Photo By Staff Sgt. Brina Jenkins | Command Sgt. Maj. Wesley Townsend (center), senior enlisted advisor, Special Troops...... read more read more
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FORT KNOX, Ky. - The Soldiers, Civilians, and Families of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command extended a fond farewell to Special Troops Battalion Command Sergeant Major Wesley Townsend at his relinquishment of responsibility ceremony, Mar. 18, 2025. Townsend retired after 24 years of service with a decorated career as an enlisted Soldier.
Originally from Amelia, Virginia, Townsend attended college at the Virginia Military Institute before ultimately deciding it wasn’t the right fit, opting instead to figure something else out for a couple years, “I didn’t have any type of direction, so I joined the military to force me into something I couldn’t quit, to get away from bad influences, and because I wanted to travel. I went to a recruiter and haven’t looked back since.”
Townsend enlisted in September 2000 as a heavy-wheel vehicle mechanic and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, which was his first time moving out of state.
“When I joined, I was going to do one enlistment. After everything happened with Sept. 11, we were sent to Germany and Poland, then to Iraq to download the ships before the invasion,” said Townsend. “After that, I deployed to Iraq for the initial surge. I realized I wasn’t done, that there was more I wanted to do. I told myself as long as I continue to love what I’m doing; I’m going to keep doing it.’”
Townsend initially planned to retire after 20 years of service, but at the 18-year mark, he was selected to promote to Sergeant Major and decided to keep going beyond 20 years. Throughout his service, he fulfilled his desire to travel and was stationed in various commands around the U.S. and in other countries across Europe and the Middle East. He eventually made it back to school, earning a liberal arts degree at Excelsior College.
The extensive travel and investment in education allowed Townsend to evolve his worldview. As he progressed in rank and his aperture expanded, so did his philosophy on leadership. Having spent a significant portion of his career as a senior NCO, Townsend emphasizes the importance of quality leadership. “Always take care of your Soldiers. They’re the ones that do most of the hard work. If you take care of them, they’re going to take care of you and of the mission.”
One of the many memorable missions during his time with the 1st TSC was participating in the Native Fury 24 multi-lateral exercise in Saudi Arabia, “I traveled to CENTCOM in the Command and Control node as part of the exercise with the Marines,” recalled Townsend. “I love the field and love that austere environment where all they had were tents. It took me back to when I first deployed in 2003.”
Although he has no specific plans for retirement, Townsend hopes to continue working with the military, “I love what I do, I love to be around Soldiers, and provide advice, mentorship, and guidance. If I am somewhere tied to the military where I can continue to help, I will be happy. I will go wherever I am called upon.”
The hardest part of retiring for Townsend will be stepping away from the military and the 1st TSC, “I care about everyone in the organization: their personal life, their professional life, and where they’re going next. Saying goodbye is hard, so it’s more like ‘see you later.’ I’ve always said, ‘if you need me, my number will never change. Just call me, and I’ll be there.’”
Before hanging up his uniform for the last time, Townsend imparted some final words of advice to young Soldiers and NCOs, “make sure you have balance in life, you can spend all your time at work, but you’re going to end up sacrificing somewhere else and if you don’t try to figure out the balance, somewhere you’re going to suffer more than others,” said Townsend. “Balance is key.”
During his relinquishment of responsibility ceremony, Townsend was presented the Legion of Merit Medal by Maj. Gen. Eric P. Shirley, commander of the 1st TSC, for exhibiting “phenomenal leadership, professionalism, initiative, dedication, and technical expertise, along with sincere concern for the welfare of Soldiers.” The Legion of Merit is only awarded to members of the Armed Forces for exceptionally outstanding conduct in the performance of meritorious service to the United States.
We congratulate Command Sgt. Maj. Townsend on a successful career and thank him for his commitment and service to our nation. Patton’s Own, First Team!, Take PRIDE!
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2025 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 493458 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Hometown: | AMELIA, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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