan, while engaging in a responsible
drawdown of equipment and infrastructure out of
the Iraq Theater. Not only is this a large scale
mission, drawing down a sizeable coalition
footprint established over the last 8 years, but
it is also the Massengale brothers last
deployment.
The brother's first
deployment was at the beginning of Operation
Desert Storm. Clay was a Staff Sgt. and the
assistant section chief for the Radio Teletype
section. He was assigned to Headquarters
Battery, 196th Field Artillery Brigade, while
John A. was a Sgt. 1st Class and the Motor
Sergeant assigned to Headquarters Battery,
1-181st Field Artillery Battalion. Even though
they |
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Sfc. John A. Massengale from Ringgold, Ga., stands with his younger brother Command Sgt. Maj. Clay Massengale from Chickamauga, Ga., on March 16.
2011 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. The brothers are on their second and final deployment together before retiring from the National Guard. |
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were in different batteries, they were still in
the same unit and were able to see each other. |
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Now during their final deployment, John A. is a Sgt. 1st
Class and the Motor Sergeant for Special Troops Battalion,
and loves his job here; while his little brother is the
Command Sgt. Maj. for the same battalion. Clay also
completed another deployment in 2007-2008 at Camp Bucca,
Iraq with the 1-181st Field Artillery Battalion, without his
brother John A.
The brothers like to tease and joke
around with each other, older brother picking on younger
brother; younger brother out-ranking older brother, teasing
him. They say their relationship has grown stronger since
they have both been in the National Guard. “He's a sergeant
major and I respect that,” said John A. “But I still, every
once in a while, I got to throw in ‘I'm calling Mom.'”
They are both very proud of each other. Clay, commenting
on what he respects about his older brother, said “His
longevity. 40 years in the service of our country. That's
pretty High-Speed. And his willingness to overcome the
physical wear and tear on his body, that's tough.”
“I
am so proud of him,” commented John A. “I gave him some
goals when he came into the Guard and told him how to
succeed in life. He took on these goals and persevered in
many ways.”
Commenting on their latest deployment,
John A. said, “I saw the beginning of this war in Desert
Storm and now I'll see the end of it with the soldiers
coming out of Iraq.” |
Article and photo by Army Sgt. Shannon R. Gregory
230th Sustainment Brigade
Copyright 2011 | |
Provided
through DVIDS
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