{"id":321718,"date":"2024-11-26T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=321718"},"modified":"2024-11-27T16:12:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T16:12:25","slug":"messengers-earn-volunteer-family-of-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=321718","title":{"rendered":"Messengers earn volunteer family of year"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Lt. Col. Tony Messenger, 3rd Squadron commander, Second Security Forces Assistance Brigade, Fort Liberty, North Carolina, his son, Connor, 18, wife, Amy, Liam, 16, Colin, 14, and Keegan (center), 12, stop for a quick selfie during a visit to Washington, D.C., to receive an award for being the Association of the United States Army\u2019s Volunteer Family of the Year Oct. 13. (Courtesy photo)
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Army News Service<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON \u2013 Cooking 20 pounds of bacon, 15 dozen eggs, 680 cookies, coordinating childcare and giving military families a chance to experience Army military basic training and what their Soldier does on the job is just a typical day every 10 weeks for one Army family.<\/p>\n

Lt. Col. Tony Messenger, 3rd Squadron commander, Second Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Liberty, North Carolina, his wife, Amy, and sons, Connor, 18, Liam, 16, Colin, 14, and Keegan, 12, earned the Association of the United States Army\u2019s (AUSA) Volunteer Family of the Year for their efforts when they were stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.<\/p>\n

The colonel was deployed to Africa, riding in the back of a truck in Senegal when his wife called him to tell him the news.<\/p>\n

She told him they received a call from a retired general. He asked her if it was a prank and to send him the e-mail.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised and humbled at the same time,\u201d Tony said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t expect it. We go from post to post, see where we can give back as a family and community and be value-added to the folks around us, both in the community and in our Army family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI made the general repeat himself three times. I felt bad. We were shocked,\u201d Amy said.<\/p>\n

Before his current assignment, Tony commanded 1st Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, at Fort Jackson. During his tenure, the Messengers revived the battalion\u2019s Soldier Family Readiness Group and began the 72-hour room initiative, which gives drill sergeants a chance to spend time with their families during one of the most critical and time-consuming periods of the training cycle, Tony said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first 72 hours of every cycle is all hands-on deck,\u201d Amy said. \u201cYou\u2019re setting the tone with the civilians who are getting off the buses to become Soldiers. It\u2019s stressful and tough for the families of the drill sergeants.\u201d<\/p>\n

They joked that they\u2019ve burned through an oven and a microwave in their home kitchen prepping for the 72-hour room initiative. Each cycle takes seven hours of prep time to cook and prepare everything. The Messengers spend their time and money on the event every cycle.<\/p>\n

They also held a family day to give the drill sergeants\u2019 families a chance to repel down the tower or go through the confidence course, learning what the drill sergeants did each day.<\/p>\n

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\n A drill sergeant shows Colin Messenger, 12, son of Lt. Col. Tony Messenger, 3rd Squadron commander, Second Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Liberty, North Carolina, how to shoot an M-4 carbine rifle during a battalion family day event at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Nov. 19, 2022. (Courtesy photo)
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\u201cI couldn\u2019t climb the tall repel tower, but Connor did,\u201d Colin said. \u201cI got to crawl in the mud and jump walls on the confidence course. I got to shoot a gun. It was really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really helped the families connect, and it\u2019s fun to watch,\u201d Amy said.<\/p>\n

Prep for the initiative is a family effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kids help us cook the breakfast and lunches and help make sure the kids are entertained,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The family also established a readiness and resiliency room and a meditation space, equipped with zero gravity chairs, massage chairs and white noise machines, that\u2019s used by about 150 drill sergeants every day. They also established a lactation room for new and expecting mothers in the unit.<\/p>\n

The readiness and resiliency room is used by more than 150 Soldiers, 75 family members and 36 children on a nine-week cycle. From 2021 to 2024, about 865 Soldiers, 430 family members and 180 children benefited, which resulted in more quality time for the military families.<\/p>\n

Call to Service<\/strong><\/p>\n

The family\u2019s call to service started at an early age for Tony and Amy.<\/p>\n

Tony\u2019s mom served as nurse in the Red Cross in Virginia during the HIV epidemic in the 1980\u2019s leading HIV education in Prince Willam County. Amy said her family went on mission trips every summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe both grew up with volunteerism deep in our upbringing and just giving back to the community we live in,\u201d Amy said. \u201cWe instill that in our children. The boys volunteered at Fort Jackson and sought out volunteer opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Connor was attending a public high school at Fort Jackson, he noticed the teachers at the school didn\u2019t understand the Army mission there and what the military students\u2019 lives were like.<\/p>\n

The family worked with the military and school administrations to bring 130 teachers and staff members onto Fort Jackson to take them through the engagement skills trainer (a laser-based, indoor, multipurpose arms trainer), visit the museum and tour the post.<\/p>\n

Connor and Liam helped establish a partnership with Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, South Carolina, that improved ties between junior ROTC and Fort Jackson, and the family coordinated the first all-staff visit from the high school to the installation.<\/p>\n

The Messengers initiated a junior ROTC family day, providing 40 families with the opportunity to meet and talk to more than 35 drill sergeants about serving in the Army, and coordinated a mentorship program between 30 drill sergeants and more than 50 at-risk teens from the high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe moms who were worried about their kids joining the Army talked to spouses and family members about their Army experience,\u201d Amy said. \u201cThe kids went down the tower with their friends. It was a great day.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the boys continued to find volunteer opportunities at each of the Army posts they were assigned, helping bridge the gap between the community and the Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super proud of my kids for reaching out and seeing the needs of their community,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve volunteered everywhere we\u2019ve been, but to see the boys initiate and engage, as a parent, I get a proud heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo say I\u2019m proud of my kids is an understatement,\u201d Tony said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love volunteering because it makes me feel good, and we spend time together as a family,\u201d Liam said. \u201cWe also get to help others who\u2019ve helped us in the past and will probably help us in the future. I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Liam Messenger, 15, son of Lt. Col. Tony Messenger, 3rd Squadron commander, Second Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Liberty, North Carolina, receives a hug from a military family member during an Easter family event on Fort Jackson, South Carolina, March 23, 2024. The family and volunteers hosted egg hunts by age group and cooked a lunch. (Courtesy photo)
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Liam said one of his favorite experiences was being the Easter bunny during a party for military families.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really exciting to see the happy little kids,\u201d Liam said. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen people with more joy in their eyes. I gave out so many hugs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin said his favorite part is being the cookie tester.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe makes like 680 cookies; that\u2019s 10 batches of cookie dough I get to taste,\u201d he said, laughing. \u201cI get to give food to people, and I get to eat the food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin also organizes the games for the children at the holiday events and volunteers at animal shelters.<\/p>\n

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\n Colin Messenger, 13, son of Lt. Col. Tony Messenger, 3rd Squadron commander, Second Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Liberty, North Carolina, helps make FORGE cookies at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Oct. 17, 2023. Every Basic Combat Training cycle ends with a field training exercise called the FORGE. Messenger’s wife, Amy, and their sons make the cookies for the team to be handed out after 48 hours of continuous operations culminating with the Night Infiltration Course. Each drill sergeant crawled under live fire and barbed wire with the trainees, and each drill sergeant was greeted with a bag of cookies as a morale booster at the mid-point of the event. (Courtesy photo)
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Military heritage<\/strong><\/p>\n

The call to service also has military roots for Tony and Amy.<\/p>\n

Tony\u2019s paternal grandfather served in the Navy in World War II. His grandfather was injured and met Tony\u2019s grandmother in a hospital in Washington, D.C., where she was serving in the Coast Guard. His maternal grandfather served in the Army Air Corps. His maternal grandmother served in the Women\u2019s Army Air Corps, where she trained to fly B-29s. His dad served in the Air Force, and Tony joined the Army in 1998 as a Soldier in military intelligence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI initially joined to pay for college and because of my family\u2019s history of service, but once I got in, I loved it,\u201d Tony said. \u201cI love the Army; it becomes your family. I have a lot of friends I keep up with through the years. It\u2019s just a bond that doesn\u2019t break. I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amy\u2019s grandfather served in the Army in World War II, and her uncle served in the Army in Vietnam.<\/p>\n

Tony and Amy met while they were both attending West Virginia University. He had earned a Green to Gold scholarship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met at a sports bar watching Monday Night Football,\u201d Amy said. \u201cWe had mutual friends who knew we both liked the same stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

He commissioned in 2005.<\/p>\n

Military Life<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tony has had around Seven deployments, with tours to Iraq, Syria and Jordan. He started out as an infantry officer once he commissioned,\u00a0changed over to Special Forces after commanding an Infantry company.<\/p>\n

He has shrapnel in his arm, leg and along his spine from an improvised explosive device during an Iraq deployment in 2007.<\/p>\n

Because of the many moves and deployments, Amy said having her military family is vital.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fully support him in his career. I\u2019ve made bonds with people who became my family,\u201d Amy said. \u201cOur kids love it because they can go anywhere around the world. They have military friends who live everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Families of drill sergeants at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, enjoy a potluck dinner as part of the first 72 hours. Lt. Col. Tony Messenger, 3rd Squadron commander, Second Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and his family transformed the conference room in the drill sergeant’s battalion, so the drill sergeants who were on duty could rotate through to see their families and get a home cooked meal Dec. 16, 2023. The Messengers cooked the breakfast meal and worked with volunteer families to bring the potluck food to share. (Courtesy photo)
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She said having that community and spouse support during deployments, especially when she had to deal with moving household goods and four boys, has been priceless.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve moved 11 times,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to have your 3 a.m. friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keegan, their youngest son, is a special needs child with a rare genetic disorder. Amy said being in and out of the pediatric intensive care unit with Keegan while Tony was deployed, her support network helped her with her other sons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s literally been times other spouses have come and gotten my kids off an exit ramp, so I could follow in an ambulance to the hospital,\u201d Amy said.<\/p>\n

She said at one point, Colin had to get his tonsils out, Conner\u2019s appendix ruptured, and then Keegan was born, all within one week.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had three kids have surgery within seven days of each other,\u201d she said. \u201cKeegan was flown to a hospital for special care, and then at 10 months, he went back into the hospital for more than three months and 13 surgeries. Anthony was deployed at the time; he came home because Keegan\u2019s blood sugar was really low, and we almost lost him. He coded twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the outpouring of love and support they received from the Soldier families was so much, they didn\u2019t have enough room for all the food.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe outpouring of love, people taking our kids out, making sure our boys had birthday parties while we were in the hospital with Keegan, our Army family really came together,\u201d Amy said. \u201cThey threw Colin the biggest third birthday to make sure he knew he was loved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keegan has had 59 surgeries in 12 years. The Messengers said they couldn\u2019t take care of their family without the love and support from their military and civilian communities and the support from Tony\u2019s command.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are driven to pay it forward, all of that love and support,\u201d Amy said.<\/p>\n

At every post, the Messengers participate in the Exceptional Families Military Program, bringing families together to make sure everyone gets what they need, connecting with other military families and having play dates so no one feels alone, Amy said.<\/p>\n

Connor said the constant moves and military life is helping him with college.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s helped with resiliency and adapting to an environment,\u201d Connor said. Connor earned an associate\u2019s degree in the culinary arts but loves military history.<\/p>\n

Tony said taking care of military families enables readiness in Soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt enables our ability to do the things we\u2019re called to do as Soldiers if our family unit is being taken care of,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the team beyond the guidon. Taking care of them enables the Soldiers to focus on the mission and give one hundred percent without worrying about their family in the rear.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lt. Col. Tony Messenger, 3rd Squadron commander, Second Security Forces Assistance Brigade, Fort Liberty, North Carolina, his son, Connor, 18, wife, Amy, Liam, 16, Colin, 14, and Keegan (center), 12, stop for a quick selfie during a visit to Washington, D.C., to receive an award for being the Association of the United States Army\u2019s Volunteer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":321720,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-321718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=321718"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":321726,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321718\/revisions\/321726"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/321720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=321718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=321718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=321718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}