Subscribe
"Having you in my life gives me the wings to fly higher than an eagle. My dear brother, I will certainly love you until the end of forever." - Anonymous.
This describes the relationship between the Wade brothers. Master Sgt. Hugh Wade and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Alexander Wade are fortunate enough to deploy together with the 168th Engineer Brigade, Mississippi Army National Guard, in support of Operation Spartan Shield. Master Sgt. Wade, the elder of the two, was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi's capital. Hugh Wade originally went to serve active-duty in the Army in 1991 as a wire system installer. In December 1996, he was honorably discharged, which resulted in a twelve-year break in service.
After some talks with fellow coworkers, he decided to join the Mississippi National Guard in April 2008. Master Sgt. Wade became a geospatial engineer. A geospatial engineer provides invaluable visualization of the land and battlefield in advance of sending troops into unfamiliar terrain. Since joining the Mississippi National Guard, he has occupied many Military Occupation Specialties (MOS), such as 74 Delta (74D), a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist (CBRN); 12 November (12N), a Heavy Equipment Operator; and 12 X-ray (12X), a Construction Supervisor.
Everyone has a support system that keeps them grounded and from whom they draw inspiration. Jean Walker, Alexander's mother, has had a strong impact and influence on her son's career. Chief Wade's mother is one of the only female small business owners in their hometown. She excelled in a male-dominated industry, which says a lot about her drive and determination. Alexander describes his father, Larry Wade, as 'a man who never met a challenge that he couldn't complete. The foundation for Chief Wade's career was obviously laid by the footprints of his mother and father.
Master Sgt. Wade gets a portion of his inspiration from his wife, Kristin Wade, who can balance everything back home. Her unwavering support of him and his endeavors has allowed them to improve on the cornerstone they've built for their family. Hugh's father was also a big inspiration to him growing up because of the way he carried himself at home and work, displaying honor and dignity.
At times, we don't know the depth of potential we possess until our potential is tested. It takes someone special to take the initiative on something and it was Master Sgt. Wade's influence on Chief Wade's decision to go the warrant officer route has been a tremendous stepping stone on his military career path.
"I got him to make a parallel move from Water Valley down to our Brigade to become a 12Y geospatial back in the days," Master Sgt. Wade expressed. "One, to be closer to home, and two, for him to make progress in that MOS. I felt if he got into that role, he'd see that the warrant side of things are the experts of the field they're in, and that he'd really like that."
Chief Wade expressed that he's fortunate enough to have someone like his brother serve as his mentor for his career.
The role of a mentor is to provide feedback, guidance, and advice to support their mentee with decision-making that can help place them on a successful track. Chief Wade firmly agrees that everyone should have a mentor, especially to those inspired by his progression throughout the Mississippi National Guard.
"First and foremost, I'd say anything I've done, you can do too," says Chief Wade. "If you set a goal and want to achieve it, stick with it and don't get discouraged. When I began my warrant officer interest, it took me a lot longer than I wanted it to because I gave up initially. I felt the process took too much effort, and this time I finally stuck with it and was rewarded with becoming a warrant officer."
As far as enlisted Soldiers choosing to follow in Master Sgt. Wade's footsteps, he had this to say: "Pursue your dreams; don't let anyone stop you. You can do anything you put your mind to. I've seen people give up; they took that and never continued in their career. You can be anything that you want to be; it's not always about who you know; it's about what you can do".
At the conclusion of this deployment, Master Sgt. Wade stated that retirement is next for him.
"My goal when I got in originally was to do my 20 years and make E8," he said, "I completed the rank of E8 in 20 years of service, and I currently have 22 years of service. My brother and I never got a chance to deploy together, and we thought it would be cool for us to, so here we are."
As Master Sgt. Wade looks forward to passing the torch, Chief Wade's expectations post-deployment are that he hopes to take what he's learned in this deployment and apply it back with his home unit, the 890th Engineer Battalion, and ultimately progress his career.
"Well, I've had no experience deploying with him before, but knowing him as an individual, I'd say it's just as I expected it to be," Chief Wade said. "He was already a great leader, it's great to be able to experience this deployment with him and learn from him and have him learn from me as well."
Alexander and Hugh Wade have a one-of-a-kind brotherhood.
"I'm very proud of him, and he's going to be an awesome warrant," expressed Master Sgt. Wade with emotion.
"Be easy; take it easy. He's earned it," Chief Wade stated.
By practicing brotherhood, we set a good example for those around us, and in return, we feel a sense of self-fulfillment for having aided a fellow human being". -Kathy Bartilson.
The Wade brothers continue to share a unique brotherhood while being deployed with the 168th Engineer Brigade in support of Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve, which support the Southwest Asia area.
As the Wade's from down south continue to carry the work efforts and drive that both of their parents instilled in them, their experiences, and moments that they've shared by serving overseas together will be ones to remember for the both of them.
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.27.2023 09:43 |
| Story ID: | 449095 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Wades Down South, by SGT Edward Lee, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
