Father and son serve together

Photo By Sgt. Spencer Case | Sgt. Ricky Largent poses with his son, Sgt. Kermit Largent at LSA Anaconda, Nov. 17. The Largents are finishing their yearlong deployment with the 463rd Engineer Battalion. Photo by Spc. Spencer Case.  

12.01.2005

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

Spc. Spencer Case
207th MPAD Journalist


Over the course of the last year, Sgt. Ricky Largent and his son, Sgt. Kermit Largent have grown used to answering to nicknames like "Largent squared."

Since December 2004, the Elizebethton, Tenn. natives have been serving in Iraq with the 463rd Engineering Company. Soldiers serving with them say the two were rarely separated.

"Unless you put them on different projects, they were always together," said Sgt. 1st Class Ronnie Johnston, the platoon sergeant over the Largents. "And that worked out good because they worked well together."

The two supported Army and Marine Corps personnel at Logistical Support Area Anaconda and Al Asad Airfield. They often worked together on projects changing tires and repairing vehicles and water heaters. Ricky, 50, a maintenance supervisor for Carter County Tenn., said their service has made their relationship closer.

"We've roomed together, we've eaten together, we've become friends instead of just father and son," Ricky said.

The dynamic duo was separated for a period of about a month when Kermit, 26, was assigned to go to Combat Outpost Rawah from Sept. 12 to Oct. 6, to help set up tents for the Iraqi army.

"I went to the captain every few days and asked if he"d heard from him," Ricky said. "I was worried about him. I was proud of him, he was up there doing his job."

Though the deployment started just a year ago, Ricky and Kermit Largent's history of serving together began much earlier.

Ricky first enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1989 to further his career as an engineer. In 1997, Ricky's unit did an annual training project in which they installed tiles and a drainage system in an area with softball fields and tennis courts for Wytheville Community College in Wytheville, Va. Kermit visited the Reserve Center, where plans were underway, and the project impressed him.

"Whenever I got up there I said "wow, these guys are really helping out the community, this is great,"" Kermit said.

Kermit was so impressed he decided to become an Army engineer himself to pay for his computer science degree at East Tennessee University. On Sept. 1, 1997, Kermit enlisted in the Army. Ricky reenlisted the same day and the two took the enlistment oath together.

Since then, Ricky and Kermit drove 75 miles from Elizebethton, Va. to Marion, Va. to attend their monthly drills with the same unit, the 760th Engineering Co., which later became 463rd Engineering Company.

Kermit was deployed to Djibouti from March to December 2003. Ricky requested to go a long with his son, but he was denied.

"When I was on my first deployment, I only had myself to worry about," Kermit said. "Now I have both of us to worry about. The pro is that I have him with me. I still miss everybody at home, but it helps to have him with me."

Now that their first deployment together is coming to a close, the Largents are looking forward to seeing the rest of their family, Kermit's brother and Ricky's son, Joshua Largent, and Kermit's stepmother and Ricky's wife, Shannon Largent, Kermit's sisters and Ricky's daughters, Sharon and Deborah who live in the Elizebethton area.

"It's just great to do a deployment with your son," Ricky said. "We came to protect the United States and fight terrorism and we did that together."

• Date Taken: 12.01.2005
• Date Posted: 12.01.2005 06:58
• Story ID: 3916