Joining the family business

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class Gary Williard of "D?" Company, Task Force Diablo, and his son, Sgt. Joshua Williard, "B" Company, 628th Aviation Support Battalion, pose together with a UH-60 Black Hawk at Contingency Operating Base Adder. Joshua worked in the next hangar over from his Dad during much of their recent deployment to Iraq.  

TALLIL AIR BASE, IRAQ

01.07.2010

Courtesy Story

34th Red Bull Infantry Division

By Sgt. Neil Gussman

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq — Any family who has a child follow him into his profession will feel pride, so Sgt. 1st Class Gary Williard is a doubly proud man.

Williard, assigned to "D" Company, Task Force Diablo, has two professions, and each of his two sons has chosen to follow Dad into one of them. Williard is a retired police officer and an Army National Guard aircraft maintenance platoon sergeant.

His older son, Gary Jr., joined the Tower City Police Force in Pennsylvania, where Dad retired in 2006 as chief of police. His younger son is Sgt. Joshua Williard of "B" Company, 628th Aviation Support Battalion.

Joshua worked in the next hangar over from his dad during much of their recent deployment to Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, and is currently completing his deployment with final processing in the U.S.

"I pinned on Joshua's sergeant stripes when he got promoted here on Aug. 27," said Williad. "That was quite a moment for me."

Williard began his military career in 1976 as a prop and rotor mechanic for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and remained with the Guard through his entire career. He had an eight-year break in service from 1982-90 and, after returning to the Guard, has worked in maintenance on many aircraft.

Joshua said he plans on a career in aviation maintenance with the Army National Guard.

To say the least, the Williards are a close family.

Williard and Joshua managed to get the same day off, Friday, through most of last summer here in Iraq. They watched bow hunting and deer hunting videos and football together on their day off.

Gary Jr. worked for his father for five years in the Tower City Police Department before moving to the Pennsylvania State Police, where he has worked for seven years.

Williard and his wife, Dina, ran an automotive repair business together. Now they have apartments that they rent.

"Dina runs the apartments while I am away," said Williard. "With Joshua and I deployed and Gary Jr. busy with work, she'll be very happy for us to come home."

He deployed previously from 2003 to 2004 to Kuwait in both aviation maintenance and security roles.

"Even on deployment, I was still a cop," said Williard.

Not to mention being a father.

• Date Taken: 01.07.2010
• Date Posted: 01.07.2010 01:41
• Story ID: 43511
• Location: TALLIL AIR BASE, IQ