Sergeant Megan Kennedy named latest Warfighter of the Quarter

Sergeant Megan Kennedy was formally recognized as the 36th Tobyhanna Army Depot Warfighter of the Quarter on Saturday, February 25, during the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ Military Appreciation Night. This award recognizes the relationship between employees at Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) and the warfighters they work each day to support.

Kennedy joins a prestigious group of Soldiers who have selflessly dedicated themselves to serving our Nation, living a life consistent with the Army core values, being good stewards of their communities and helping to advance the TYAD mission.

In the spirit of TYAD’s mission of supporting our Nation’s warfighters, several members of Team Tobyhanna volunteered to hold the garrison flag on the ice for our National Anthem during the game, and depot employee Janet Warnick sang “God Bless America.”

Kennedy is a deserving recipient of this award. Her career of service has spanned 11 years, with two deployments to Guantanamo Bay from 2017-2018 and 2021-2022 and most recently an assignment to Tobyhanna in September 2022. Within her first thirty days at TYAD, she received an Army Achievement Medal for her outstanding performance.

As a member of the TYAD Risk Management Division, one of Kennedy’s many roles is serving as a “face of the depot” at the gate. Kennedy is always sure to greet visitors with a smile, regardless of extreme temperatures or inclement weather. This is emblematic of who Kennedy is as a Soldier and a person.

Her enthusiastic outlook has allowed her to overcome the challenges of a life in the military.

Kennedy says, “My greatest challenge has been the time away from my children and my family, but we make the best of it!”

And although her time in the Armed Forces has resulted in some time away from her family, Kennedy has found a second family in her brothers and sisters in arms.

“The Armed Forces has given me a second family, given me experiences and opportunities that I never would have thought could happen; it has had such a positive impact on my life. If you're looking to make lifelong bonds and see parts of the world you could never imagine and learn skills that can help you in your future, I highly recommend joining the Armed Forces,” says Kennedy.

In recommending her for the award, former Warfighter of the Quarter Sergeant First Class Frank Boehme, Jr, touted Kennedy’s knowledge, attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond.

“Sergeant Kennedy has truly proven herself to be an invaluable asset to TYAD. Her vast tactical and technical expertise from her Military Occupational Specialty has resulted in vital support over the course of her tenure at TYAD. Her steadfast service is proof of her dedication to her fellow comrades, her unit and our country. Her faithfulness through these times will be a testimony for others to follow for many years to come,” says Boehme.

“She also enhanced her hometown unit's readiness by volunteering for multiple professional development classes and courses, which she will be able to bring back to her home station and cross train future leaders.”

Lead Public Affairs Specialist Danielle Weinschenk also lauded Sergeant Kennedy for her commitment to TYAD’s TOBY2035 efforts.

“Sergeant Kennedy has volunteered to support vehicle displays at community events in her free time, enabling TYAD to connect with our community and share our mission with Northeastern Pennsylvania,” she says.

Weinschenk says one instance of Kennedy connecting with the community came when she volunteered on her day off to assist with the Tobyhanna Memorial Post 509 Auxiliary hosting Children’s Christmas Party on 17 Dec 2022, driving Santa to the VFW in a military vehicle.

Kennedy is proud to be able to lead by example, and in turn see her Soldiers become leaders themselves.

“My proudest accomplishment would be seeing how my leadership style positively impacts my Soldiers, and some Soldiers who were not in my charge, they always know they can come to me with any issue, and I will always do my best to help them. I'm also very proud seeing my Soldiers promote and become leaders themselves.”

The Warfighter of the Quarter award and other employee recognition programs align with Tobyhanna's long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035 - specifically the Connecting with the Community line of effort. The plan aims to posture the depot for success in the coming years as the Department of Defense's premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.

Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.

Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.

About 3,100 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.

---With additional reporting by Katie Nolan, Community Relations Specialist