Photo By Sgt. Thomas Day | Col. Dennis Thompson with his daughter, 2nd Lt. Sarah Thompson after the elder...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Thomas L. Day
40th Public Affairs Detachment
KUWAIT - Col. Dennis Thompson and his daughter have been many places together. His family was stationed at Army posts in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York and Fort Lewis, Wash., the final stop before Thompson's daughter went to college.
Then Thompson's daughter decided to follow her father's career path.
In January, Thompson joined his daughter, 2nd Lt. Sarah Thompson, for one more stop to their itinerary, Kuwait, when he took command of the 401st Army Field Support Brigade. Thompson now has the benefit that most Army parents don't. He can oversee his daughter's first deployment without having to wait anxiously a for letter, e-mail or phone call.
"Being close beats being distanced and not knowing what's going on with my daughter," said Dennis. "It answered a lot of questions."
He commands a unit that provides logistical support for operations in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan; she is a personnel and public affairs officer for the 336th Transportation Group. His career in the Army began 24 years ago; hers began six years ago with a decision she made as a high school senior.
It was the daughter's decision to make; the father just laid it out for her.
"Go to college, get a degree but consider how you are going to pay for college," he told his daughter. The next year, the high school cheerleader was in a different uniform, sporting Army combat greens for her first year of Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Washington.
"My freshman year I hated it, but I grew to love it," Sarah recalled.
Through the incessant moving and occasional separation from her dad, Sarah had grown to appreciate the Army family. "Being a military brat definitely opens you up, it can make or break you," she said. "I wouldn't be where I am now if it hadn't been for past experiences."
As commander of the 401st, Dennis can't be with his daughter often. Currently, he is working in Afghanistan and time will tell when he is back in Kuwait to see his daughter. Sarah is scheduled to redeploy in July.
The two are still able to communicate through e-mail and an occasional phone conversation and participated in the St. Patrick's Day 5k run at Camp Arifjan before Dennis flew to Afghanistan.
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 04.13.2007 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 9908 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 346 |
| Downloads: | 153 |
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