Washington, D.C. (February 28, 2017) — A reunion comrades, past and present, gathered to honor Chief Warrant Officer 4 retired Henrietta L. Massenburg at the D.C. Armory.
The ceremony marks the end Massenburg’ s civilian retirement from the District of Columbia Government after 15 years of service as the Military Personnel Records Specialists/Archive Manager and the Retirement Service Officer for the District of Columbia National Guard. This is in addition to her 25 years of military service as a Soldier with the D.C. National Guard.
“I had the pleasure of knowing Ms. Massenburg in uniform, and even then, she was known for her professionalism, dedication, and loyalty to duty, “said Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz, former D.C. National Guard Commanding General. “We thank her for all the work and contributions she has made to this command. Her [absence] will be a tremendous loss to the organization.”
A native of Warrenton, North Carolina, Massenburg came to Washington D.C. after graduating from the Henderson Institute in 1966. She worked various jobs until she was employed by the Department of Transportation in 1971.
“Being in the military was a dream of mine, both as a child and all through high school,” Massenburg said. “When my mother told me ‘no’, I rebelled. It was not until my brother joined the D.C. Guard that I said ‘if he could join, then so could I.’”
In 1976, Massenburg enlisted in the D.C. Army National Guard where she became a driver for the 547th Transportation Company, under the 140th Transportation Battalion. She would become the first female to qualify as a 5-ton truck driver.
Massenburg left the Department of Transportation in 1981 to become a permanent dual-status technician in the D.C. Army Guard and was later appointed to the Active Guard Reserve Program.
“All of us here will say the exact same thing about Ms. Massenburg: that she is a professional and dedicated to her duties; because that is who she is,” said retired Army Brig. Gen. Bernadette Bolden, former D.C. Army National Guard Land Component Command commander. “If you had an issue, she would take you in, and take the time to help you work things out.”
The care Massenburg put toward her work made a lasting impression on those who attended. Several retirees stepped up to the microphone to share their stories of how Massenburg helped them.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Aaron L. Rogers, Massenburg’s former supervisor, credited his career progression to her professionalism, dedication and hard work and noted these qualities as the reason why she was the first full-time Soldier to be promoted to the rank of E-7 in the D.C. National Guard.
“Throughout it all, there were good times and bad, but we had a family here and we took care of one another,” Rogers said. “She took care of all of us, and for those who could not be here today, I say thank you.”
In 1987, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Massenburg, was assigned to the chief personnel position, where she was a subject matter expert in the processing of retirements, personnel actions, awards and promotions. She retired from the military in 2001 at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4.
In 2002, Massenburg returned as a D.C. Government Employee where she served as the Military Personnel Records Specialists/Archive Manager and Retirement Service Officer. For the next 15 years, she assisted current and former D.C. National Guard members with all aspects of retirement, points, and personnel issues.
“I am grateful for all the things God has allowed me to do,” Massenburg said. “Everything I have done, I have done from the bottom of my heart.”
Massenburg, 69, and a minister of the New Birth Church, said that she is not completely retiring or leaving the area, but instead shifting to next job God has for her; and that this retirement was a promise that she made to her daughter to not work past the age of 70. She was able to keep her promise, retiring just three months before.
Retired Army Chaplain (Col.) Robert D. Chance began the ceremony with an invocation that mentioned, “If these [D.C. Armory] walls could talk,” referencing the history and events that occurred during the years. Another speaker said of Ms. Massenburg that if the wall could talk, they would say “we love you”.
“I have my church family, my biological family and my military family, Massenburg said. “You will always be my family. I love you all with the Love of God.”
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2017 16:38 |
| Story ID: | 225429 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DC, US |
| Hometown: | WARRENTON, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Soldier of many firsts closes her D.C. National Guard chapter, by Maj. Byron Coward, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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