Staying Connected
Staying Connected E-Mail from those serving our country

Sergeant Major (SGM) James R. Hancock,

Sergeant Major (SGM) James R. Hancock, top rank for Non-Commissioned Officers is currently stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. Hancock works in Director of Security, (DSPO) Plans and Operation Hancock writes…

My job title in this office is Operations Sergeant Major and my primary duty is to provide guidance to the command and work special projects. In the civilian world I guess I would be a troubleshooter, project manager and consultant.

My connection to Carroll County began in 1985 when I was assigned to the National Guard Armory in Delphi. I started an Active Guard Reserve (AGR) tour in April of 1985 and my first AGR assignment was Delphi. My family and I rented housing for a couple of years because I did not know how long I would be in the area. After a couple of years we bought a house in Flora, where we still live today.

I have been very fortunate in my military career. After five years in Delphi, I was moved to Logansport and was promoted to Master Sergeant (MSG). In 1995 I was moved to Kokomo and promoted to Sergeant Major (SGM). A few years later I was transferred to Lafayette and the good thing about all of these transfers is that I could still live in Flora.

Just before my deployment I was transferred to Indianapolis, which was a long drive but I only had to make it for a few months before I was deployed to Iraq.

Currently I have a total of 34 years of military service, 23 years of that is active duty. After my deployment, I am scheduled to be the Operations Sergeant Major of a Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, located at Camp Atterbury in Indiana. But more than likely, I will retire. By the time I complete this deployment and process out, will have a total of 35 years, with 25 of them on active duty. I think that is enough.

What I miss most while deployed is my wife, children and grandchildren. My wife, Sharon, and I have been married for almost 33 years and being away from her is very difficult. If we re-deploy per our schedule, she and I will have been apart for almost 15 months, except for a 15-day leave.

Together we have three great children; they have blessed us with nine grandchildren, so you can see I have a lot to miss.

Besides my family, I miss talking with my neighbors and friends, eating dinner at Fisher's on Friday, and the smell of fresh cut grass.

When you are deployed, your life as you know it, is stopped for one year. Everything you are used to having around is gone. You are sent to a foreign country where a certain number of people there want to hurt you and everyone else that is with you.

I miss being able to walk out of my house or office and go to a restaurant to eat or to a store to shop…just your day-to-day freedoms.

What I like most about what we do here is, I like the fact that we are bringing the fight to the terrorists. Keep in mind these guys just do not want us out of the Middle East, they want us out entirely. If we can fight them here and get terrorism under control (so my nine grandchildren never have to worry about it), then I will be happy.

Our country fought the Cold War for many years. When I was growing up we had drills at school where we would get under our desks. Today, the cold war is in the history books and our children and grandchildren do not have that threat. Now we have terrorism, but we can beat that, too.

I want to say hi to all of my family, friends and neighbors in Flora. To those who have sent cards and packages, a special "Thank You." SGM James R. Hancock 38th DISCOM Garrison Command OPERATIONS/DSPO SGM