Photo By Sgt. Nickson Schenk | Lt. Col. Brian Thompson, deputy support operations, 8th Theaters Sustainment Command,...... read more read more
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FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii – After more than two decades since graduating from Rogers High School in Newport, Rhode Island, Lt. Col. Brian Thompson returned to his alma mater to discuss Army opportunities with students enrolled in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program March 19, 2024.
Thompson’s niece and nephew, Kaylee Rodrigues, a senior, and Brayden Rodrigues, a freshman, are both enrolled in JROTC at Rogers High School. The two asked their uncle if he would speak to their class during his recent trip home to celebrate his mom’s 80th birthday.
“This was my first trip home in seven or eight years and my first visit back to RHS since I graduated in 2001,” said Thompson. “It was fun to be back in the same classroom I sat in when I was a student enrolled here."
Thompson spent the day speaking to each class, answering questions, leading a physical training session, and reviewing rope-tying techniques with students on the JROTC Raider team. The Raider team is comprised of cadets who volunteer for additional physical and military training for an opportunity to compete against other JROTC programs for regional and national bragging rights.
“It was great getting to do PT with Lt. Col. Thompson,” said Brayden Rodrigues. “The question-and-answer session for what general Army life is like, how important the Army mission is to our nation, and the awesome opportunities in the Army was cool to hear about.”
For Thompson, the visit to his old stomping ground was equally rewarding. He can still recall his instructors from when he was enrolled as a student and the indelible mark they left on shaping him during his formative years.
“Retired Lt. Col. John Lalli was probably the most influential person that I can remember through all my high school time,” said Thompson. “He pushed us constantly, but by the same token supported us in anything we were doing. He would randomly pop up to sporting events on the weekends, and you could hear him in the crowd, he was always our biggest cheerleader.”
Lalli was one of three of Thompson’s JROTC instructors, all of which he can recall by first and last name. And while he doesn’t directly attribute earning his ROTC scholarship solely to the program, he acknowledges it had a positive influence in laying the foundation for creating a desire to serve.
As Thompson spoke to each class, he described his vast career experiences and the unique opportunities afforded to him, while also dispelling some misconceived ideas some cadets held.
“One of the kids asked if I knew how to disable a bomb, maybe thinking all Soldiers are familiar with EOD techniques,” said Thompson. “I just kind of explained we all have our specialties and there are Soldiers that specialize in explosive ordnance disposal, and those are the ones that perform that function.”
Although JROTC is led by retired officers and senior noncommissioned officers, speaking with an active-duty service member adds a different perspective the students appreciated.
“Being able to speak to an active-duty officer such as Lt. Col. Thompson was extremely beneficial,” said Kaylee Rodrigues, the Raider’s team executive officer and A Company commander. “He gave up-to-date information about military life, benefits, and all it has to offer. The discussion that he facilitated made me realize that I have so many more options than I initially thought after high school.”
Thompson’s active-duty career has taken him all over the world with four different overseas assignments: Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Hawaii. Although Hawaii is a state, the DoD considers all locations outside the contiguous United States as overseas.
Moreover, Thompson’s multiple deployments to Afghanistan and support to exercises in Europe and Asia, coupled with his personal travel while stationed abroad, have allowed him to visit more than 40 countries while in uniform, an exciting benefit to individuals with an appetite for travel.
If there’s one downside to Thompson’s nearly two-decade career of service, it’s carving out vacation time to visit his family in Newport. With his siblings also spread across two different states, it’s not often they are able to align their schedules to be home at the same time.
However, with his mom’s 80th birthday as the occasion, the siblings managed to surprise her. Everyone understands service and sacrifice being a multi-generational military service family. Thompson’s father is a retired Navy senior noncommissioned officer and his oldest brother is also a Navy veteran, both with numerous overseas assignments.
In April, the Rogers High JROTC Raider team won the Raider Challenge at the regional level, a testament to the current JROTC instructors at the school and the development they are pouring into the students.
“Lt. Col. Christopher Corbett and CSM Frank McRae have done an amazing job leading the program,” said Thompson. “I think this generation sometimes gets a bad rap, but I was really impressed with how mature they were, how well-spoken they were, and their willingness to join JROTC even if they are unsure if they’ll pursue the military.”
Kaylee is undecided about whether she’ll join the military after graduation, but she’s enjoying being part of JROTC and is learning a lot about the services.
However, if she decides to enlist, she may be granted a promotion to the rank of private first class upon graduating basic training based on the number of years enrolled in JROTC. The difference can be hundreds of dollars a month in basic pay.
Thompson is moving from Hawaii to take command of the 403rd Army Field Support Battalion-Korea at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, this month, marking the fifth overseas assignment and seventh duty station for the family of six.
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2024 23:21 |
| Story ID: | 470199 |
| Location: | RI, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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