Deployed father renders first salute to newly commissioned son

Deployed father renders first salute to newly commissioned son
By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Richard Andrade, 4th BCT 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
May 14, 2013

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Master Sgt. Marshall Rader opened up a laptop and turned on a projector atop the conference room table at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, May 10. He then opened a video chat program and saw a familiar face on the screen projected onto the wall.

A video teleconference was set up inside the conference room at FOB Gamberi so that Rader could render the first salute to his son Gregory during his officer commissioning ceremony following a ceremony held at North Georgia University campus.

Rader said he has 17 years in active service with the U.S. Army. He served as a military policeman before changing his military occupational specialty to human resources specialist. Rader serves as human resources noncommissioned officer-in-charge with 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based out of Fort Hood, Texas.

The native of Clarington, Ohio, served honorably for ten years in the Army before getting out. Rader said he was out for five years when he decided to re-enlist.

“My wife deployed and 29 days later, I came back into the Army,” said Rader. “I just missed it too much, I love the military.”

Rader’s wife is a major, her father is a retired Lt. Colonel and her grandfather was a major in the U.S. Army. Rader said his son was always interested in the military growing up.
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