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FORT JACKSON, S.C. – After graduating high school in 1993, the
81st Regional Support Command's Master Sgt. Tomeka Brown wasn't
ready to follow the crowd and head toward college. Instead, she felt
like she needed a change in her life and decided to join the United
States Army Reserve as a human resource specialist.
At the
81st RSC, Brown is responsible for providing administrative support
and guidance to Active Guard Reserve and Active Component Soldiers
within the southeast region, which includes reviewing and processing
junior enlisted promotion packets.
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Master Sgt. Tomeka Brown (center) celebrates with Soldiers of the 81st Regional Support Command during their 2013 annual training on the fit to win. At the 81st RSC, Brown is a human resource specialist and responsible for providing administrative support and guidance to Active Guard Reserve and Active Component Soldiers within the southeast region, which includes reviewing and processing junior enlisted promotion packets. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Toshiko Gregg)
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She's considered a positive influence to all her peers,
military and civilian; with this she is still able to manage
to put her family first, being a leader and mentor while
grooming her son. Brown said she's been able to balance her
life being a single mom by the grace of God, and also the
love and support from family and friends.
“I've
stayed in as long as I have, because I have two sons that I
have to do my best to build as men by me being a single
mother,” said Brown.
Brown spent the first 10 years
of her career in the United States Army Reserve as a
traditional drilling Soldier. It was when she was mobilized
from 2004-2006 at United States Army Reserve Command in
Atlanta that she realized that she enjoyed being a full-time
Soldier and decided to go AGR.
“I get enjoyment out
of grooming other Soldiers to become better than me,” said
Brown. “I enjoy the challenges NCO's face and overcome to
obtain the rank.”
The honesty, positive attitude and
energy that Brown brings to table touches everyone around
her.
“Master Sgt. Brown is one of the most dedicated
leaders that I know,” said Takeya O'Neal, 81st RSC acting
branch chief, Full Time Support Military Branch. “She truly
believes in taking care of Soldiers and the mission. She
would make an excellent mentor to our younger Soldiers. She
most definitely leads from the front.”
Brown is
nowhere close to being shy and is able to acknowledge all
her strengths and weakness while continuing to be a
motivator to all.
“I believe Soldiers can gain a
great deal of knowledge on how they can take their careers
to the next level,” said O'Neal, “especially for those
Soldiers striving to become a senior NCO one day.”
Several years ago when Brown was a sergeant she said she
just wanted to sit around and do nothing at drill. Her
mentors, retired Sgt. Maj. Michelle Shepard and Sgt. Maj.
Dovie Wilson, wouldn't allow “just sitting around” to
happen.
“They taught me to never keep what I've
learned a secret and to always give it back; They taught me
how to not allow personal feelings get in the way of taking
care of Soldiers,” said Brown. “Since I've been at the 81st,
Mrs. Angela Moore has taught and is teaching me how to use
the gift God gave me to overcome and persevere whether it's
military or civilian life.”
By facing one goal at a
time, Brown said she has been able to achieve an associate
degree, bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, and she's
four classes shy of completing her master's degree in Human
Resource Management. Her ultimate goal is to make sergeant
major and retire with at least 30 years of service. Brown
has completed the Battle Staff NCO Course and is on track to
achieving her goal.
“This assignment has been an
assignment of Soldiers who fight, fuss, argue, build, learn
grown and in the end still come together just as family
does,” said Brown. “I've met some women whom we all come
from different backgrounds, but share similar instances and
we have grown, learned and cried together. Thanks to the
former Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander, Maj.
Brockman, and her encouragement, I was able to accomplish a
goal that I never would have set for myself and that's
completing my first half marathon and still breathing at the
end!”
Throughout the years, Brown has learned three
things, once you set a personal and professional goal do
what you can to accomplish it. About being a Soldier, fear
is the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real. About being a
leader, being a good leader is knowing how to listen, learn
and fall back when need be and not always being the one to
be the boss.
“Every commander needs that senior NCO
that gets it right the first time every time, does the right
thing when no one is watching, and gives their best to
molding our upcoming leaders,” said Maj. Kristen Brockman,
former Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander.
“That is Master Sgt. Brown."
By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Toshiko Gregg
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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