Necedah native reflects on 30 years of Army service
Photo By Samantha Tyler |
Kevin Gregar gets sworn into the Wisconsin Army National Guard by his father May 6,......read moreread more
Photo By Samantha Tyler | Kevin Gregar gets sworn into the Wisconsin Army National Guard by his father May 6, 1996. Gregar is retiring from the Army as a colonel after 30 years of service. (Courtesy) see less
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Necedah native reflects on 30 years of Army service
A man from a small Wisconsin town, where "the whole community raised kids," is looking back on a three-decade career in the Army that has taken him from the farm to the strategic heights of military logistics.
Col. Kevin Gregar has spent 66 months away from his wife and children over the course of his service, including deployments and assignments in other states. His journey began in Necedah, Wisconsin, where his family roots run deep, with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all living nearby.
"Our only stress was making it home for supper," he recalled of his childhood. "It was a really nice place to grow up."
Gregar grew up working on a farm for a dollar a day and playing three sports. His childhood was also marked by academic achievement. After his parents promised him a new car if he became valedictorian, he earned the title and a full-ride scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Following in the footsteps of his father, who retired as a colonel with more than 38 years of service, Gregar joined the Army National Guard. His father swore him in on May 6, 1996.
His 30-year career has been marked by key assignments that shaped his understanding of military operations. As the only logistics officer for an infantry battalion deployed to Northern Kuwait, Gregar learned the value of being proactive.
"This assignment showed me the importance of proactive logistics," he said. "Soldiers don’t have to tell me what they need."
Later, serving in Iraq, Gregar’s Battalion, the 732d Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, was responsible for all logistics from Baghdad to Kuwait.
"It was just awesome to see the scope of managing all the logistics for the area," he reflected.
Assignments at U.S. Army Forces Command and, most recently, Army Materiel Command, provided him with a strategic perspective. He described his time at AMC as "the pinnacle of Army sustainment."
Currently, as the director of the operations center for the Organic Industrial Base, he is tasked with centralizing workload and planning to optimize the Army’s depots, arsenals and ammunition plants, turning strategy into execution.
"If everyone is rowing in the same direction, it’s great. If one person is out of synch, we just spin. That’s where optimization comes in," he said.
As he approaches the end of his service, he sees his work as a "labor of love."
"I’m filling my time with how I can make this the best I can with what little time I have left," he said. "AMC has been great to me."
Throughout his extensive career, his family has been his bedrock. They live in Tomah, Wisconsin, 25 miles from where Gregar grew up. He speaks with immense pride of his wife of 19 years, Jamie, a contracting officer for the Department of the Interior, and their children.
"They still love this country. They still support the Army and can’t wait for me to come home," he said. "It’s a testament to the resilience of Army families."
Looking back, he is quick to credit those he has served with.
"I have worked with great teams who have helped me get to where I am,” he said.
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