Veterans Voice: Families of deployed Guardsmen join together for mutual support

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported James Holbrook's current rank, and the town where Tim O'Leary was born.

In 2006, Rhode Island National Guardsman James Holbrook, of Charlestown, returned from Iraq after his first overseas tour of duty. Shortly thereafter he met Jessica Donofrio, a URI student from Connecticut who would later become his wife.

Also in 2006, Tim O’Leary graduated from Mount St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket, where he had been a standout defenseman on the hockey team.

The year before, they had snapped a 12-game winless streak at Massachusetts powerhouse Catholic Memorial with a 2-0 victory. Legendary Mount coach Dave Belisle told The Journal, "We just played great defense. To kill six penalties against a team like Catholic Memorial says a lot.”

Tim O’Leary was one of those he singled out by name.

Sixteen years later, O’Leary and the Holbrooks are teamed up to play defense once again, but this time it’s on a much larger stage, for much larger stakes.

They all play different but crucial roles with A Company, 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry of the Rhode Island National Guard, as the unit prepares to deploy to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Spartan Shield, a joint mission of Operation Enduring Freedom, under the Kuwait-based U.S. Army Central.

Beautiful day for a picnic

Sunday, May 1, was one of the nicest days of the year. Soldiers of Company A took full advantage, gathering with their families at Allen Harbor Marina in North Kingstown for a picnic.

With Company A headed overseas, it served as a bonding opportunity as well as a going-away party. About 250 soldiers and family members attended.

Capt. Timothy O’Leary is commanding officer of Company A. He hails from Grafton, Massachusetts, but now lives in Harrisville.

He runs a welding business that his parents started 40 years ago.

“I went to work full time after graduating [high school] in 2006 and have had few breaks since, other than time spent training with the National Guard,” O’Leary told Boston Voyager Magazine in 2018.

He joined the Guard in 2009, and earned his commission in 2011 through Officer Candidate School. Juggling work, drilling and family, he earned his B.A. in Business Management in 2017 through night school at Johnson & Wales in Providence.

“We have soldiers who live in all six New England states, plus New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” said O’Leary.

As traditional Guardsmen, they lead normal civilian lives, with a drill weekend every month plus the traditional two-week annual training period. This means the soldiers’ families almost never see each other — unlike regular Army units, whose full-time soldiers all live at or near a permanent base.

“For the soldiers,” said O’Leary, the picnic “was an opportunity to introduce their families to their friends and [unit] leadership, and to enjoy each other’s company.”

It also gave O’Leary the chance to speak directly to the families, letting them know of the support systems available while the soldiers are overseas.

“The picnic helped families meet and create bonds they can lean on while we are deployed,” concluded O’Leary.

Jessica Holbrook is the Family Readiness Group coordinator for Company A. Her husband, Sgt. 1st Class James Holbrook, a Narragansett police officer, will be heading out on his fourth deployment.

“James and I married in 2012, after he returned from his second deployment to Afghanistan,” she said. They live in Ashaway with children, Juliana and Jason.

According to the Army, a Family Readiness Group is a “command sponsored organization of family members, volunteers, soldiers [who] provide mutual support, assistance and communications among the family members, the chain of command … and community resources.”

Company A’s Family Readiness Group had been dormant for a while, but with a deployment on the horizon the need to fire it back up became apparent.

“Knowing James and I had already experienced a deployment together, they asked if I would volunteer,” said Jessica Holbrook.

The first task was to get everyone together before the deployment.

“We wanted to have a ‘meet and greet’ so everyone could meet me and put a face to the name,” she said.

A core group of officers and noncommissioned officers have served together in Company A for more than a decade. However, this was the first deployment for many of the younger soldiers.

“We wanted to show wives and families they are not alone,” Jessica Holbrook said. “We also wanted to give them a great sendoff with many positive memories.”

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Support from Military Order of Foreign Wars

However, Company A did not have the resources to pull off the kind of event O'Leary and Jessica Holbrook envisioned.

The Rhode Island Commandery of Military Order of Foreign Wars offered to help.

“We saw this as an opportunity to help close the generation gap between us older veterans and the soldiers of today,” said MOFW officer and retired Army National Guard Col. Dave Russell.

In addition to underwriting much of the cost of the picnic, the MOFW sent a team of volunteers, thus allowing Holbrook and her team to spend more time with their families. (As commander of the Rhode Island MOFW, I was one of those volunteers.)

“Thanks to MOFW support, we were able to join with our husbands, sons and brothers preparing for deployment,” Holbrook said.

“The picnic brought us together with laughs, food and drinks,” she added. “This was one of the best parties Company A has ever had. I feel the soldiers left the event with the confidence that all the families will support them, as well as each other, during these next months.”

Family members were invited to sign a poster featuring the unit logo. The poster, containing well-wishes from loved ones, will be proudly displayed overseas.

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One of the oldest units in the Army

The 182nd Infantry can trace its lineage to 1636 and the North Regiment, a British unit in Massachusetts. This makes it one of the oldest regiments in the Army, and one of the few National Guard units with campaign credit for both the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

The battalion headquarters is in Melrose, Massachusetts, and the three other line companies plus a Forward Support Company are all part of the Massachusetts National Guard.

A Company previously deployed to Iraq in 2005 and to Afghanistan in 2011. Recently, the company was activated to Providence in June 2020 for civil unrest and to Washington in January 2021 for the presidential inauguration.

Upcoming mission

While regulations prohibit the publishing of exact dates, locations and other details of a deployment, one can get a general idea of what A Company will be doing from the social media of other Guard units sent on similar missions.

These mobilizations have lasted about a year, including about 45 days of additional training stateside before heading overseas.

Task Force Spartan is made up largely of rotating National Guard units, supported by active Army and Army Reserve support elements. Its headquarters is in Kuwait, although units from other states have been based in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

This is also a multinational operation, with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kuwait and other nations committing forces.

The mission has been ongoing since 2012, when it was established to fill the void caused by the withdrawal from Iraq. According to one report to Congress, “Spartan Shield is responsible for building Washington’s relationships with militaries across the Middle East and Central Asia, from Egypt to Oman to Kazakhstan.”

As a result, the United States trains militaries in 17 of the 20 countries in the region. U.S. troops have been deployed in two of the remaining three: Syria and Yemen.

The last of the 20 countries is Iran.

Dispelling any doubt about Spartan Shield’s purpose, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Van bluntly told the news website Al-Monitor in a 2020 telephone interview, “It is to deter Iranian aggression.”

This is a serious mission, not to be taken lightly.

I am sure that all our readers will join with me in wishing these soldiers and their families all the best in the months to come.

Calendar of events

Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Veteran’s Expo at Pierce Memorial Stadium, East Providence. Sponsored by the East Providence Elks Lodge #2337. Exhibits feature veterans services, employers relocation service, plus life and living assistance. Free lunch for veterans. Backpack with hygiene products, tent and sleeping bag available to those in need. Rain or shine. (401) 434-8565.

Sunday, 2 p.m., Gold Star Families Memorial Monument dedication ceremony, R.I. Veterans Cemetery, Exeter. For information, email RIGSFMM@gmail.com, or visit woodywilliams.org/monuments/ri-veterans.html.

Sunday, 3 p.m., Lafayette Band presents Armed Forces Salute, a concert to honor those who've served in the military, at St. Bernard Church, 275 Tower Hill Rd., North Kingstown. Program consists of patriotic favorites, Broadway tunes, and big band and swing music. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Voluntary donations at the door will be shared between the Providence VA Medical Center Voluntary Services Office and the band's free community concert program. For more information visit lafayettebandri.org. Contact Mike Dynon, (401) 480-3520 or mdynon12@gmail.com.

May 19, 8:30 a.m., Sgt. Adam S. DeCiccio Warwick Memorial Post 272 VFW golf tournament, Cranston Country Club. Shotgun start; $130 per player; individual – Callaway system; foursome, scramble, low gross. Raymond Denisewich, co-chairman, (401) 644-8066, raymond.denisewich@gmail.com.

May 19, 2 to 5 p.m., R.I. House of Representatives annual Veterans & Military Families Day at the State House. Veterans organizations that wish to participate should notify Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson by Thursday. Exhibitors will get a table and two chairs. Please let her know if you need power. Spaces are limited; reserve your spot as soon as possible. Email vellawilkinson@gmail.com.

May 19, 5:30 p.m., woodworking class at the Providence Vet Center, 2038 Warwick Ave., Warwick. The Providence Vet Center also has openings in its very popular Guitar for Veterans group. Instruction and instruments are provided at no cost. Vet Center eligibility is required: If you are interested in participating or have questions regarding eligibility, call (401) 739-0167 or email Paul.Santilli@va.gov.

May 20, 7:30 a.m., CSM Edward McConnell golf tournament, presented by Military Police Regimental Association, Rhode Island Chapter, Triggs Memorial Golf Course, 1533 Chalkstone Ave., Providence. For tickets and information go to mprari.org/events-1/mpra-ri-2022-csm-edward-mcconnell-annual-golf-tournament.

May 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Virtual career fair hosted by Enlisted Association of the National Guard. This is the nation’s largest event of its kind for the National Guard community. Access nationwide employment opportunities and interactive hiring rooms. National Guard servicemembers, veterans, retirees and families — get your résumés seen by employers across the United States. Register at eangus.org/national-guard-community-virtual-career-fair/ or email eangus@eangus.org

June 4, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Surfing at Narragansett Town Beach. This is Vet Surf’s first surfing activity of the year. Free; all equipment provided, no experience necessary. If you Go to VetSurf.org and select the Participants tab to sign up. Email Justyn.Charon@va.gov or call (401) 739-0167.

June 18, 9 a.m., Learn to fly-fish at Deer Creek Farm in Foster. Dare to Dream Ranch and DEM‘s aquatic resource education office are offering this one-day course for veterans and families. All tying materials and fishing equipment provided. To register call Cyndi at (401) 871-2332; leave your name, phone number, email and how many people you are registering,

To report the outcome of a previous activity, or add a future event to our calendar, email the details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) to veteranscolumn@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Veterans Voice: Families of deployed Guardsmen join together for mutual support