Looking after Soldiers, doing the right thing, a strong belief in God, hard work and dedication to country are just some of the things Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Eady, logistics sergeant major, Third Army, has lived by for over 30 years.
Growing up in Valdosta, Ga., Eady witnessed how working hard was beneficial and built character as he often worked 16-hour days in the tobacco fields. There, at the age of 5, Eady earned but $3 per-day as a laborer as the oldest of four children.
God was always at the forefront of everything that went on in the Eady household, and his parents and grandparents used the church to instill in him the difference between right and wrong.
By the age of 18, Eady was working two full-time jobs. While back in Valdosta doing home town recruiting for the Army, one of Eady's friends urged him to enlist. At first Eady was hesitant, but after 10 of his high school classmates joined, he too decided to give Uncle Sam a chance where he would soon find his calling as a Soldier.
"At basic training, I realized how easy this Army stuff was," said Eady. "After working hard in Georgia growing up, my days were always mentally and physically demanding, so going into the Army was an easy transition for me."
"I told my first drill sergeant early on that I'd love to enlist for 20 years right now if I could," he added with a chuckle.
Eady quickly began to move up the ranks in the logistics field as his Army travels took him to such places as Korea, Germany, Egypt, Turkey, Kuwait and Iraq.
"I have been in and out of the Middle East since Desert Storm in 1990," explained Eady. "This region is like a second home to me."
At home, Eady has a wife, Alice, and six children.
"I urge all my kids to enlist in the military," said Eady. "I tell them if you work hard and do the right thing in the service, the rewards you get out of it are truly amazing."
Eady will end his tour in Kuwait in February, and will soon retire with over 30 years of service. His departure will be felt by the junior enlisted Soldiers serving under him.
"He has kept me squared away and focused on finishing college," said Spc. Jeremy Gross, logistics specialist, Third Army. "He has been very patient with my growth as a Soldier, and that means a lot to me."
"I'm not going to get a better boss," he added.
Eady's post-Army goals back home in Georgia are to farm the 250 acres of land he owns and pursue the dream of becoming the first black mayor of Valdosta.
"Maybe I will become mayor and maybe I won't," said Eady. "But I will be paving the way for other people of color to have that opportunity, which is what you do when you are a true leader."
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2010 10:27 |
| Story ID: | 47533 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 343 |
| Downloads: | 263 |
This work, Eady leaves legacy of leadership at Third Army, by SPC Brandon Babbitt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
