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Cousins In Arms - A Shared Service
by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kaylee Dubois
March 25, 2018

Nathaniel Layton grew up in Greenville, Tennessee, just a half-hour away from Knoxville, Tennessee, where his cousin, Patrick May, lived.

Although the boys only met once growing up, today they are closer than ever and owe their chance to grow together, personally and professionally, to the Army.

Coming from a long line of military members, both men had a feeling they would end up joining the military in one capacity or another.

Now a U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 assigned to the 97th Transportation Company, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), Layton works as a chief engineer on a Landing Craft Utility vessel.

Furthermore, May, a Chief Warrant Officer 5, works as the chief maritime qualification director for the Office of the Chief of Transportation. The two never imagined they would end up working together in the watercraft field.

Left, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nathaniel Layton, 97th Transportation Company, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) chief engineer, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Patrick May, Office of the Chief of Transportation chief maritime qualification director, pose for a photo near a Logistics Support Vessel docked at Third Port at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA on January 11, 2018. Layton and May, cousins, reconnected after being stationed together at Fort Eustis. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kaylee Dubois)
Left, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nathaniel Layton, 97th Transportation Company, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) chief engineer, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Patrick May, Office of the Chief of Transportation chief maritime qualification director, pose for a photo near a Logistics Support Vessel docked at Third Port at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA on January 11, 2018. Layton and May, cousins, reconnected after being stationed together at Fort Eustis. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kaylee Dubois)

“I was an aviation mechanic in the U.S. Marine Corps and loved everything about it,” said Layton. “In 1995, they gave the choice of two different careers to cross-train into, but I knew that I wouldn’t enjoy working in them. I knew getting out was the best way to go.”

After ending his service in the Marine Corps, Layton started his own contracting business. While working in the civilian sector for 15 years, his cousin worked his way up the ranks in the Army.

When the economy declined in the early 2000s, Layton knew the only way to support his family was to put the uniform back on, and the Army was his way back in.

“I missed the Marine Corps the whole time I was out,” said Layton. “The first day I put the uniform back on, it felt like I had never left.”

With a few years already under his belt, Layton knew he was ready to apply for a warrant officer position. While confiding in his father about this decision, his father told him to reach out to his cousin, Pat, who was already a warrant officer.

Getting in contact with May was one of the best things that he did to jump start his warrant officer career, noted Layton. May helped Layton get his foot in the door, and soon after, he was on his way to Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

“I suggested joining the watercraft field because we are incredibly undermanned,” said May. “I knew Nate would be the perfect fit for the job.”

For both the Soldiers, being a mariner runs through their veins. They attribute their love of the water to their ancestors, who were known as the King’s Watermen in medieval England.

“I sometimes wonder if our gravitation toward the field goes back to our past,” said May. “If not, it certainly is quite the coincidence.”

From day one on the job, May noted he was a natural on the water. Whether sailing boats or fixing them, he had a knack for the craft, which he picked randomly after enlisting after high school.

“I saw the video of the watercraft field in the recruiter’s office and thought it would be a cool job,” said May. “I fell in love with the mission, the boats, the traveling, and 33 years later I’m still here.”

This series of events led to the two Soldiers being stationed together at Fort Eustis, where the primary mission is transportation.

Now sharing the same mission, Layton and May spend time together often, either helping each other in their field or just bonding over remodeling a kitchen.

“I consider Pat one of my biggest mentors, in and out of work,” said Layton. “He’s been a warrant officer for most of his career and he’s an expert in his field. Outside of work, he’s there for me 24/7 and vice versa. It’s great knowing you have family close by.”

Both Chiefs suggest young service members continuously seek out mentors throughout their careers. Even as the most senior vessel director, May said he wouldn’t be as successful without the people he leans on every day.

Creeping up to his retirement and with two trips around the world on his resume, May says he’s ready to pass his legacy on to Layton.

Although they didn’t share much growing up, now, through their shared service, the cousins continue to keep the nation’s waters and citizens safe by serving on the Army’s most versatile vessels.

By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kaylee Dubois
Provided through DVIDS
Copyright 2018

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