COB ADDER, Imagine being a father who served in the military for 10 years, preparing to send your son to basic training, and wishing you could go in his place.
A soldier in the 1st AR Div’s 4th Bde doesn’t have to imagine it. He's lived it first-hand.
He separated from the Army in the early 1990s, he said, and started a quest to find his “home.” Willingham said he wanted to find purpose in his work and camaraderie with his peers. For 17 years, he worked in retail mgt, never quite finding his home.
When his son approached him about joining the Army, Willingham was excited to share his lessons and experiences, and he encouraged his son to seek out the opportunities offered by a military career, but his son did not choose to join. Instead, he provided his father with his recruiter’s info, and a way to pursue his own desire to return to the service, even at age 44.
Willingham is working at the Combined Div Ops Center with the 10th IA Div. He recounted his incoming interview with Command Sgt. Maj. Mustafa, his bn’s command sgt maj, and how he committed to doing whatever he was tasked to do to the best of his ability. “The original team sat on one side of the room with Iraqis on the other,” he said. “There was very little to no interaction.” He realized this wasn't the intent of the concept, he said, nor was it within his nature to work with a group of men he knew nothing about. “I spent a good portion of time one afternoon, early on in my new assignment, with the interpreter, to introduce myself and learn a little bit about my counterparts,” he said.
As he concluded the last introduction and offered assistance whenever needed, the IA major told him about a roadside bomb on a route frequently traveled by U.S. forces. A patrol was dispatched, diffused the explosive and safely maneuvered the scheduled convoy through the area without mishap.
“It feels as though I’m doing something worthwhile for self, family, and America,” said Willingham. He plans to retire from the Army, he added, but it may not be another 20 or 25 years. Only time will tell. He’s found his home.
