Courtesy Photo | Roman Tymczyszyn, right, poses with then-Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jessica Wright at...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The date was February 28, 1970: Richard Nixon was president; the Vietnam War was raging; “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel was the number-one song; and a gallon of gas cost 36 cents.
On that day, Roman Tymczyszyn traveled from his home in northeast Philadelphia to an armory in South Philadelphia and enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Fifty-three years later, Tymczyszyn is still serving the Pennsylvania National Guard as a civilian contractor for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion.
“It’s safe to say that after 35 years in uniform and 18 additional years as a contractor, the Pennsylvania National Guard and I are a comfortable fit,” he said recently.
Becoming one of the guys
Tymczyszyn was born in October 1947, in Ukraine. He emigrated to the United States with his mother and father through Ellis Island in June 1949, and he became a U.S citizen in May 1965.
His career in the Pennsylvania National Guard began as an infantry direct fire crewmember. After Initial Entry Training, he was assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Brigade in Philadelphia.
Tymczyszyn recalled that he wasn’t initially welcomed at the South Philadelphia armory since he was from a different part of the city and didn’t know anyone there.
“Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the armories were neighborhood fixtures to hang at with your military buddies outside of drill dates,” he said. “They were mostly composed of neighborhood guys. I was an outsider, and they eventually needed more bodies, so they checked their bottom desk drawer and there was my application. After a while I was accepted into the unit and allowed to hang around and hang out.”
Tymczyszyn said he owes much to the men at the armory who helped mold him in many ways.
“They all had an impact on my growth and maturity,” he said. “To this day, I will admit that the male bonding and mentoring that I received from the elder statesmen of the infantry helped to mold me as a man and instill the soldierly values that guide me to this day.”
Recruiting duty
After seven years in the Guard, Tymczyszyn became Alpha Company’s recruiting and retention noncommissioned officer in September 1977.
“This effectively was the start of my 28-year career in the field of recruiting for the Pennsylvania National Guard,” he said.
Tymczyszyn’s additional duty as the “unit recruiter” was to enhance the strength of Alpha Company by prospecting for potential enlistments, then arranging for them to take the ACB-73 aptitude test, then getting them medically examined by a civilian doctor, then preparing an enlistment contract, then getting them sworn in by a unit officer, and finally, introducing them to the gaining unit.
In November 1982, Tymczyszyn transferred out of Alpha Co., 1-111th Infantry and became a full-time recruiter for Headquarters, State Area Command at Fort Indiantown Gap. He was assigned as a field recruiter at Southampton armory in Philadelphia.
Continuing his career progression, in 1984, Tymczyszyn was assigned as the sector supervisor of the Philadelphia recruiting sector. From 1984 through his retirement in 2005, he supervised over 80 recruiters who enlisted over 5,200 Soldiers into the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
“The recruits of yesteryear seemed to have more of a sense of patriotism and that seemed to be a motivating factor, especially if some family members had joined the various services and they were inclined to continue the family tradition,” he said. “Today's recruits are drawn more by the benefits like college tuition and bonuses. Fewer care about the patriotism aspect, and a very small minority join to continue the family tradition.”
Tymczyszyn retired from the Pennsylvania National Guard on Jan. 31, 2005. He was ceremoniously promoted to the rank of sergeant major by then-adjutant general Maj. Gen. Jessica Wright on Feb. 1, 2005.
During his 35-year military career, Tymczyszyn was activated for several domestic operations, including Hurricane Agnes in 1972, food distribution duty in 1973 and a truck drivers’ strike in 1974.
“As an M-Day Guardsman from 1970 to 1982, the Pa. National Guard was not readily subject to deployment duty overseas, as is seen nowadays,” he said. “Instead, the Pa. Guard was subject to being activated for statewide emergencies at the discretion of the governor.”
A ‘treasure’ to the Guard
Tymczyszyn, who resides in Towamencin Township, Montgomery County, with his wife, Marie, has worked as a civilian contractor for recruiting since April 2005. He currently serves as the coordinator of the Recruit Sustainment Detachment in Philadelphia. As such, he is responsible for in-processing new Soldiers, promotions and meal coordination for drill assemblies.
The Philadelphia detachment is the largest of the 14 RSDs in Pennsylvania, ranging from 350 to over 500 Soldiers.
Command Sgt. Maj. Tyrone Mickens, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion command sergeant major, has known Tymczyszyn since 1998 and previously worked for Tymczyszyn’s recruiting team as a recruiter.
Mickens said Tymczyszyn is an exemplary leader and manager of personnel.
“The thing I would say stands out is that he has developed and mentored Soldiers that have become successful leaders by emulating what he has taught, ultimately replicating great leadership that has been passed down through generations of Soldiers in the Army National Guard, me being one of them,” Mickens said.
Tymczyszyn has a legendary reputation in the Recruiting and Retention Battalion due to his track record of success over years and his over 30 years of continued service in the RRB, Mickens said.
“The benefit of having Roman still serving is the knowledge and wisdom he continues to share with today’s Soldiers and helping them navigate through the day-to-day rigors of life and career,” Mickens said. “He takes great pride in being available to do this. The experience, genuine care for Soldiers and actual work in the Recruit Sustainment Program is irreplaceable in my opinion. He is a treasure to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.”
Tymczyszyn, 75, said he isn’t sure how long he will continue in his current role with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
“I continue serving the Guard because I believe it to be personally healthy to do so,” said Tymczyszyn, who underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2009. “The interaction with the Soldiers of all age ranges affords me mental stimulation that I would never get under any other circumstances.
“I enjoy what I am doing, and I do believe I do impact positively on the Soldiers I work with and the newly enlisted that I in-process,” he added.
| Date Taken: | 02.22.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.22.2023 13:27 |
| Story ID: | 438948 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 262 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Recruiting contractor marks 53 years of service to Pa. National Guard, by Brad Rhen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT