ŻAGAŃ, Poland – Quitman; a hero of the Mexican-American war and the namesake for six sleepy, small towns in the deep south. With fewer than 4,000 residents, the largest of these towns is Quitman, Georgia. By no means metropolitan, there aren’t too many opportunities to get out on the town, and even fewer people who do.
Spc. Mashonte Q. Brown, a unit supply specialist with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, was excited to leave her Quitman, the sleepy southern town, behind.
“I wanted to be able to experience new things, go to new places, meet new people, learn new skills and better myself as a person,” Brown said.
Brown joined the Army shortly after graduating high school. Back then, Brown admits, she wasn’t thinking about five or ten years down the road. Today Brown’s goals include a looming promotion, her education, and as always – growth.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Melvin G. Hooks, a unit supply sergeant and the supply non-commissioned officer in charge with HHC, 1st ABCT, 1st CD described Brown as outgoing, approachable, professional and very knowledgeable about her job.
“If I’m not around, she actually takes charge of the supply room,” Hooks said.
“I’m ready to pin E-5 (sergeant), start college, hopefully major in psychology,” Brown said. “Psychology just seems interesting. You get to learn about people’s feelings and why they do certain things. It’s just an interesting topic altogether.”
As far as her role as a unit supply specialist, Brown explained her education came mostly in the form of on-the-job training she received at the unit, after completing her initial Advanced Individual Training at the U.S. Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia.
“They don’t go into detail exactly about what you’re going to be doing,” she said. “So, once you actually get to your duty station, that’s what really prepares you for everything that comes next.”
Her mission is to make sure everyone has what they need to accomplish their missions, Brown said. “The company needs stuff to win the battle.”
“I see a bright future for Spc. Brown,” Hooks said. “Whether she plans on staying enlisted or commissioning I think she will be very successful. She has all the qualities that will lend to her success in this career field.”
Brown said her job absolutely enables her to meet people from around the world and learn their cultures – whether as fellow Soldiers, or among the local populace.
As one of many supply specialists within the 1st Cavalry Division, Brown’s drive to explore and learn is fulfilling her mission of a journey of growth and discovery; a journey that wouldn’t have been possible had she stayed or settled in that small, sleepy, southern town.