Scott Bailey

     Scott is a true example of inspiration. He was a troubled teen that dropped out of high school and did not join the service until he was 25 years old. He wanted a career he could be proud of and he certainly accomplished that. He enlisted in the Army in February of 1989 and was planning to retire in February 2018. After dedicating almost 30 years of his life to serving his country and soldiers, he tragically lost his life, three months before his scheduled retirement. 

     Scott went from being a high school drop out to achieving the highest enlisted rank in the Army, command sergeant major. He also went back to school and earned a bachelors degree in business. He never let his past limit or defy him.

     During Scott and Skyler's deployment to Iraq, Skyler contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and became very ill. Scott went above and beyond to advocate for Skyler's medical treatment and made accommodations for her at work so she could continue to serve in her unit. Ultimately the disease did to much damage and she was medically discharged from the Army. Her transition back into civilian life led to a dark depression and suicidal thoughts. Scott once again, went above and beyond to help Skyler overcome her depression and find her purpose. 

     It wasn't just Skyler that he took care of. He loved and treated all of his soldiers as if they were his children. He did not care about things like rank, race, or religion. He truly cared about the soldier in the uniform. While serving as a brigade command sergeant major in 2014, Scott was a guest on a radio show that does a weekly Fort Hood update. When asked what they do to prepare to bring soldiers back home, he replied, "What we don't do, we don't compromise that soldier is taken care of before they go there. We need to make sure that everything that they do, that all their medical issues, behavioral health issues, financial administrative needs are taken care of before we send them off. There's nothing more important than making sure that soldier is taken care of and ready to integrate with his family after a deployment. That's our number one priority with these soldiers."