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Soldier boosts morale with kind words

Photo By Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda | Spc. Kenneth Slade (right) and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bruce Millsap, the food...... read more read more

02.10.2006

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

He has become Logistical Support Area Adder's most recognized Soldier by exercising something his parents instilled in him as a child: kindness.

Spc. Kenneth Slade, a food services specialist with the 1116th Transportation Company, is easily the most visible person on Adder. Standing at the entrance of the dining facility, the 47-year-old New Yorker has become famous while conducting guard duty, a job that most Soldiers dread. With a smile and quick wit at hand, he is being called one of the most motivated individuals the Army has seen.

"In my 19 years in the military, I've never, ever, seen anybody as happy, just happy and motivated 24 hours, as Slade," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bruce Millsap, the food services advisor for American forces in southern Iraq.

The crowd of servicemembers, coalition troops, and civilians who eat breakfast and lunch at LSA Adder's dining facility are noticing his enthusiasm. Slade's commanders have received dozens of letters commending him for his motivation.

"Specialist Kenneth Slade's outgoing disposition, unique brand of customer service, and willingness to go the extra mile make coming to a meal at the DFAC a true dining experience," wrote Air Force Col. Sharon Gann, the installation's engineer. "His enthusiasm as he greets patrons and inquires about their day is absolutely contagious and it is obvious he enjoys what he's doing. My team and I look for his friendly face each day at the DFAC and are rewarded with a smile at the beginning of our day."

"I have been dining at the DFAC for nearly eleven months; however, I have not seen a U.S. Soldier who is so courteous and who takes so much pride in making people feel welcomed like Spc. Slade," wrote Maj. Terri Holloway-Petty, the officer in charge of Task Force 86.

Many call his positive attitude a boost to everyone's morale.

"In this rather austere theater where we are all far from home, he brings an infectious positive sprit to everyone entering or leaving the dining facility, and that is good for morale," wrote Air Force Lt. Col. Dave A. Kolmer, deputy commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's Gulf Region Southern District.

Born in the Bronx to a maintenance clerk and a stay-at-home mother, Slade was the fourth of six children in his household. His mother, a devout Baptist, taught the kids the importance of making the most of their conditions.

"It was a beautiful life because our parents taught us to be close. We were raised to be kind to people," Slade said. "And we valued everything we had. If we had 50 cents, we were excited, you know, it's just all about your attitude."

He's applied those principles to his military career. Shortly after graduating from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., Slade joined the Army Reserve as a cannon crew member. He spent 11 years drilling at Ft. Tilden, N.Y. Then, in 1991, he switched military occupations and became a cook. He deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Desert Storm, and his service there earned him a Bronze Star. When he returned from Saudi Arabia, he joined a Special Forces group out of Newport, N.Y., and he spent some of his proudest military moments, he said, jumping out of planes with 'the elite." By 1993, he was ready for a break, and left the military to work for an insurance company. Then, in 2000 he joined the National Guard, and was mobilized stateside for a year in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In 2004 he was called to duty in Iraq, and he arrived to Iraq in Jan. 2005 with the 145th Maintenance Company. While with the 145th, he traveled throughout southern Iraq, visiting troops with his command in at least seven locations.

He didn't mind the rush he got while on the road, and he particularly liked being exposed to Iraq, but when he heard he could extend his deployment to work at the post's dining facility, he jumped at the opportunity and extended for another nine months.

"I like what I'm doing here," Slade said about pulling guard duty and talking to people. He said he knows how stress can get to people, and he hopes his jokes and amiable attitude help people release a bit of it. "I just want to bring joy to people. You could have had a bad meal, and I might say something humorous and might make it better."

Many Soldiers say that's exactly what Slade is doing. The funny man goes home hoarse sometimes from greeting just about anyone who enters the facility. His humor is music to the Soldiers" ears.

"You have made a great contribution to the needs of your fellow Soldiers," wrote Chief Warrant Officer 2 David Adams, a member of Utah National Guard's 115th Maintenance Company.

Slade hopes he can extend for another nine months when his current extension is up in the fall of 2006. He then plans to take a break in the United States, and return to the Iraqi theater as a civilian contractor one day.