Brick Police Officer, Father Deployed Together In National Guard

BRICK, NJ — It's not uncommon for children to follow in the parents' footsteps in military service. For many children, it's the ultimate tribute to the first and most important role model in their lives.

It's far less common, however, for those children to serve alongside their parents.

For U.S. Army Staff Sgt. John O. Scott, the opportunity to do that has been special. He and his father, Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert Scott, have been serving together during their National Guard deployment in Qatar.

It was not something either anticipated when Robert Scott, who lives in Brick, decided to re-enlist in the Guard after a hiatus of several years. Robert had enlisted in the Army in 1985 as a military police officer, with assignments in Panama and Korea as well as stateside in California and Missouri. He served six years before deciding to return to civilian life, a report on Army.mil said. He has been a New Jersey Transit police officer since 1993, according to a 2009 article on the father and son.

After John decided to enlist in 2006, during his senior year at Brick Memorial, Robert decided (with some prompting from John, the two said in the Army.mil report) to enlist in the Guard as well.

"I enlisted as a infantryman and he re-enlisted as a chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear specialist," John Scott, who has been a Brick Township police officer, said in an interview with Patch. The assignment in Qatar is his fourth deployment and second to that Middle East nation. He also deployed to Iraq in 2008 to 2009, and to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2011.

When he deployed to Iraq, his dad deployed at the same time, but they were not at the same sites.

"When we first deployed to Iraq together in 2008 we only saw each other in Kuwait before we flew into Iraq. He was in South Iraq and I was in Baghdad," " John told Patch. "But when I told him I was redeploying for the fourth time he was determined to go. I had no idea he was going to deploy in the same company as me."

The two are deployed in Centurion Company, 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment of the New Jersey Army National Guard; Robert, 52, is the Base Defense Operations Cell non-commissioned officer in charge, and John, 32, is the headquarters platoon sergeant and operations non-commissioned officer.

"There was at first some pressure (having his father deployed in the same company) because he will see how I operate my own platoon," John said. "If I made a mistake he would know about it. But he has been very supportive."

"And I learned if I did make a mistake I had him there to talk to about it and help me correct it," John said.

"This is kind of like we're both at home," Robert said in the Army.mil article. "The communication here is a lot better. It's face-to-face. ... I can tell by the way (he's) looking at me that something's up."

"The best part about being deployed together is the fact him and I can just get together and see each other," John said. "During a 'normal' business day I could walk over to where he works. After a duty day I can walk over to his place of work and just converse with him and hang out."

Being deployed in the same company provided John with a memorable opportunity to help his father mark an important moment.

"While we were mobilizing in Texas he was promoted to sergeant first class," John said. "During the promotion ceremony I was the one pinned his rank on him."

Military service is a thread through the Scott family. John's grandfather was drafted into the 114th Infantry Regiment for World War II service; his sister, Jamie, is a National Guard military intelligence officer, and his youngest brother, Robert, is currently on active duty in Germany. John, who has been a Brick patrolman since 2015, is the oldest of seven children; his youngest sibling is still in high school and one recently graduated.

"It's a satisfying feeling with your children being in the military and seeing their accomplishments," Robert said in the Army article.

John said the military mindset that the children grew up with was reinforced Robert's service by his father's service was a big influence.

"He always had that military mentality that everything needs to be just right, everything needs to be lined up perfectly," John said. "We grew up with it."

It also is why he hopes to keep pursue an assignment as an instructor when this tour is finished. Robert told Army.mil he hasn't decided what he will do when his current contract runs out.

Regardless, Robert said the experience has been special.

"If anybody has an opportunity to do it, do it," Robert said. "If you could, give it a shot because it's nice to have somebody around."

John echoed the sentiment.

"How many other people get to go overseas with their father?" he said. "I don't hear much about it."

Their return date is not set. "We continue to do the mission and get by day by day until our mission is complete."

And with his father just a short walk away, he's able to make sure they are doing everything possible to see to it the mission is completed correctly.

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