Why I Serve: It is all about the people for aviation supply sergeant

Photo By 1st Lt. Jenny Wright | Sgt. 1st Class Tammie Provost Solomon tracks battalion daily supply reports Sept. 12 at Camp Taji, Iraq. Solomon, from 1st "Attack" Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, was recently recognized by Col. Dan Shanahan, 1st ACB commander, for her efforts in the supply arena.  

TAJI, IRAQ

09.20.2007

Story by 1st Lt. Jenny Wright 

1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

By 1st Lt. Jenny Wright
1st Air Cavalry Brigade

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Service is nothing new to U.S. Army Soldiers, but for some, ultimate service comes from serving those who serve. Sgt. 1st Class Tammie Provost Solomon does just that.

As the battalion supply sergeant for 1st "Attack" Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Solomon is responsible for ensuring the battalion has everything it needs to sustain combat operations.

Her other responsibilities include the oversight of all battalion daily reports dealing with all classes of supply, tracking property going in and out of the battalion and the health and welfare of two Soldiers.

Solomon, who hails from Franklin, La., said that one of the main reasons she picked the supply profession was for the interaction with other Soldiers.

"I'm a people person," she said. "I look at it like working in a department store. Basically it's customer service."

Solomon's success in her job – she was recently recognized for her efforts by Col. Dan Shanahan, 1st ACB commander – comes from her dedication to the supply field.

"She maintains a great passion for her job as battalion (supply sergeant) and joyfully shares her experience with peers and subordinates alike," said her company first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Pedro Leon of Coamo, Puerto Rico

Solomon joined the Army July 6, 1988, in New Orleans. She said she enlisted because she "wanted to get away." College was something she wanted but not anytime soon, she said.

Another perk of being in the military for Solomon was meeting her husband, Staff Sgt. Nathan Solomon, a supply sergeant in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. The two met in Korea in 1992 while in the same battalion and married a year later in Texas. They have been happily married for 15 years and have three children, daughters Mekayla, 12; Jasmine, 5; and a son Darius, 3.

One of Solomon's most influential mentors is 1-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion Command Sgt. Major Ismael Medina of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Solomon met Medina in 2003 while serving as company supply sergeant for 1-227th ARB's headquarters company.

"He is the most professional, understanding and compassionate leader I've ever had," she said. "A lot of people think that in being professional, you have to be hard. I think somewhere along the line, some of us lose that compassion and the understanding of human nature and the things that happen that are beyond other people's control. He understands all that."

Her career also was influenced by her experience on her first Iraq deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom 1.

"It wasn't my favorite, but it definitely changed the course of my life," said Solomon, with a laugh. "Everything was so simple and we didn't have hardly anything, but I learned to appreciate a lot."

After 19 years of continued service to her job and country, Solomon said she does not regret a single day.

"If I can mentor and change the life of one person, then I feel like I've made a difference," she said.

• Date Taken: 09.20.2007
• Date Posted: 09.20.2007 08:34
• Story ID: 12456
• Location: TAJI, IQ