Photo By Staff Sgt. Robert Whitlow | Master Sergeant Jerome "Jay" Rademacher stands with his family for a photo during his...... read more read more
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Four Decades, One Legacy: The Rademacher Family’s Generational Service
CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Ga. – Master Sgt. Jerome “Jay” Rademacher’s military journey began in 1984, long before many of today’s Soldiers were born. On Dec. 7, 2025, surrounded by family, friends, and fellow Soldiers, he closed out more than 40 years in uniform at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Marietta, Georgia.
Before his retirement ceremony began, the focus was on a new beginning. Rademacher’s youngest son, Nathan, raised his right hand and took the oath of office, joining his father and two brothers in the ranks of those who wear the nation’s uniform. With one son already serving as a second lieutenant while deployed to Washington, D.C., and another as a sergeant in Army aviation, the commissioning completed a picture of service that spans two generations of the Rademacher family.
The commissioning ceremony followed longstanding Army traditions, including the oath and first salute. “This ritual recognizes those who have paved the way and is a commitment to serve with the same honor,” the master of ceremonies explained as Second Lieutenant Nathan Rademacher presented a silver dollar to his father.
With the new lieutenant’s first salute complete, the formation turned its attention to honoring a career that stretched across the active Army, Army Reserve, and Georgia Army National Guard. Rademacher’s service began as a combat medic after training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, followed by assignments at Fort Bliss and later as a flight medic and crew chief in the Reserve. He mobilized in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, joined the Georgia Army National Guard in 1995, and went on to serve as a Huey and Black Hawk crew chief, platoon sergeant, aviation maintenance inspector, and senior S3 noncommissioned officer for the 78th Aviation Troop Command.
Over four decades, he deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, supported disaster-response missions for hurricanes and other emergencies, and helped maintain aviation standards across the National Guard through years on the Aviation Resource Management Survey team. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medals, multiple Army Commendation and Achievement Medals, campaign and service medals for Iraq and the Global War on Terrorism, the Master Aviation Badge, and the Combat Action Badge.
Speakers emphasized that his impact could not be captured by awards or dates alone. “Those words, and as comprehensive as they are in his bio, only capture part of who Master Sergeant Rademacher is, and what he has meant to our formation here, our aviation community, and our Army,” said Brig. Gen. Jason Fryman, commanding general of the 78th Aviation Troop Command. “For four decades, Master Sergeant Rademacher has embodied what it means to be a noncommissioned officer… with competence, honesty, and a level of reliability that made commanders breathe easier, Soldiers feel confident, and missions succeed.”
Captain Chris Garner, speaking on behalf of the 78th Aviation Troop Command, framed the day’s theme in a single word: time. “Master Sergeant Rademacher stands before us with 40 years in uniform. Just think about that for a second. That’s four decades… marked by dedication, leadership, mentorship, and impact,” he said. “He didn’t just exist in those 40 years, he filled them. He filled them with service, with purpose, and with an unwavering commitment to Soldiers.”
When it was his turn to speak, Rademacher kept his remarks characteristically modest and direct. Rademacher, who once enlisted “for the college money,” as he joked, ultimately filled four decades with service, completing a mechanical engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology along the way and growing into one of the aviation community’s most experienced senior enlisted leaders. For Rademacher, some of the most meaningful moments came during natural disasters when aviation units brought help directly to communities in crisis. “When you actually help people and you see their faces, it really makes it all worth it,” he told the audience, reflecting on missions that supported hurricane and wildfire responses Rademacher closed by thanking those who had served alongside him and supported him, from Vietnam-era aviators who mentored him early in his career to the Soldiers he later trained, inspected, and led. Looking out at his family and the newest lieutenant in the Rademacher lineage, he left the Army knowing the legacy of service he helped build will continue long after his final formation.
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2025 11:30 |
| Story ID: | 553404 |
| Location: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 135 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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