CAMP TAJI — Alone with his thoughts, Staff Sgt. Andy Graves, a Paragould, Ark., native, sits quietly in the “Snack Shack” during his guard shift reminiscing. Presently Graves is a squad leader for the 1123rd Transportation Company, an Arkansas National Guard unit, 1/152nd Cavalry Regiment, an Indiana National Guard unit, 1st Sustainment Brigade, in support of Multi-National Division-Baghdad.
His eyes did not always reflect a digital pattern. His military career dates back to 1995, when he enlisted in the Marine Corps out of high school. Deciding to jump behind the wheel, he enlisted as motor transportation operator and enjoyed life at his first duty station in Okinawa, Japan. While there, he went to Norway twice for cold-weather survival training and to Estonia once for the Baltic Challenge until bidding farewell to the Marines in 1999.
“The Marines were the best time of my life,” he recalls.
Despite leaving the Corps, Graves could not put serving his country behind him. A couple months later he enlisted in the Arkansas Army National Guard under the 875th Combat Engineers in Little Rock, Ark. He attended the engineering advanced individual training in 2000 and, ironically, admitted he joined the guard because, “(well) they never go anywhere.”
In February of 2003, Graves was pulled out of the 875th with only a day’s notice to report to the 1123rd Transportation Company.
“(They) never go anywhere,” consequently landed him in Iraq twice while assigned to the 1123rd Transportation Company.
He spent from April 2003 until April 2004 in Iraq running transportation missions and instead of returning to the engineers he remained with the 1123rd; where he was activated to deploy with the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2007. When asked about both deployments, Graves calmly replies, “It’s just another deployment.”
Yet through the years, deployments, and long training exercises, Graves has the support any Soldier should from his loving wife, Chasity, and his three daughters, Sydney, Madeline, and Adrian. Despite the “Army” way of life his family has become accustomed to, he was able to be home for the birth of his youngest daughter.
“He’s not only my dad, he’s my hero,” says Sydney, the youngest of three girls.
When not serving his country, Graves’ enjoys spending some good old fashioned quality family time camping and boating back in Arkansas. He already has plans in the works upon his return in January.
“The thing I miss most during this deployment is my kids,” concludes Graves.