Glenn Kennedy serves the residents of Columbia County as deputy county manager, but service comes naturally to him.
Kennedy served in the U.S. Army for 26 years. His last assignment before retiring was garrison commander at Fort Gordon.
Kennedy’s military career continued a family tradition dating back seven generations. His ancestors can be traced as far back as the American Revolution.
He was named for his father, Sgt. 1st Class Glenn Kennedy who served in Vietnam, including the 1965 Ia Drang Valley battle memorialized in the book “We Were Soldiers Once…and Young,” and movie starring Mel Gibson. The senior Kennedy died in battle in 1966. His son was just a year-and-a-half-old.
After graduating Evans High School, he enrolled in what was then North Georgia College where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and enlisted following graduation. His first duty station was with an armored battalion at Fort Carson, Colo.
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He said one of his most meaningful assignments was as commander of the 17th Signal Battalion, starting in 2004.
“Because really, there’s no greater honor than being able to lead American soldiers, particularly in a combat environment,” he said. “You hear a lot about World War II is the greatest generation. I would never argue against that. But I would add that, whenever you see young Americans pick up that mantle and go to war, you’re seeing the greatest of each generation. And you can be given no greater charge, no greater honor, than to be responsible for them. And probably no greater task than to be responsible for leading with the ultimate goal of making them successful in their mission and keeping them alive.”
The unit spent about a year in Iraq. Its major mission was to provide communications and support combat operations just north of Baghdad.
While he was in Iraq, wife Angela and their three children were in Germany. He knows he asked a lot of them at that time and throughout his career.
“My wife did not grow up in a military family, but she took on that role of being the senior leader’s wife very, very well,” he said with pride. “She was heavily engaged in the family support activities of the organization. I spent 26 years in the service. I would tell you that it is my wife, my three kids who made that possible. I asked a lot of them; every service member asked a great deal of their family. And it’s hard, it is a sacrifice. I remember that growing up myself. And obviously, as a child that gave the ultimate sacrifice in my father.”
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From Iraq came an assignment to the White House Communications Agency. They had to ensure communications support for the president and vice president was available, no matter where they were.
“Very, very intensive. Very fast paced, but a very satisfying job, too. And I got to see a lot of things that I would have never dreamed of flying on Air Force One or Marine One. And, and moving in and out of the White House as I needed to,” he said. “I did that for two years under President George W. Bush, and one year under President Barack Obama.”
Eventually, his road led back to Augusta and Fort Gordon. He said serving as Garrison Commander was a big job, very different from his previous assignments.
“The thing that makes it such a challenge is, it’s so different from anything else you would do in the military. We all know, we know how to be operations officers, we know how to be platoon leaders, battalion commanders, and so on and so on. But it’s quite a culture shock to essentially become really this the city manager for this space that you’re on,” he said.
What strikes him about a military career is the connections made among people who serve together. When he was stationed in Korea, he received a letter from someone who had served with his father. Then others contacted him. When he was being promoted to lieutenant colonel, the ceremony was held at Fort Benning and included Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, Joe Galloway, who co-authored the “We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young,” and Command Sgt. Major Basil Plumley, who also fought in the 1965 battle.
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Ultimately, it was family that prompted his decision to retire from the military and accept the job with Columbia County.
“I really felt like at that point they had given enough. So, I just felt that it was my time to give back to them,” said Kennedy. “And there was an opportunity, because Scott Johnson reached out to me to see my interest in being a deputy administrator at the time, and now, one of the two deputy managers. And it was a perfect transition. My wife and I both had family here at the time. So, it was the right place to be in and it really is a good area. The relationship with Fort Gordon and the surrounding communities you’re hard pressed to find a match anywhere else. And it was the right thing to do.”
The Kennedy family’s tradition of military service continues. His son did a four-year tour with the U.S. Marines and both sons-in-law are enlisted.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
