Photo By 2nd Lt. Trenton Fouche | Sgt. 1st Class Britt Talley shares a smile while addressing attendees during his...... read more read more
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Sgt. 1st Class Britt Talley, a resource noncommissioned officer with the Illinois Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion (RRB), was honored during a retirement ceremony April 18 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.
Joined by family, friends, and colleagues, Talley retired after 31 years of military service. Over the course of his career, he served in a variety of roles, including infantryman, cannon crewmember, nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) instructor, howitzer section chief, squad leader, platoon sergeant, and S3 operations noncommissioned officer.
He also held multiple full-time Active Guard Reserve (AGR) positions, including leave and pay NCO, retirement services NCO, senior human resources NCO, and most recently, the RRB resource manager.
Lt. Col. Lance Frail, commander of the RRB, presented Talley with the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his leadership and dedication.
“The amount of time he’s spent in service is incredible, and for that we would be remiss not to mention his family,” Frail said.
“His mother, wife, children, grandchildren and so many others have supported him over the decades. It’s amazing to have that kind of love and support, even when his job may have caused him to miss significant life events. It means a lot to our organization when our Soldiers receive that kind of support from their families.”
Warrant Officer 1 Kate Durbin, a longtime colleague and friend, also spoke during the ceremony.
“Over the decades, Talley’s professionalism, integrity, maturity, and sound judgment earned him the respect and loyalty of those with whom he served,” Durbin said.
“He continually set an example for all Soldiers, enlisted and officer alike. His influence will have a lasting effect for years to come and reflects great credit upon himself, the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, the Illinois Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army.”
Talley thanked those in attendance for celebrating the milestone.
“When I enlisted in 1991, some of the people in this room weren’t even born,” Talley joked.
“I’m honored and grateful to have served with such a dedicated team. A friend of mine, Lt. Col. Dodsworth, once told me, ‘Surround yourself with smart people and they’ll make you look smart.’ I took that advice and ran with it. Thank you to the family members, Soldiers, and friends here for your continued support.”
Talley reflected on his career, recalling changes in uniforms, policies, and missions, but stressed that his support from family remained the same.
“What’s remained constant is my family,” he said. “My wife, children, and their families have been with me the whole time. That support has been the most important thing. My parents were there when I enlisted, and throughout my career, I always tried to prioritize Soldier care and family time.”
Talley’s son, Warrant Officer 1 Cody Talley, a Black Hawk pilot in the Illinois Army National Guard, was recently appointed as a warrant officer.
“I was able to present my son with his first salute,” Talley said. “Now I will salute him one last time before retirement. I’m extremely proud of the man he’s become.”
“My dad was such a role model for me growing up,” said Warrant Officer 1 Cody Talley. “He encouraged me to go after my goals. I’m proud of him, and it feels good that so many look up to my dad just as much as his children do.”
| Date Taken: | 04.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.18.2025 19:37 |
| Story ID: | 495704 |
| Location: | SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, US |
| Hometown: | SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
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