this time, it’s different
On this Memorial Day, Sgt. Ben Kelly compared this week’s deployment to when he left in 2009; personally, he says, there is no comparison
THIS MAY NOT BE GUNNERY SGT. BEN KELLY’S first overseas deployment with the Minnesota Army National Guard, but he’s leaving a lot more behind this time compared to his last overseas deployment in 2009.
Not only is Kelly leaving behind his job with the Lyon County Sheriff’s office, this time he leaves wife, Alicia, and their seven kids as he prepares to leave with the National Guard-Alpha Battery 1-151 Field Artillery for its deployment to the Middle East.
“This is a lot harder,” Kelly said. “Last time I was 21 and I didn’t have a lot to my name. I wasn’t leaving much. This time, with seven kids, it makes it a lot harder. We’ve already started the breakdown process with the little ones. It’s an emotional rollercoaster.”
Alicia, a paraprofessional at Milroy Public Schools, will be holding down the home front with Madison, 10th grade; Chloe, 9th grade; Tayson 7th grade; Evelyn 6th grade; Ruth, 5th grade; Mia, kindergarten and Atticus, preschool. Ben will be deploying with his fellow soldiers from Marshall on May 29. His mission is for 12 months, nine of them in Kuwait.
Kelly enlisted in the National Guard at 17 in Marshall, After eight years, he was promoted to the Jackson unit. Then to Fairmont, next to Ortonville and finally back to Marshall.
While Kelly has been deployed once overseas, he has seen an increase in the missions the Guard participates in, from natural disasters to border security. Five years ago, after an overnight shift and two hours of sleep, he received word they were being activated that day to Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd. Deployments like that are sudden with little to no time to plan. He was activated again for Floyd’s trial.
“They are using the National Guard more, he said. “Not for as many combat deployments. It’s used in other things — Africa, the border, Kuwait. A lot of roles to be filled and they use it often.”
This time, they have been planning for his overseas, year-
‘
This time, with seven kids, it makes it a lot harder. We’ve already started the breakdown process with the little ones. It’s an emotional rollercoaster.
— BEN KELLY
• MEMORIAL DAY
Please see Page 15 for a look around the area at this year’s Memorial Day ceremonies and an extra special event in Balaton.
long deployment for almost a year. However, that doesn’t make it easier.
“This is a young guy’s game, not a 37-year-old’s,” Ben said. “I finally got to the point where I told my wife I feel old. We have kids that are enlisting that are born the year that I enlisted. That’s crazy.”
However, despite the distance, the Kellys will be facing this together, one step at a time, each in their own roles.
“One day at a time, Alicia said. “There is nothing we can really do, just keep everybody in line. Be there to support them because there is going to be a lot of emotions because every individual child is different. Just doing it.”
Preparing for this deployment was different in more ways than just the addition of kids. The Kellys have been cramming in as much family time as possible; Ben was able to take the last two weeks off prior to leaving to spend time with his family. He and Alicia have also been going through the every day tasks that he currently handles to be prepared for this next year. Everything that Ben does on a day-to-day and monthly basis now has to become Alicia’s responsibility. From bills that Ben manages to who to call if they have plumbing issues needs to be discussed.
“That’s the hardest part for me,” Alicia said. “I always call him — ‘Hey, this happened today. I can’t do that now. I can’t just pick up the phone. He’s going to be missing out on a lot of firsts — first year or preschool, first day of kindergarten, first year of middle school, first year of high school. It’s just a lot.”
“Sports seasons, the girls driving, I’m missing a lot of things,” Ben echoed.
While they are preparing themselves and their kids for the year ahead, they have received an outpouring of support both from the Guards, employers and the community of Milroy as a whole.
“The sheriff’s office has been really good with that,” Ben said. “(Sheriff) Eric (Wallen) has said to make sure she reaches out if she needs anything. ‘We have plenty of guys that are willing to help while you’re gone.’” Carmen Brunsvold will also offer a lot of support to Alicia. She is the Family Readiness Specialist for the unit and will be checking in with the family at least once a month.
“She has all the resources that I need,” Alicia said. “If anything happens, she’s my number one call. She’ll get me where I need to be.”
The Kelly family has also felt an outpouring of support from the Milroy community. At the recent preschool and sixth grade graduation, where Mia graduated preschool and Tayson graduated sixth grade, Ben was recognized, and a photo of the soldier with the entire school was taken. Ben also received multiple letters and hand drawn messages of encouragement and thanks from the students.
While National Guard deployments were more often heard of during the Iraqi war and other times of conflict, the soldiers are continuously activated for service in the states and abroad. Now it’s not a matter of if you’ll be activated but when and for what purpose. Those deployed are sacrificing time away from their homes, jobs and families. Those left behind are also sacrificing as they continue to keep life as normal as possible and handle all responsibilities here.
Even with the outpouring of support, Alicia knows that as an independent person, one of the hardest things may be asking for help when she needs it.
That same outpouring of support can be super beneficial to the soldiers as they are away from home. Ben reminisced on his previous overseas deployment and said there were days that it seemed the time was going quickly and other times that it seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace. One thing that was always a pick-me-up was the gifts and boxes of things such as hygiene products and snack foods that were sent to the soldiers. He also remembered the “We Support Our Troops” signs that graced many yards on his deployment and his return.
“The little things count,” Ben stated when reflecting on the support from his last deployment. “Last time there was a bunch of signs in the yard that said, ‘We Support Our Troops.’ Being a soldier that was over there, we got gifts constantly from people around the community. Little pick-meups when you’re overseas is a good reminder that there are still people back home that are supporting what you are doing. It’s really easy to get focused on your job and you’re not thinking about everything outside of where you’re at. Little things go a long way for the families as they see the support.”
As the Kelly family took time from their Memorial Day to talk about the upcoming year before heading out to go fishing as a family, they talked about the sacrifice that so many soldiers make, some never getting the chance to return. And they work as hard as possible to be ready for what the next year brings.
