FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – Three Soldiers retired July 29 at the Quarterly Installation Retirement Ceremony hosted by Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) hosted at Brown Parade Field.
Sgt. 1st Class Lorna Declay, senior supply sergeant from 2-13th Aviation Regiment; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Benjamin C. Mann, senior automotive maintenance technician at NETCOM; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jeremy Keenan, intelligence systems maintenance technician at Intelligence & Electronic Warfare Directorate; served a combined 70 years and completed seven combat tours.
“The act of putting on a uniform for the cause of freedom is a deeply symbolic act,” said Col. William T. Ewing, chief of staff for NETCOM. “It is a selfless commitment to the idea we call America. Ordinary men and women have been defending this nation for over 247 years without regard for hardship or sacrifice.”
Ewing reflected on the memories of the retiring Soldiers.
Declay wears the Special Operations Forces combat patch due to her unique assignment in Afghanistan, where she often worked alone in the combat theater.
“I am truly blessed to have my final assignment here at Fort Huachuca, where my ancestors and the Apache Scouts once roamed,” Declay said.
Declay and her husband, retired Sgt. 1st Class Steven Declay Jr., are both members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe who met while serving with Special Operations Forces.
Mann wears the 3rd Infantry Division combat patch representing the unit where he saw the most combat action. He said it is where the most significant fundamental traits of brotherhood and sisterhood were formed.
Keenan wears his 4th Infantry Division combat patch because of the outstanding leadership throughout the organization.
“To all the retirees, although I know you will miss it, never fear as you are becoming members of a truly rare and unique alumni,” Ewing concluded.
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Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM)/9th Army Signal Command and more than 48 supported tenants representing a diverse, multiservice population. Our unique environment encompasses 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected electronic ranges, key components to the national defense mission.
Located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about 15 miles north of the border with Mexico, Fort Huachuca is an Army installation with a rich frontier history. Established in 1877, the Fort was declared a national landmark in 1976.
We are the Army’s Home. Learn more at https://home.army.mil/huachuca/.
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