Hanning decorated for distinguished military career

PINNED — MSgt. Darrell Hanning, left, is awarded with the Meritorious Service Medal by Lt. Col. Tinkham of the 52nd Troop Command during a special recognition/retirement ceremony held Oct. 20 at the Houlton Lodge of Elks.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    A distinguished military career was recognized Oct. 20 at the Houlton Lodge of Elks, as MSgt. Darrell A. Hanning was honored with a dinner, commendations, gifts and of course, a bit of a roast featuring comedic insults, uncanny tales and heartwarming tributes.
    The ceremony began with an invocation by Chaplain Andrew Gibson, followed by Sgt. Maj. Mark Smith who read Hanning’s biography.
    Hanning joined the United States Army on Oct. 8, 1990, completing his Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Okla. Hanning’s first duty assignment was in Wildfleken, Germany where he served as a cannon crew member on the M109 self-propelled howitzers with B Battery 2/11th ACR.
    Hanning’s unit deployed to Iraq from June through October of 1991. Returning to Germany, he served two more years and was promoted to the rank of Corporal before being reassigned to Fort Campbell, Ky. with the 101st Airborne Light Artillery Division. Hanning served until 1994 and was honorably discharged.
    In Feb. 1996, Cpl. Hanning enlisted with Battery B 1/152nd Field Artillery of the Maine Army National Guard in Houlton. Within a month of his enlisting, Hanning secured a full-time AGR position as the unit armorer/supply NCO, reclassifying his MOS from 13B to 92Y.
    Within three months, Hanning was promoted to staff sergeant. He stayed with Battery B until April 2001 when he was promoted to the battalion supply sergeant and obtained rank of sergeant first class at headquarters 1/152FA BN in Caribou.
    Hanning remained as a battalion supply sergeant until 2005 before being promoted to master sergeant of the 52nd Troop Command in Bangor. Within a short timespan, Hanning volunteered and deployed with the 240th Engineers as the brigade supply sergeant, Combined Joint Task Force Chamberlain.
    “It was there that his years of being an expert logistician paid off as his office supported the 27th and 37th Engineers, Fort Bragg, N.C. and Fort Polk, La., and both the Polish and Korean coalition,” read Smith.
THANK YOU — Lt. Col. Mike Pooler, left,  presents MSgt. Darrell Hanning with his St. Barbara’s medal during the Oct. 20 special recognition/retirement dinner and ceremony held at the Houlton Lodge of Elks.
    After returning, Hanning went back to the 52nd Troop Command spending the last four years spearheading logistics, deploying and redeploying soldiers and their equipment in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
    Hanning has received numerous awards including: A Bronze Star Medal; two Army Commendation Medals; two Army Achievement Medals; an Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Southwest Asia Service Medal; eight Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbons; Army Service Ribbon; Meritorious Unit Commendation; NATO Medal; Armed Forces Reserved Medal with M Device; Overseas Service Ribbon; four Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons; two National Defense Service Medals; Humanitarian Service Medal; six Army Good Conduct Medals; Maine Ice Guard Award with Device; five Maine Physical Fitness Awards; Air Assault Badge and Driver and Mechanic Badges.
    Hanning received several awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, Certificate of Appreciation, Certificate of Service and a Certificate of Retirement for Nov. 30.
    Smith also presented Hanning with a shadow box of his military career filled with medals and patches.
    Commander Sgt. Maj. Terry Harris served with Hanning in Afghanistan and thanked him for his service.
    “It was a pleasure knowing you all these years,” he said. “It is awesome to see your entire family here. I know that means a lot. That is why it was easy for you to be successful because you had a good family behind you.”
    The humorous gifts were given by the next speaker, Lt. Col. Retired Chuck McFarland.
    “We worked together for a long time,” he said looking at Hanning. “It was high adventure those eight years in a lot of ways and logistically was no exception.”
    The two worked together on airport and border missions, as well as deploying 70 to 80 men and women to Iraq.
    “Each one of these [assignments] was a hot seat logistically to support these mobilizations,” McFarland said. “We shared challenges.”
    When McFarland was looking for a property book officer, he had a hard time to convince anyone who lived south of Houlton to come to The County, he said.
    But, Hanning filled the position.
    “Darrell had to step up and help train some young supply people,” said McFarland. “But throughout the trying times, I never had any doubts to the accountability of the battalion’s property. Darrell put a lot of systems in place to ensure we had the accountability.”   
    McFarland then handed out “special” items such as old plaques, documents and photographs, all memento of Hanning’s time in the 152nd Field Artillery Battalion, which drew plenty of laughter.
    “Hopefully, he will look at this and prompt fond memories of his service in the battalion and it also helps us clean out our closet,” said McFarland.
    On a more serious note, McFarland presented Hanning with a framed copy of the Fiddler’s Green.
    “It’s a long tradition of the field artillery,” said McFarland. “Every once in a while, look at it and be reminded of your heritage, 13 Bravo background and your time with the 152nd Field Artillery.”
    Hanning’s former high school teacher Lt. Col. Mike Pooler recounted knowing as a student in 1987 and later in 1996 when Hanning applied for a job the Army National Guard.
    “We hired him right there and from that day on, it was a joy working with him. The military really changed him when he left small town Houlton – going to war and coming back and seeing some things – he understood then the effort it takes to take care of soldiers,” Pooler said. “He was one of the guys when you said make it happen, you didn’t have to think about it. He came back and made things happen.”
    Pooler presented Hanning with his St. Barbara’s medal —awarded to those individuals who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character, displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence, served the Artillery with selflessness and contributed to the promotion of the Artillery branch.
    The next presenter served in Afghanistan with Hanning.
    “The County, especially Houlton, has meant a lot to him,” said Col. Richards. “We spoke about it a lot when we deployed, along with his family. I got to hear the adventures of Darrell and Andrew’s first buck. He talked about his mom and dad. He was a typical County guy. He is a super hard worker. You never had to ask him twice to get something done. He would get on it and it would happen. Sometimes, you didn’t want to know how it happened, but it got done and you did not have to worry about it. He was my right hand man. I can trust him explicitly.”
    Richards admires Hanning not only as a solider, but a friend.
    “I don’t have much more respect for folks than I do for Darrell,” he said. “He is an awesome guy.”
    The final speaker was former Command Sgt. Maj. of the State of Maine Greg Small. Small remembered hearing of the times Hanning would be at Gagetown and at midnight he would go to pick a guy up who couldn’t make it over when the unit left and return about 3 a.m.
    “At 4:30 p.m., he was serving chow in the field to his battery,” Small said. “When soldiers came through, he’d ask them if they needed anything or what he could do to help support them.”
    Small explained he raised the bar when he reassigned to Troop Command in Bangor.
    “I witnessed so many going away ceremonies and many coming home celebrations,” Small explained. “But, I can’t think of one event more emotional than the day you [Darrell] said goodbye to your boys.
    Small watched Hanning say goodbye to his sons and it struck him, as he put his hand on his heart, right here.
    “I saw the pain in this man,” he said. “I think that probably tells the whole story of Darrell Hanning. Anything he did in his career and life, was not about Darrell Hanning, but about those people he loved that includes all of us in uniform. Those people he worked for, those people he worked around that’s what he did day-in and day-out of his entire career. I think that speaks volumes of the type of person you are Darrell.
    “You’ve been a tremendous asset to us,” he continued. “I tell everyone our legacy in life is how we leave the place when we are gone. I would suggest to everyone here, the Maine Army National Guard and all of us are a little bit better  because of this guy right here.”
    Finally, it was Hanning’s turn at the mic.
    “This has been my family,” he said looking over the crowd. “I learned that great leadership, giving a crap, and working well with others is everything. I had a wonderful career … the memories.”
    He spoke about entering a different type of life as a civilian.
    “I haven’t known that for quite some time,” he said. “No matter what, I will always be a soldier. I’ve loved being a soldier. I have loved serving soldiers. I have loved what I have done. Now, I get to make up for a lot of lost time, which I can’t get back. As a family, there are lots of memories to made in the future. I am thankful for this career. I am thankful that I have met every one of you.”