Father and Son Deploy Together For Operation New Dawn
(February 5, 2011) |
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| CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Feb. 3, 2011) - “I'd prefer to be with
him on a deployment,” said Spc. Jeffery Noble, truck driver,
428th Transportation Company, Joint Logistics Task Force 7,
1st Sustainment Brigade, referring to his son, Spc. Codie
Noble, truck driver, 428th Trans. Company, JLTF 7, 1SB. |
The two Bloomfield, Iowa natives deployed
together in October to southwest Asia in support
of Operation New Dawn.
Codie Noble
joined the Army Reserves in 2006. While he was
in basic combat training, he said he received a
letter from his father informing him that he had
joined the Army Reserves as well.
Jeffery Noble, who previously served in the
active duty Army, said his son inspired him to
join again.
“Well I'd been thinking about
it and he decided he wanted to do something and
he joined, and I thought that would be cool so I
joined and got the same unit he did,” said
Jeffery Noble.
“He got out because my
sister and I were really young and he got tired
of missing out
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Spc. Codie Noble (left)
stands next to his father, Spc. Jeffery Noble,
both truck drivers and Bloomfield, Iowa,
natives, 428th Transportation Company, Joint
Logistics Task Force 7, 1st Sustainment Brigade
on February 3, 2011. The Nobles are deployed to
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in support of Operation
New Dawn. |
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on everything,” said Codie Noble. “He got out
and raised a family and now here we are again.” |
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Simultaneous deployments bring comfort to the Nobles;
however, it also brings challenges back home. The father-son
duo is serving on their second deployment together, having
previously deployed in 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
“We volunteered for the first deployment
together and he worked the gun trucks and I stayed with the
[heavy equipment transporters],” said Codie Noble. “This
deployment, we both ended up staying in the line-haul unit.
We got the same [housing] and the same [area of operation].
He sleeps right across from me.”
Deploying together
as father and son has its perks for the Nobles. They agree
that they work well together because they share the same
work ethic and know each other well.
“He thinks a
lot like me when it comes to work,” said Jeffery Noble. “He
knows a lot of how I do things. When we're together, we're
on the same page so it makes it go a lot smoother. We work
well together. He's a good soldier. He does what he's told
and a lot of times he goes above and beyond what he's told.”
“I like it because really, no one will work like he and
I do,” said Codie Noble. “If I get put in charge of
something and I need someone to do it, I go to him first
because I know he's going to get it done and get it done
right the first time.”
In addition to working well
together, Jeffery Noble enjoys having his son so close
during the year-long deployment away from home.
“I
feel I have an advantage over most of the other guys,” said
Jeffery Noble. “If I get homesick, I just go talk to him and
it makes things a little better.”
During their dwell
time, the Nobles help tend their family's farm located in
Iowa. With both soldiers deployed, the family relies on
Jeffery Noble's wife and daughter to do the backbreaking
farm work, according to Codie Noble.
Jeffery Noble
said that keeping the family up to date while dealing with
everyday problems is also a challenge.
“You do what
you can and hope for the best,” he added.
“For my
mom, not only is her husband gone, but her son is too,” said
Codie Noble. “It was really hard at first but she got used
to it. And then she didn't think we'd be leaving so soon and
neither did we, and then, surprise, you're gone.”
It
would be natural for anyone to worry about a family member's
safety while driving the streets of Kuwait and Iraq.
However, these experienced veterans have confidence in their
unit and each other's ability to do their job successfully
and safely return from missions.
Codie Noble said he
doesn't worry about his father while deployed.
“He's
a man, he can take care of himself,” he added.
“Yeah
I worry about him out on the road but it's not to the point
that it drives me crazy because I know if something happens
out there, the rest of the guys in the unit are going to
take care of everything,” said Jeffery Noble. “Everybody in
our unit is like a big, happy family anyway.”
The
Nobles depend on each other to successfully accomplish the
mission and often seek advice from one another.
Codie Noble said he goes to his dad all the time for advice.
“Everything that I have done or think about doing,
he's already done it,” Codie Noble said. “Everything I know,
he taught me so I know all his little tricks.”
“As
far as the father-son situation, if he needs advice about
something I'm always here for him,” said Jeffery Noble. “I
don't care what time of day it is or where he's at or what
the advice is he needs. I'll give him advice if he needs it.
I don't ever try to waver his decisions. He's a big boy and
it's his decision. I just say what I would do.”
Jeffery and Codie Noble say they are looking forward to
getting back home to Iowa but for now they keep busy with
missions, working out and playing video games.
The
428th Trans. Company, a reserve unit headquartered in
Jefferson City, Mo., is scheduled to return to the U.S. next
fall. |
Article and photo by Army Sgt. V. Michelle Woods
1st Sustainment Brigade
Copyright 2011 | |
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through DVIDS
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