Old Soldiers never die... they just fade away

By Marco Morales (SMDC/ARSTRAT)June 20, 2011

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1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Master Sgt. John Telgenhof listens as awards for him are read during his retirement ceremony June 17 at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command headquarter at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Telgenhof retires with 28 year... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Susan Telgenhof, right, and her daughter, Hanna, listen during the retirement ceremony of their husband and father, Master Sgt. John Telgenhof, at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command headquarters at Redstone ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Maj. John Mattie congratulates Master Sgt. John Telgenhof on his retirement following a ceremony at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command headquarters at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., June 17. The two have known... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

On April 18, 1983, the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, was attacked by a suicide bomber, killing more than 60 people, mostly embassy staff members and U.S. Marines and sailors. Across the Atlantic, a new recruit had decided to enlist in the Army.

"I enlisted because I was hyperactive and knew I wouldn’t make it through college," Master Sgt. John Telgenhof said, reflecting on how his 28-year military career began. "I knew at a very young age - my mom would verify I was about 11 or 12 years old - that the military was what I wanted to do."

Telgenhof is an operations noncommissioned officer in the G-3, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command.

"The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg (N.C.) in the early '80s all the way until the start of (Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom), was a very tightly knit and cohesive unit," Telgenhof said. "I served the majority of my time in the 3/4th (Air Defense Artillery (Airborne)) at Bragg. In 1999, I had the honor of being the lead for the annual All-American Week where I had the lead in supporting 746 veterans."

All American Week gives the active-duty Paratroopers a chance to honor and meet veterans from years past as well as show them that the Paratroopers of today are still living up to the high standards that they set for Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division.

"And of those who attended All-American Week about 200 were World War II veterans. Some of the stories they told me " you could just tell they were Soldiers from a different time. I vividly remember one guy who came from Virginia's Veterans Home and an older guy who came from Ohio. The older gentleman would drive to Virginia to pick up his buddy to drive him to All-American Week at Fort Bragg," Telgenhof said.

"During the week we kept finding his buddy sleeping on the floor of his hotel room. His answer was that he never leaves his buddy's side. It turned out that the guy who was in the VA home was a glider pilot during World War II and was flying some guys in " including his buddy " and crashed. They were carrying a 105 mm Howitzer and regardless of how they had it fastened in the glider, broke and slid all the way forward and broke his legs pinning him in the front of the cockpit. Well, his buddy from Ohio wouldn't leave him. So he rallied his squad to pull that 105 mm off of him, got him out of the glider, put him on a stretcher and sent one of his guys with him to assist his injured buddy. Those two were inseparable throughout the war," Telgenhof said.

If someone at USASMDC/ARSTRAT were to describe Telgenhof in a few words, it would likely include saying that he fits the typical look of a crusty, old NCO, sometimes snapping to attention in his Army Combat Uniform, as if trying to get those around him to realize that being a Soldier takes unmatched, regimented and precise discipline.

"I've known 'Master Sgt. T,' as we've called him, since 1984," said Michael Nash, administrative assistant, Small Business Office, USASMDC/ARSTRAT. "We both served in the 82nd Airborne Division and I served with him during most of the years from 1984 through 1999. He has always been a hard charger and very dedicated to the Army. Serving in the 82nd is often tough on your body, personal life and, at times, dangerous. Master Sgt. T, stayed on for years and served in a difficult job that few others wanted. He has my respect as a fellow paratrooper, fellow Soldier and as a friend. And just in case you were wondering, he was cranky even as a young Soldier, he hasn't changed a bit, and we wouldn't have it any other way."

Reflecting on how he was cultivated from the lower enlisted ranks to that of becoming a noncommissioned officer - it took him almost 10 years to earn his promotion to sergeant - Telgenhof offered some insight.

"We could go back to the days when NCOs hung out with NCOs,"” Telgenhof said. "We did not cross the boundaries of fraternization. I believe the hardest part of growing into leadership positions for me was as an enlisted specialist and getting promoted to sergeant. I had to cut ties with my peers but the NCOs picked me up at that point," he said. "There may be times in the Army when certain Soldiers are being or have been promoted too early. When an NCO doesn't get a chance to grow in the rank he or she has earned, they don't appreciate the next higher rank," he said. "It becomes an expectation and not something they earned."

As he gets ready to retire on June 17, the 46-year-old Telgenhof has had many opportunities to work with both Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians during his military career.

"I've always been in combat arms-type jobs my entire career. This is my first assignment in the Army where a command has actually had this many civilians," he said. "I don’t think the basic Soldier comprehends what civilians do to ensure that they get the proper equipment, proper weaponry, etc., and I believe Soldiers think that there are other Soldiers somewhere in between conducting technology testing and experimentation.

Telgenhof believes that serving in the military adds an element of understanding of a Soldier' life.

"And, on the flip side of that, unless someone has worn the uniform, I don't think there are a lot of civilians who really understand what a Soldier's life is like. A lot of them don't understand what long overseas deployments or 24-hour duty entails.

Perhaps another senior NCO at SMDC describes Telgenhof best.

"I've known Master Sgt. Telgenhof since we were stationed together at Fort Bragg, N.C. He was an E-5, and I was an E-6. We were both in the same Air Defense Artillery Battalion " 3/4 ADA (Airborne). We were both deployed to Operation Desert Storm in the early '90s,” said Sgt. Maj. John Mattie, operations sergeant major, G-3, USASMDC/ARSTRAT.

"We re-connected when stationed together at Fort Bliss, Texas, in 2001, when I was his first sergeant in HHB, 108th ADA Brigade," Mattie said. "He was the brigade fire direction center platoon sergeant. He is one of the most reliable and dedicated NCOs I've ever worked with. He is the epitome of professionalism, as he is a committed Soldier and NCO. There is no responsibility too great, or task too difficult. He is one of the main reasons I accepted my current assignment, here at SMDC. Upon learning I would have the opportunity to work with him again, I had little left to decide."

"Since working together these last three years, I have learned that Master Sgt. Telgenhof is one of the finest NCOs in the Army. He is a true professional. He is intelligent, trustworthy and capable of accomplishing any mission with the utmost quality. We have planned many conferences, events and missions and travelled to many installations around the world together. There is no way to replace him. I will always think fondly of him, and he will be missed as he begins the next phase of his career. I wish him luck and will miss his friendship and selfless dedication to duty," Mattie said.

Telgenhof attributes much of his career’s success to his "better half."

"I've been married 19 years and it's a miracle that my wife has put up with Army lifestyle this long," Telgenhof said. He and his wife, Susan, have two children, Hanna, 14, and Zach, 21.