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GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand Province, Afghanistan (9/29/2011) –
Gunnery Sgt. Shay Henry stands with his legs just wider than his
shoulders and his hands on his hips. His head eclipses the rising
sun, but it's a momentary image. Other than when he is stuck behind
a desk, Henry never stays in one spot. As he would say, he ‘cruises'
Forward Operating Base Delhi, checking ongoing projects. From
working parties to base construction, his role is that of a leader.
Gunnery Sgt. Shay Henry shares a laugh with 1st Lt. Paul Trower
while sorting mail aboard Forward Operating Base Delhi here, Sept.
25, 2011. Henry, a native of Lewiston, Idaho, is the company gunnery
sergeant for Headquarters and Services Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd
Marine Regiment. Trower is the executive officer of H&S Company.
Photo by USMC Cpl. Colby Brown
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“I don't want to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I am more
of an initiative based person,” Henry said. “I don't think I am one
of those guys that's always sitting down and taking a break. For the
most part I am busy cruising around looking for ways to improve the
base, improve the quality of life for the Marines — you know just
always trying to be proactive.”
“You have to challenge
yourself everyday,” Henry added. “You know the mission needs to get
done, so be proactive and contribute everyday.”
The six-foot,
two-inch Lewiston, Idaho native has been in the Corps since 1995.
During his career, Henry has held multiple responsibilities,
deployed twice to Iraq, twice to Afghanistan, twice to Okinawa as
part of the unit deployment program and has been a drill instructor
and Marine security guard. His vast experience in all things |
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Marine Corps has earned the respect of the Marines aboard FOB Delhi. |
He stands a head taller than the average Marine at Delhi.
A lean build hints at a physical prowess. When spoken to,
even the battalion commander addresses him as “Gunny”. Henry
never issues an order; he just states a task knowing that it
will be accomplished. A perpetual pinch of smokeless tobacco
rests in the left side of his lower lip.
When he
walks, or properly ‘strides', his gait dwarfs any who try to
keep up. His uniform, despite how dirty the day before, is
clean and crisp every morning. The whiskers on his face
never breach his skin, more than likely out of fear. Henry's
eyes never judge or insult; they just hold an expecting
gaze, acquired after more than 15 years experience being a
Marine. All of these attributes create an aura about Henry
that could only be described as a gunnery sergeant of
Marines.
“Sometimes as a gunny, it's another day and
it's hard to get focused because you've been here for a
while,” Henry said. “But you just have to get out there and
do your job. If Marines see the gunny moping around, then
that's not going to bode well for the Marines under him
because they are going to say ‘shit, gunny's down in the
dogs.' It will be a thousand times easier for a lance
corporal, who stands in a turret all day or who has been
standing post for 12 hours a day, to become unmotivated and
complacent. It only takes a split second for something
really bad to happen. You never know when something could
happen out here, so you always have to be ready.”
A
‘gunny' is the Marine Corps social equivalent of a father.
They provide junior Marines someone to go to with
professional and personal problems, but at the same sets the
standard for personal and professional conduct.
Every Marine, whether enlisted or officer, knows the
expectation their respective gunny has of appropriate
behavior and can expect a stern ‘talking to' if they fall
out of line.
“When you're a junior Marine you're
always told what to do,” Henry said. “Then, as you progress...
you slowly start transitioning away from being told what to
do, to knowing what needs to get done.”
Henry's
deployment experience at Delhi has been different than in
years past. He is the company gunny for Headquarters and
Services Company with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. In
an infantry company, he had four platoons with four
respective platoon sergeants. This year he has more than 15
sections all of which have a staff non-commissioned officer
at the helm. Each section has a mission and its
accomplishment. Henry ensures each section has what they
need to accomplish their respective missions.
“I
always try to make sure I am squared away and let the
Marines in H&S know I am here to work just as much as they
are,” Henry said. “I'm not too good to get my hands dirty.
Hopefully when they are out on a working party, they see
that I am with them making sure it's getting done. I try to
always be energetic and positive, never do anything that
would bring the Marines down. Just always try to show a
presence for the guys.”
One thing Henry noted about
his job this year is the adjustment needed to work with
sections as opposed to platoons. Ultimately, Henry isn't
responsible for the Marines in each section. When he was in
an infantry company, if he had a task in need of completion,
he could pull any Marine to get it done — his word was law.
In H&S, he works alongside fellow SNCOs to complete the
needed tasks, receiving help when sections can lend a Marine
for a couple hours. But this hasn't daunted Henry, he is
known to everyone aboard FOB Delhi. And everyone knows what
Henry expects.
“There is a pretty good relationship
between me and the section heads,” Henry said. “We have a
good working relationship because everything is connected.
If one section goes down it affects everyone, so we work
together.”
Although Henry holds a position of power,
he expects Marines aboard Delhi to do more than just follow
orders.
He expects them to take the initiative, doing
what needs to be done today so they won't have to worry
about it tomorrow. He wants Marines to be able to correct
each other when something is wrong instead of waiting for
the gunny to come around and fix it for them.
It's
not Henry's way of pushing responsibility to other Marines;
it's just how he lives life. Henry practices what he
preaches, never waiting for orders — he is perpetually a
step ahead.
“All they way up through my career to
now, I am still learning what my leadership style is and
what my responsibilities and roles are,” Henry said. “It's
something you're always learning.”
As much as Henry
works, he isn't immune to letting down his guard. Henry
seems most relaxed when blasting a peer for the deficiencies
of their favorite football team. He has countless rivalries
with fellow SNCO's and officers alike. For Henry it's not a
question of who will win, its how the opposing team will
lose to the Seattle Seahawks, his team.
Back in the
states, when Henry isn't in uniform, he patrols the Hawaiian
boardwalks with the Henry Fire Team — AKA the Henry family.
He has been married to his wife six years and has two
daughters, aged four and two. On the wall behind his desk,
there is a collage of family photos, ‘on patrol,' and Henry
never fails to show off his favorite fire team.
His
wife has experienced four deployments with Henry, so she
knows which items to send in a care package. But Henry
doesn't rely on her experience just for a quality care
package. The separation from his family has brought to light
exactly what is important in life.
“Sometimes
separation draws you together,” Henry said. “You realize the
things that are actually important. We cherish smaller
things that are really important to us like family and being
together ... and reading stories to my kids or just hanging
out with my family and being around them.”
“I'm
missing my kids a lot,” Henry added. “Once you get married
and have kids, the things that were important before aren't
really as important anymore. Now, you live your life for
your kids, you want the best for them. But my wife does a
great job of taking care of our kids when I'm deployed, so
that helps me.”
When a junior Marine begins to
struggle with their relationship, Henry uses his experience
to help the Marine through.
“A lance corporal
motivator who just got married and his wife is 19 years old,
and is away from home for the fist time ... you know she
probably hasn't built up that support network like some of
the more senior wives have done,” Henry said. “It's tougher
for some of the junior guys if their wife is having problems
back home. That just adds more stress to some of the guys.
Especially when they might get a call that the car broke
down or the dog died or whatever it maybe; when he gets that
call his mind is going to be on the problems back home.”
But like everything Henry does, his experience in the
Corps gives him the leeway to advise almost everyone. He
takes care of his Marines with a comforting knife-hand, only
known in the relationship between a gunny and his Marines.
Since mid-April, Henry has tirelessly worked to
improve conditions at FOB Delhi and provide an atmosphere in
which the H&S company sections can comfortably operate. He
has played a large part in renovations and additions to
living areas, expansion of the base and quality of live
improvements for his Marines.
“Here, everyone works
day in and day out with a good attitude to accomplish the
battalion's mission of mentoring Afghan forces and ensuring
Garmsir is safe and secure for the local population,” he
emphasized.
Even with his tour coming to an end,
Henry isn't looking for a place to drop his pack.
Editor's note: First Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, is
currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, 2nd Marine
Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The
task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional
Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the
Afghanistan National Security Forces and the Government of
the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct
counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to
securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and
enabling the ANSF assumption of security responsibilities
within its operations in order to support the expansion of
stability, development and legitimate governance.
‘Through the Ranks,' is a series of feature articles about a
day in the life of a deployed Marine from 1st Battalion, 3rd
Marine Regiment. Each article will highlight an individual's
personal experience through the perspective of his rank.
This is the sixth article of the series.
By USMC Cpl. Colby Brown
Regimental Combat Team-5, 1st Marine
Division
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2011
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