Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely | First Sergeant Eugene A. K. Patton poses with the Sergeant Audie Murphy Award...... read more read more
There’s first sergeants, then there’s Sergeant Audie Murphy Club first sergeants like Eugene A. K. Patton, 100th Missile Defense Brigade, (Ground-based Midcourse Defense) who goes above and beyond taking care of the Soldiers in his brigade.
It’s a job he doesn’t take lightly, and one that carries a lot of responsibility. I recently had a chance to sit down and speak to Patton to gain some further insight into his background, why he enjoys being a first sergeant, and his fondness for Army Space.
Q: Where are you from?
A: Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Q: How long have you been in the Army and what have been some of the highlights?
A: 18 years, 15 years and four months active (National) Guard.
Q: What are some of the highlights of your career thus far?
A: As a specialist, I won the Colorado National Guard Soldier of the Year, competing all the way to U.S. Army Forces Command where I took second. As a noncommissioned officer, I won the Colorado National Guard NCO of the Year three times, placing second at 1st Army and the National Guard Bureau. I have completed my associates, bachelors, and masters degrees, thanks to tuition assistance, with a 4.0 GPA. I hold five MOSs, 13M (MLRS Crewmember) 35M (HUMINT Collector) 35F (All Source Intel Analyst) 25B (IT Specialist), and 14S (Avenger Crewmember). I deployed to Iraq as a human intelligence HUMINT team leader, and I also deployed to Bahrain as an advisory team leader.
Q: For many a Soldier, it’s the deployments that sometimes define their career, as it’s during these times when they often are thrown challenges they never expect, sometimes under fire. Can you touch on your two deployments a little bit?
A: Iraq was 2009-2010, and I deployed with B Company, Special Troops Battalion, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. We were assigned to a field artillery battalion on a combat outpost (COP) just south of Baghdad. Unfortunately the battalion did not know how to use our team, so we had to train them up in HUMINT activities and what we offered the command. The team we replaced had stopped conducting HUMINT operations per regulation and standards which required us to rebuild the HUMINT footprint on the COP. We were a three-man team and were expected to cover the COP as well as an outlying post the battalion had ownership of.
Bahrain was 2016-2017, and I deployed with 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). I was one of four intel analysts that we took on the deployment. This was a joint mission and we were attached to Navy Special Warfare. Our operations took me to Bahrain, United Arab Emirate, and Saudi Arabia. My time was split between writing intelligence reports and assisting our allies in their operations.
Q: How did it make you feel when you were inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club?
A: At the time I was a member of the 117th Space Battalion and the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD) Command Sergeant Major, then CSM Russell Hamilton, had heard of my Soldier and NCO of the Year successes. He asked me if I would participate in his SAMC Board. While we were not directly assigned to the 100th at the time, we fell under SMDC and I was able to participate. It was a great honor to have a sister unit’s CSM recognize me and encourage me to participate.
Q: How would you describe the feeling you get being a first sergeant? What do you get out of it?
A: Being a first sergeant is great responsibility. It is your job to ensure the Soldiers in your ranks are taken care of and identify better ways to make sure there is a balance between work and family. During COVID, this became extremely difficult when our crew members were required to sequester away from their family for 12 days before getting eight days at home. As a command team, we were in continuous contact with members of the brigade to make sure they and their families were taken care of. While a first sergeant is a battery level position, being the headquarters, headquarters battery first sergeant for the brigade often times means I am taking care of everyone within the brigade, not just at the battery level. I am proud that I was selected for this position and it makes it all worth it when I am able to take care of Soldiers. It is not a position that should be handled lightly as you are the example for those within your command. The health and welfare of your unit members falls directly in your lane when you serve as a first sergeant.
Q: What are your hobbies and sports?
A: Home improvement, camping, hiking, time in the gym, hiking the Manitou Springs Incline, and time with the family.
Q: What’s the family comprised of?
A: My wife, Alison, my sons, Reid (age 32), Bryce (30), Jayce (21), daughter Sydnie (25), and my twin step sons Brett and Jacob (22).
Q: What do you like about SMDC? What is it about the space domain?
A: Being a member of the 100th MDB (GMD) is very humbling. Knowing that your Soldiers provide the only current defense against intercontinental ballistic missiles is daunting. They often say “the 300 protecting the 300 million” when discussing our brigade. This places extra emphasis on ensuring the health and welfare of our members. SMDC as a whole is vital in the defense of our nation. Leveraging space and ground-based sensors and assets provides the command with the necessary data and information to successfully complete its mission. It is the use of space-based assets that we are able to receive the most timely and accurate information. I am proud to say I am a member of the brigade and do my part in the successful completion of our no-fail mission.
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2021 11:21 |
| Story ID: | 393730 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 126 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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