1st LT. Mike Henderson
First Lieutenant Mike Henderson takes us on his journey from the 82nd Airborne to his re-enlistment with the National Guard and his deployment to Iraq.
Military convoys travel the streets constantly, always weary of their surroundings and possible encounters. Bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are created and placed every day; they erupt unexpectedly, sending large flames and debris into the sky and the surrounding areas. Large craters are left in the roads making them unsafe and difficult to navigate. Unfortunately, these facts come as no surprise when discussing the happenings in the country of Iraq. What may come as a surprise is that there are military personnel responsible for rectifying the effects of those blasts and repairing the roads so that their comrades may continue to travel as safely as possible. 1st Lieutenant Mike Henderson left three kids at home to embark upon that daunting task in 2005. As platoon commander, he and his men were responsible for performing reconnaissance of the streets during the day and repairing the IED craters at night.
Mike was raised in a military family and has always considered himself very patriotic. He knew the phrase "God & Country" very well, while his grandfather had served in the United States Army and his father was in the Marine Corps. Upon completing a degree in XXXXX from XXXXX, Mike was physically fit and decided that the Army was a very practical, logical next step for him. After 10 years as an enlisted infantryman and having achieved the rank of E-6, a Staff-Sergeant, Henderson decided to attend Officer Candidate School. He then changed his military occupation to a Combat Engineer and joined the 82nd Airborne in XXXX, Virginia as part of the National Guard. After spending XXXX with the 82nd, Lt. Henderson moved on to become the Executive Officer, second in command, of XXXX in North Wilkesboro, N.C.
When Lt. Mike Henderson learned that he was being called upon to serve his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom, he knew that his experience would serve him and his men well. He made some phone calls to let people know what was in store. Two friends from his former unit, the 82nd Airborne, learned that Mike was deploying and despite having been out of the army for five years, re-enlisted for the sole reason of accompanying Lt. Henderson on his deployment. These men knew his character, trusted his leadership abilities and traveled from Wisconsin and Virginia to join their friend and fight side by side.
As a platoon commander, Lt. Henderson and his men worked in large, highly populated areas of Iraq to include Ballad, Spiker and Mosul, which is the third largest city home to roughly 3 million people. Lt. Henderson led gun trucks and a MLS module that is a military version of a concrete truck. They set out to fill IED craters most nights around 7:00 pm, while the gun trucks set up a secure perimeter, the MLS module would cut and pour a concrete type substance to fill the craters and holes. Lt. Henderson shared that the roads were extremely damaged, withstanding ten to twelve IEDs per day. They would complete their work most nights by 4:00 am and return to base. During his deployment, Henderson’s convoys encountered attacks 30-40 times and his personal vehicle was struck on eight different occasions by an IED.
After completing a mission, Henderson would have a very short window of time to attempt communication with his family back home. The internet was his best option, but time was very limited and he was usually only able to jot a quick, short note. He also used traditional mail from time to time but it was very difficult for him to stay in touch with his family which he described as challenging. Members of the National Guard or reservists face an additional challenge of maintaining civilian occupations and lives, while still needing to be proficient in their military conduct, procedures, duties and tasks.
Mike Henderson is currently working as an I.T. specialist and project manager for the state of North Carolina. He fully expects that future deployments may be on the horizon, and while he undoubtedly does not want to leave his family behind again, he knows that his experience is useful to the soldiers, that he benefits greatly and it is simply what he has to do. Lt. Mike Henderson is a man of honor, has served his country proudly and will continue to do so, Soldier’s Models proudly spotlights him with a big thank you and a respectful salute!