|
ARLINGTON, Va. - “I had no idea that she was going to join, but
just by watching her grow up, I knew that she had the potential to
do great things in service to the country,” said Command Sgt. Maj.
Dewayne Blackmon of his daughter, Denae. “Now we share this common
passion of patriotic duty.”
|
Command Sgt. Maj. Dewayne Blackmon (right), command sergeant major,
4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), and
daughter, Pfc. Denea Burkes (left), supply specialist, Headquarters
and Headquarters Company, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old
Guard), pause for a photo after her basic training graduation
ceremony Oct. 4, 2012 at Fort Jackson, S.C. These soldiers currently
serve in the same unit together on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall,
Va. (Courtesy Photo)
|
Blackmon not only has the distinct privilege of serving
in the same Army as his daughter, Pfc. Denae Burkes, but he
also serves together with her in the 3rd U.S. Infantry
Regiment (The Old Guard).
Burkes, supply specialist,
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd U.S. Infantry
Regiment (The Old Guard), enlisted into the U.S. Army in
March 2012, attending basic combat training (BCT) at Fort
Jackson, S.C.
Basic Combat Training is a nine-week
training course that transforms civilians into soldiers.
With all the stressors of military training and life, Burkes
reached out to someone who she knew would understand: her
father.
“We wrote letters to each other throughout
her time there,” said Blackmon, command sergeant major, 4th
Battalion, 3rd U.S Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). “She
would tell me about her day and how she was homesick. I
would just encourage her to make it through.”
Burkes
said having a father who understood what she was
experiencing was the light that helped guide her along the
way.
“My dad always told me to work hard and just
don't quit when you are dealing with adversity. It is our
family motto,” said Burkes. “BCT and advance individual
training (AIT) wasn't hard for me, especially when you know
so many people who have made it.”
Burkes received
word that she would be assigned to the same unit as her
father days before graduating from AIT.
“I was
excited. My dad told me a lot about The Old Guard, but I
didn't really understand it all at first,” said Burkes. “I
was just happy that this unit was bringing my father and me
closer.”
Being assigned to the same unit has been a
great opportunity for Burkes to bond with her father.
However, they haven't let their proximity to each other
affect them professionally.
“It was very strange to
call him sergeant major and not daddy all the time, but
that's the rank he has earned,” she said. “It is just a
balance that we had to adjust for.”
Burkes said she's
also able to relate to her dad a lot more.
“Our
conversations have really changed in a good way,” said
Burkes. “I think it is funny that we can share funny
training stories together now. I really enjoy having him
here to talk to about the military in general and about
life.”
Burkes said her entire view of her father has
changed also. Now she has a new appreciation for him.
“I thought I had a good understanding of what my dad was
doing for us everyday when I was younger. He went to work,
came home, and he occasionally deployed,” said Burkes. “It's
not until I laced up my own boots and walked a few miles in
his shoes that I realized all his sacrifices. He makes me so
proud to be in the military.”
Blackmon and Burkes
aren't the first in their family to serve the country with
pride and dignity.
“One of my brothers is an Army
captain in Korea right now. My other brother medically
retired as an Army sergeant first class,” said Blackmon. “My
father was an Air Force chief master sergeant and has 28
years of service. My grandfather served in World War II.
What can I say, but we like to serve?”
Being in the
military has become almost like a tradition for this family.
However, Blackmon insisted it wasn't something he forced on
his family and children.
“I think my family
gravitates toward the service simply because of the values
in which we were raised. It fits very well with a military
lifestyle,” said Blackmon, who is now in his 23rd year on
active duty. “We talk about responsibility, accountability,
family stability and of course, love and communication.”
Blackmon highly regards having a family line that is
intertwined with this nation and its military, but nothing
has meant more to him than to watch his daughter accomplish
her goals.
“She has strong character. She knows who
she is and who she wants to be,” said, Blackmon. “I couldn't
be more proud of what she has done and continues to do for
her family and country.”
By U.S. Army Sgt. Luisito Brooks
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
Comment on this article |
