COB Adder, Iraq – Supply Soldiers are typically some of the most sought out in their unit, and for a supply sergeant with Company C, 412th Aviation Support Battalion, Task Force 12, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sgt. John Yang, the Company C supply sergeant and native of Sinamoga, Samoa, supports his fellow Soldiers by ordering all classes of supply — from the buildings they sleep in to food they consume.

This is a lot of responsibility for a young non-commissioned officer, but Chief Warrant Officer Michael Garner, the TF 12 network management technician, said the unit’s supplies are in good hands with Yang.

“He is the most responsible soldier that I have ever met – period,” Garner said.
Capt. Arturo Garcia, commander of Company C, TF 12, said Yang’s giving personality is an attribute well-suited for a supply sergeant.

“He is very generous, and as a supply sergeant, that means that he not only supplies the needs of Soldiers on duty but off duty as well,” Garcia said. “He is also a dedicated worker; I don’t have to tell him much, just my intent.

“He has spent countless hours preparing documents and records, as well as ensuring that we have adequate supplies or lets me know if we have a shortfall. He is a good steward of my supply and of my Soldiers.”

An example of his eye for detail came at the beginning of the 12th CAB’s current deployment. Yang was responsible for sifting through more than 17 pages of property book equipment, determining what was needed and what could be sent to the rear or redistributed.

By the time Yang was done, 17 pages had been trimmed down to just one.

Garner said the supply sergeant had already demonstrated great strength prior to the 12th CAB’s deployment when his homeland was hit by a tsunami, devastating his family’s homes, all shortly before his unit came on orders for deployment.

“If you are not aware of Samoan culture, they regard family as their top virtue. For Sgt. Yang to have his family encounter such a hardship weighed heavy on his heart. I could see the pain in Sgt. Yang’s eyes when I sat down with him to ask if his family survived the catastrophe. This all happened a couple months before 12th CAB came up on orders for deployment to Iraq,” Garner said.

Yang balanced the loss with his responsibilities, however.

“Bearing this burden would be difficult for any person, let alone a company supply sergeant who plays such a pivotal role helping displace a company from duty station to (Area of Responsibility),” Garner said. “Sgt. Yang, though he has faced personal hardships with his family, performed his duty admirably.”

Garner said the Army and the world could use more people like his supply sergeant.
“I have met a handful of people in this world that influence everything around them in such a positive way that fosters change; Sgt. Yang is one of these people,” Garner said. “People like Sgt. Yang tie communities together; they break the boundaries of all the differences that people put between themselves and others.

“The world needs more Sgt. John Yang’s.”

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