Photo By Staff Sgt. Tracy Smith | Staff Sgt. Paul A. Kellman receives a coin of excellence from the Georgia Army...... read more read more
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METTER, Ga. – With a nice morning run under his belt, Staff Sgt. Paul A. Kellman, claimed his place in the first morning accountability formation for his weekend’s Georgia Army National Guard responsibilities.
“I hate running,” Kellman, a warehouse supervisor for the Georgia National Guard’s Garrison Training Center, located at Hinesville’s Fort Stewart, said.
His chest expanding to savor more H2O, Kellman’s tongue-in-cheek remark was rooted in ironic truth as the Brooklyn, New York, native had completed a mini-marathon prior to reporting for duty.
The icing on the cake, which that love of sweet treats also factors in to his need for human speed, was that Kellman ran the "Spring into Health 5K" in Metter and won!
“I didn’t start running until I joined the military,” Kellman said.
His transition from four years on active duty with the 3rd Infantry Division to the Georgia Army National Guard was an easy decision for him and his wife.
They liked the area they called home so much solid roots were planted, and 14 years later they can’t imagine life without sweet Georgia air.
“Coming from the inner-city, running just wasn’t something a young guy does,” recalled Kellman of his pre-military upbringing.
Finishing with an impressive 22:44 minutes, the natural assumption is that the slight, noncommissioned always scores the maximum 300 points on his bi-annual physical fitness test.
Not true.
“Believe it or not, the run is where I have the most problems,” was the sheepish retort to that presumption. “I don’t reach my stride until after the first two miles.”
He missed a center stance on the winners’ podium, but the organizers for the race, the Statesboro Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., brought the podium, metaphorically speaking, to the Metter Army National Guard Armory.
The hometown 265th SGR was hosting a change of responsibility for its senior enlisted leadership celebrating the contributions of outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Lynward A. Hall and welcoming incoming Joe A. Jimmerson.
Jimmerson, along with the state of Georgia’s Army command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Stringfield, were happy to shine the spotlight on Kellman’s surprise presentation.
His medal around his neck, Kellman got more bling for his service to community and example as a leader with the state command sergeant major’s coin of excellence.
“Our sole purpose as a ready force is in support of those we work, live and serve with,” Jimmerson said. “When you have citizen-Soldiers who are willing to go the extra mile, we are not supporting that commitment if we do not show our willingness to tow the line right beside them.”
Puns aside, what’s next for the supply NCO?
“I’m training hard for the upcoming Savannah (Georgia) Rock and Roll Marathon and then the Army 10-miler in November,” Kellman added.
With the unit physical fitness test (PFT) in October, won’t he be exhausted from all that running?
“Well, I get my second wind after two miles,” Kellman mused. “Think I will advocate the sergeant major of the Army to increase our PFT.”
So, three miles?
“Why stop there?,” he ended.
Kellman will travel with the 265th SGR to South Dakota, May 31, as part of the show of support for the state’s National Guard operations during "Golden Coyote."
Why stop indeed?
| Date Taken: | 05.03.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.03.2014 17:20 |
| Story ID: | 128636 |
| Location: | METTER, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 159 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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