Father, son promoted on same day

Sierra Vista Herald, Sierra Vista Arizona ^ | Bill Hess

[SandRat]

FORT HUACHUCA — It was a father and son affair.

On Thursday, Thomas Eisenmann and his son, Justin, were promoted at a simple ceremony on the post. Thomas became a sergeant major. Justin entered the noncommissioned officers rank as a sergeant.

As for the new sergeant major, Col. Timothy Quinn said he was one of 34 soldiers holding that rank out of 5,500 in his intelligence field.

“That’s less than 1 percent,” said Quinn, the Intelligence Center’s chief of staff.

With an occasional comic’s touch, the colonel joked about the 305th Military Intelligence Battalion senior NCO, remarking on his tours and the fact he served as a first sergeant for four companies.

But the seriousness of the older soldier, who began his military career in the New York Army National Guard as a military policeman, is what led to his promotion to the top NCO pay grade, Quinn said.

After entering the active duty Army, Thomas Eisenmann spent his first years learning the ropes of how to become a leader, the chief of staff said.

“He did what a soldier does for (the first) six years, learning to be a soldier,” Quinn said.

Leadership came through a number of positions, as he went up the ranks, the colonel noted.

However, Quinn said he believes the reason Thomas Eisenmann was chosen to become a sergeant major was his experience and abilities as a first sergeant.

After Thomas Eisenmann’s father, James, who came to the event from Buffalo, N.Y., helped put on his new rank, the sergeant major said NCOs are responsible for not only being leaders of soldiers but mentors to help bring them into the NCO ranks.

One thing he learned in his early days as a soldier — with his National Guard and active duty time he has about a quarter of a century of service — is learning from sergeants and officers is important.

Saying he has been part of six command teams and has worked with people who have been his mentors, Thomas Eisenmann remarked one thing he learned was the importance of “surround(ing) yourself with the best soldiers you can.”

And those who helped him along his path to higher ranks instilled in him to always remember not to make changes for change sake without understanding how changes impact soldiers and “if you have to ask a question, you already know the answer.” In other words, don’t waste time.

Besides his father, other members of his family attended the event — wife Sandra, daughters Kellee and Katelyn and sons Corey and Justin. One son, James, an intelligence private first class, could not attend as his Fort Bragg unit is preparing to deploy to Iraq.

Before giving Thomas Eisenmann his new rank insignia, Quinn read a poem by General of the Army Douglas MacArthur about building a son.

The attributes of a good son is one who serves, learns and grows into manhood, according to MacArthur’s poem.

Quinn said he was reading the poem for Thomas Eisenmann’s father, James.

Left unsaid was the poem also applied to Thomas Eisenmann’s sons Justin and James, both on active duty, and Corey, who is not in the Army.

It was a proud father who gave Justin the three stripes of a sergeant, after Corey took off the young soldier’s specialist’s rank.

In previous days, the stripes would have been put on a soldier’s collar and then pounded by the presenter. On today’s battle dress uniform, the rank is worn center in the chest area.

Thomas Eisenmann pounded his son’s collar area, signifying part of the promotion tradition.

The new sergeant major said unlike him, Justin has had a tour in Iraq, where he served as a Signal Corps soldier.

“I haven’t been there, yet,” Thomas Eisenmann said.

As for the promotions, both of which officially took effect on Wednesday, the sergeant major said his son was going through a promotion board the day he was informed he had earned a place on the promotion list.

Their numbers came up for promotion on the same day as well.

In the Army there is another tradition that allows young NCOs to be able to speak to senior sergeants. Looking at his son, Thomas Eisenmann reminded him, “You have a direct sergeant major line.”

HERALD/REVIEW senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615.

[SandRat]

Sgt. Justin Eisenmann and Sgt. Maj. Thomas Eisenmann hold the younger soldier's certificate of promotion. The father and son were promoted Wednesday at a ceremony on Fort Huachuca. (By Bill Hess-Herald/Review)

[SandRat]

Serving as a Family

[El Gato]

On today’s battle dress uniform, the rank is worn center in the chest area. It's now called the Army Combat Uniform (ACU), not BDU.

After a couple of decades, almost, of using the same utility/battle uniform, the services are once again going their separate ways in that area.

[JOE43270]

God Bless them BOTH and this Airman sends a HHHHOOOORRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHH along.