Richard
10-22-2009, 11:45
Some of y'all may know MAJ Zach Kerns. Good low-key article on an 18A now attending CGSC. ;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Local Man Serves With Distinction
Marshall White, St Joe News, 22 Oct 2009
Maj. Zachery Kerns is a 1993 Central High School graduate who proudly wears the Special Forces green beret.
A 1998 graduate of Missouri Western State University with a degree in construction engineering, this husband and father took time out Friday to talk to the News-Press about his service and being a student at the prestigious Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.
“Army Special Forces are the military diplomats,” the major said. “Everything we do is teaching with the indigenous forces. What soldiers do around the world means that they can always connect with another soldier, no matter what country they’re from.”
Mr. Kerns has been operating with Special Forces teams on remote duty sites all over the world, including Kosovo and several tours in Iraq with the Kurds. In Iraq, Mr. Kerns acted as a liaison between U.S. military forces and the Peshmerga, a Kurdish military force.
“Peshmerga means those who face death,” Mr. Kerns said.
During one of his two tours in the Kurdish area of Iraq, Mr. Kerns led a 12-member team that spent most of its time operating independently of other military units.
There were two communications sergeants, two engineering sergeants, two weapons specialists, two medical sergeants, a warrant officer, a team sergeant and an intelligence sergeant, Mr. Kerns said. The team acted as communicators between the Army and the Peshmerga.
“We tried to prevent problems from happening,” Mr. Kerns said. “We had a small footprint because the Kurds take care of their own problems.”
During 11 years in the Army, Mr. Kerns has had plenty of time to be a student. While still enrolled in Missouri Western’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program, he took the necessary training classes to qualify for airborne and air assault duty.
The major said he joined the Army because he wanted to start out with a stable job that had consistency. “Or maybe it’s just part of our culture in the Midwest,” he said with a smile.
Asked about the biggest surprise he found after joining the Army, Mr. Kerns said he discovered that he’d joined an extended family. “No matter what unit, it’s been extremely family-oriented,” the major said.
He’s also spending a lot of time in schools. Classes at the Fort Leavenworth college focus on developing and honing critical thinking skills. But the major has also been impressed with two other aspects of his college education.
Part of the curriculum requires the students to seek balance in their lives and pay attention to their own families, he said.
The college offers another opportunity for this soldier. It’s a chance to do a lot of networking with the students, the instructors and guest speakers, who come with different specialties, Mr. Kerns said.
Whenever he decides to retire, his plans call for moving back to St. Joseph. Mr. Kerns’ mother is Sherry Lilly, and his stepfather is Patt Lilly of Triumph Foods.
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/oct/22/local-man-serves-distinction/#
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Local Man Serves With Distinction
Marshall White, St Joe News, 22 Oct 2009
Maj. Zachery Kerns is a 1993 Central High School graduate who proudly wears the Special Forces green beret.
A 1998 graduate of Missouri Western State University with a degree in construction engineering, this husband and father took time out Friday to talk to the News-Press about his service and being a student at the prestigious Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.
“Army Special Forces are the military diplomats,” the major said. “Everything we do is teaching with the indigenous forces. What soldiers do around the world means that they can always connect with another soldier, no matter what country they’re from.”
Mr. Kerns has been operating with Special Forces teams on remote duty sites all over the world, including Kosovo and several tours in Iraq with the Kurds. In Iraq, Mr. Kerns acted as a liaison between U.S. military forces and the Peshmerga, a Kurdish military force.
“Peshmerga means those who face death,” Mr. Kerns said.
During one of his two tours in the Kurdish area of Iraq, Mr. Kerns led a 12-member team that spent most of its time operating independently of other military units.
There were two communications sergeants, two engineering sergeants, two weapons specialists, two medical sergeants, a warrant officer, a team sergeant and an intelligence sergeant, Mr. Kerns said. The team acted as communicators between the Army and the Peshmerga.
“We tried to prevent problems from happening,” Mr. Kerns said. “We had a small footprint because the Kurds take care of their own problems.”
During 11 years in the Army, Mr. Kerns has had plenty of time to be a student. While still enrolled in Missouri Western’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program, he took the necessary training classes to qualify for airborne and air assault duty.
The major said he joined the Army because he wanted to start out with a stable job that had consistency. “Or maybe it’s just part of our culture in the Midwest,” he said with a smile.
Asked about the biggest surprise he found after joining the Army, Mr. Kerns said he discovered that he’d joined an extended family. “No matter what unit, it’s been extremely family-oriented,” the major said.
He’s also spending a lot of time in schools. Classes at the Fort Leavenworth college focus on developing and honing critical thinking skills. But the major has also been impressed with two other aspects of his college education.
Part of the curriculum requires the students to seek balance in their lives and pay attention to their own families, he said.
The college offers another opportunity for this soldier. It’s a chance to do a lot of networking with the students, the instructors and guest speakers, who come with different specialties, Mr. Kerns said.
Whenever he decides to retire, his plans call for moving back to St. Joseph. Mr. Kerns’ mother is Sherry Lilly, and his stepfather is Patt Lilly of Triumph Foods.
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/oct/22/local-man-serves-distinction/#