Rockford Resident Retires After 28 Years in the Illinois National Guard

Bloomington, Ill. -

Sgt. 1st Class Melissa Brooker of Rockford retired from the Illinois Army National Guard after 28 years of service but told those at her Sept. 13 retirement ceremony in Bloomington that she was "not done being young."

"The Army gave me the confidence to go into the unknown," said Brooker during the ceremony at the 44th Chemical Battalion's headquarters in Bloomington. "I hope I left an appreciation for doing things well. I've tried really hard to share my knowledge. I hope I've empowered Soldiers to feel confident and feel more empowered because of the knowledge I left."

Brooker credited the Army with helping her grow both professionally and personally. She hopes her time in service will leave a lasting impact on the Soldiers she has worked with and mentored.

She was awarded with the Meritorious Service Medal for her decades of military service.

Brooker began her career in 1989 at the 404th Chemical Brigade as a Graphics Documentation Specialist. During her initial enlistment, she took full advantage of available opportunities, including a deployment to Panama for counter-narcotics operations and volunteering with the 244th Smoke Company for flood relief during the Great Flood of 1993. She later accepted a position as a Chemical Specialist with the 244th Smoke Company and subsequently served with the 44th Chemical Battalion's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical cell.

In 1997, Brooker decided to step away from the military. Her break in service lasted about six years before she returned. Brooker reenlisted as a Supply Specialist with the 404th Chemical Brigade in 2003 and was quickly promoted to sergeant.

In 2004, she was selected for an Active Guard Reserve role with the 404th Chemical Brigade logistics section (S4), marking the beginning of her active-duty service with the Illinois Army National Guard. During her military career, Brooker participated in overseas exercises such as PeaceShield, a 21-nation peacekeeping enforcement exercise at the National Defense Academy in Kiev, Ukraine, and Lion Challenge, a high-command training exercise in the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.

Promoted to staff sergeant in 2005, Brooker served as a full-time unit supply sergeant with the 135th Chemical Company. Two years later, she was promoted to sergeant first class and served as the Assistant Operations Noncommissioned Officer for the 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

In 2008, Brooker deployed to Afghanistan as the 33rd Force Protection Battalion Senior Supply NCO and mentor for Afghan National Army logistics. Later, in 2012, she transferred to the 135th Chemical Company as Readiness and Operations NCO, where she supervised unit operations, mentored Soldiers, and handled legal and medical matters. After seven years, she transferred to the 44th Chemical Battalion as NCOIC of the battalion staff supply section, later serving as S4 Officer and Maintenance Officer before concluding her 28-year career.

"Melissa has always impressed me with her dedication, hard work, and willingness to put in long hours," said retired Brigadier General Steven P. Huber. "I'll always value our camaraderie, our friendship, and the time we spent together. I congratulate you on a job well done."

Master of ceremonies for the event and longtime friend, Maj. Phyllida Shoudel, the 404th MEB Executive Officer, agreed with Huber's description of Brooker's work ethic.

"Her level of dedication will be hard to replace," said Shoudel. "There are a lot of good people, but she is just above and beyond. She will be missed. It's not like we'll lose touch, but knowing that through the rest of my career, she's not going to be one of the faces I see in uniform is a little hard."

Now that she is retired, Brooker plans to continue rowing in her spare time and pursue long-standing passions, including learning more about music and songwriting.

"I'm not done being young. I have things I want to do," said Brooker. "I sing at my church on the worship team and I'm hoping to pursue growth in piano and songwriting. I've always sung by ear and eventually want to master piano and the theory behind music."

Brooker also plans to use her educational benefits to enroll in a program offering a bachelor's degree in Worship Arts.

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