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Cousins In Arms - A Shared Service
by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kaylee Dubois
March 25, 2018
Nathaniel Layton grew up in Greenville, Tennessee, just a
half-hour away from Knoxville, Tennessee, where his cousin, Patrick
May, lived.
Although the boys only met once growing up,
today they are closer than ever and owe their chance to grow
together, personally and professionally, to the Army.
Coming
from a long line of military members, both men had a feeling they
would end up joining the military in one capacity or another.
Now a U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 assigned to the 97th
Transportation Company, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary),
Layton works as a chief engineer on a Landing Craft Utility vessel.
Furthermore, May, a Chief Warrant Officer 5, works as the
chief maritime qualification director for the Office of the Chief of
Transportation. The two never imagined they would end up working
together in the watercraft field.
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“I was an aviation mechanic
in the U.S. Marine Corps and loved everything about it,” said
Layton. “In 1995, they gave the choice of two different careers to
cross-train into, but I knew that I wouldn’t enjoy working in them.
I knew getting out was the best way to go.”
After ending his
service in the Marine Corps, Layton started his own contracting
business. While working in the civilian sector for 15 years, his
cousin worked his way up the ranks in the Army.
When the
economy declined in the early 2000s, Layton knew the only way to
support his family was to put the uniform back on, and the Army was
his way back in.
“I missed the Marine Corps the whole time I
was out,” said Layton. “The first day I put the uniform back on, it
felt like I had never left.”
With a few years already under
his belt, Layton knew he was ready to apply for a warrant officer
position. While confiding in his father about this decision, his
father told him to reach out to his cousin, Pat, who was already a
warrant officer.
Getting in contact with May was one of the
best things that he did to jump start his warrant officer career,
noted Layton. May helped Layton get his foot in the door, and soon
after, he was on his way to Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort
Rucker, Alabama.
“I suggested joining the watercraft field
because we are incredibly undermanned,” said May. “I knew Nate would
be the perfect fit for the job.”
For both the Soldiers, being
a mariner runs through their veins. They attribute their love of the
water to their ancestors, who were known as the King’s Watermen in
medieval England.
“I sometimes wonder if our gravitation
toward the field goes back to our past,” said May. “If not, it
certainly is quite the coincidence.”
From day one on the job,
May noted he was a natural on the water. Whether sailing boats or
fixing them, he had a knack for the craft, which he picked randomly
after enlisting after high school.
“I saw the video of the
watercraft field in the recruiter’s office and thought it would be a
cool job,” said May. “I fell in love with the mission, the boats,
the traveling, and 33 years later I’m still here.”
This
series of events led to the two Soldiers being stationed together at
Fort Eustis, where the primary mission is transportation.
Now
sharing the same mission, Layton and May spend time together often,
either helping each other in their field or just bonding over
remodeling a kitchen.
“I consider Pat one of my biggest
mentors, in and out of work,” said Layton. “He’s been a warrant
officer for most of his career and he’s an expert in his field.
Outside of work, he’s there for me 24/7 and vice versa. It’s great
knowing you have family close by.”
Both Chiefs suggest young
service members continuously seek out mentors throughout their
careers. Even as the most senior vessel director, May said he
wouldn’t be as successful without the people he leans on every day.
Creeping up to his retirement and with two trips around the
world on his resume, May says he’s ready to pass his legacy on to
Layton.
Although they didn’t share much growing up, now,
through their shared service, the cousins continue to keep the
nation’s waters and citizens safe by serving on the Army’s most
versatile vessels.
By
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kaylee Dubois
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2018
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