For Jay Darby, a self-proclaimed “rebellious teenager,” the Army represented a chance to straighten his life out. Enlisting at 17, Darby evidently did much more than just that, as the next 33-1/2 years of his life was dedicated to serving his country, earning him numerous awards that included a Bronze Star and a Meritorious Service Medal.
Darby felt his biggest challenge in the military was moving up through the ranks. “When I was promoted to sergeant in 1983,” he says, “I was the youngest sergeant in my battalion, so I was giving orders to people who were older than me – that was a bit of a challenge.” Darby also learned, as he now tells others considering joining the military, that the needs of the many outweighs the needs of the one. “Any branch of the service will give you as much as you can handle,” he points out, “but there’s a lot of responsibility, and you have to be ready for that. It’s not just a job – it’s a lifestyle.”
Initially in the infantry, Darby was then transferred over to the medical services, and was even in transportation for a while. During Desert Storm, he was in Germany as a Department of Defense civilian, and was part of the first group of soldiers that formed a reserve unit over there. His job: going back and forth between Germany and Saudi Arabia, delivering and setting up secure communications equipment.
He spent 12 months in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, as part of the surge. He was assigned to Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq (MNSTC-I), and was the senior enlisted advisor, coaching, training and mentoring the Iraqi Army in medical affairs, as well as combat convoy operations and combat air operations. “I moved around a lot in Iraq,” he recalls. “I was on a lot of different outposts, Iraqi bases. That was very intense.”
In May 2010, Darby supported Operation Enduring Freedom as one of the First Sergeants at the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His main goal was assisting wounded, ill and injured soldiers focus on their recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration into civilian life or continued military service.
He cites his most rewarding time with the Army as being a senior instructor/writer for the medical field – he taught the 91 Whiskey/68 Whiskey medical MOS for the past 14 years. “I was very fortunate,” he says. “I never graduated high school, but the Army paid for my associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. I had a lot of mentors – I can still remember their names today. I was given a lot of opportunities. I made some mistakes and was given second chances. I was fortunate that I had the opportunity to turn around and hopefully be a mentor to others.”
Darby, who now works with the Arizona Department of Corrections as Correctional Lieutenant Swing Shift Commander at the Lewis complex, was “taken aback” by his nomination as a Grand Marshal. “It was very unexpected, and it’s an extreme honor,” he says humbly. “There are probably hundreds of other individuals who have done more.”
We hope you will join us at the 20th Annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade on November 11, 2016, to see Celebrity Grand Marshal Pete Hegseth and all eight Veteran Grand Marshals. This year’s parade theme is “Welcome Home Vietnam Heroes.” The parade typically boasts more than 100 entries, and this year will have a special float with nearly 20 Vietnam Veterans riding on it. The parade will also feature patriotic floats, high school marching bands, JROTC marching units, color guards, Veterans Service Organizations, animals, novelty units and much, much more.
For more information on the parade and the parade route, click HERE.