Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel    
    
        Special Victims Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 North Carolina Guard member follows in family tradition; commits to a life of service By Staff Sgt. Mary Junell
                North Carolina National Guard
 RALEIGH, N,C. - Less than one percent of the American population serves in the United States Armed Forces, but for one North Carolina National Guard member, it is the only life he's ever known. "Because of my family, this is all I've ever known. I don't really know what it would be like to be a civilian and have that type of commitment outside the commitment to this nation,"said North Carolina Army National Guard Capt. Timothy Thomas, who currently serves as the logistics officer for the 1-130th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion. "So I read the statistics and I read that number and I honestly don't know what the rest of America is doing if they're not signing up to serve." Thomas, who deployed to Iraq in 2009, is the fourth generation of his family to join the military, continuing a tradition that starts with his great-grandfather who initially joined the Army Air Corps, which later became the Air Force, and served in WWII and Korea. He retired as a Chief Master Sgt. after more than 26 years as a petroleum oils lubricants specialist. Thomas's grandfather, William Thomas, continued the tradition by joining the Army as a warrant officer after the start of the Vietnam War. "He joined the Army and went straight to flight school,"said Timothy Thomas. "He came out of flight school and two weeks later was in Vietnam and had a battlefield promotion to 1st Lt., completely skipping 2nd Lt. and that's his claim to fame, that he was never a butter bar [2nd Lt.]." William Thomas retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1992 and over the course of his career was qualified to fly several aircraft, including the Huey helicopter and at one point, from 1979-1982, served as the active duty advisor to the unit where his grandson would later serve. At the time, the 28th Attack Helicopter Company was transitioning to Cobra helicopters. They would later become the first reserve component to have Apache helicopters and be known as 1st Battalion, 130th Aviation Regiment, and the unit the youngest Thomas has served in for the past 10 years. "It's pretty neat that before I was born my grandpa advised the unit where I would later serve a larger portion of my military career,"Timothy Thomas said. Thomas's father, Kelly Thomas, remembers his dad going off to Vietnam and the impact it had on him as a young man, leading him to also join the Army as an Aviator. "I didn't understand what Vietnam was,"said Kelly Thomas, who has served in Grenada, Bosnia and Afghanistan. "I really didn't understand the war, but I understood the year, two years plus that he was gone and the team of teams that Army aviators have with all the infantry and all the ground forces. That was what really impressed me about being a tactical helicopter pilot, the respect those branches have on each other." Kelly Thomas retired as a brigadier general in 2013 and like his father was qualified to fly several aircraft including the Cobra and Kiowa Warrior helicopters. He said he is proud that his son is the third in the line to become an Army aviator. "I think the common theme with the three generations of aviators is that we fly something that shoots and that's what we all take very much pride in,"he said. "Our standard is that it has to hover and it has to have guns on it, besides that, we'll fly it. I think that's our proudest tradition." When the youngest Thomas of the four generations qualified as an Apache pilot the two previous generations of Thomas pilots were there to congratulate him and pin his newly earned wings to his chest. His father, Kelly Thomas, pinned on the wings, which were the same wings his father pinned onto him. Those wings had the date of all three generations of Thomas pilots on them. "I'm very, very proud of him,"Kelly Thomas said of his son. "It really is a proud day." The newest Thomas said he could not remember one specific time that started him on his journey to join the service but that it was part of his everyday life. "I just remember always seeing the uniform and thinking it was dad, even if it wasn't dad,"Timothy Thomas said. "I always thought that the Thomas is a military family and we understand that it's bigger than us and we're committed to serve. I think that is the understanding that we can serve and do our part because we know that it is bigger than us and we're just a small part of that puzzle, but it's a great feeling."
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 Washington Guard, Royal Thai Army Conduct Expert Exchange
 By Joseph Siemandel,
  Tennessee Guard Rescues Hiker in Great Smoky Mountains Park
 By Lt. Col. Darrin Haas,
  Champions Repeat at NH National Guard Marksmanship Match
 By Master Sgt. Charles Johnston,
  More
 Tennessee Guard Rescues Hiker in Great Smoky Mountains Park Guard News • yesterday
 Champions Repeat at NH National Guard Marksmanship Match Guard News • 2 days ago
 West Virginia Air National Guard Wing Conducts ’Super Drill’ Guard News • 2 days ago
 Idaho Medical Airmen Train in Field to Boost Readiness Guard News • 2 days ago
 Alaska Air National Guard rescues 6 plane crash victims Guard News • 2 days ago
 2024 (189)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil