The Kentucky Department of Agriculture salutes the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. “On behalf of my family and the family of employees at the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, I want to thank all of our service men and women who protect the freedoms that we all enjoy,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. Here we pay tribute to military personnel who are related to KDA staff members. New profiles will be added over time, so check back often!

Marcus Avery

Age: 40

Occupation: investigator in the Division of Animal Health, Kentucky Department of Agriculture

Rank: Sergeant in the Kentucky Army National Guard's 147th Aviation Unit based in Frankfort

Home: Bowling Green, Ky.

Family: wife Holly and son Garth

Military career: Marcus has served 16 years in the military. He is currently flight crew chief on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in Kosovo until sometime late next year. Marcus also served three years of active duty as a military police dog handler, including two years in Panama during Operation Just Cause. He served seven years with a Kentucky Army National Guard unit in Glasgow and three years with a Kentucky Air National Guard unit in Louisville, when he was deployed with security forces to Ecuador.

Future plans: Marcus says he plans to “return to my loving wife and son,” as well as his job with the KDA. He also wants to obtain his pilot’s license and retire from the Kentucky National Guard after 20 years of service.

(October 2009)

Scott Pampell

Age: 27

Relation: son-in-law of Kim Field, who works in the Forage Testing Program in the Division of Value-Added Plant Production. Kim’s son, Rodney Nehus, is currently serving with the U.S. Marines in the Middle East.

Rank: Sergeant (E-5) in U.S. Army

Home: Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska

Family: wife Rehanon and son Clayton, 6, with a second child due in March. Kim is planning to visit the hospital when her daughter goes into labor. “Alaska, here I come!” she said. “Just call me ‘Nana Kim.’”

Military career: In his four years of service, Scott has completed two combat tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a field artilleryman with the Fourth Infantry Division. He has since changed his military occupational specialty to aircraft engine mechanic. Scott’s wife and Kimberly’s daughter, Rehanon, who graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College in May with a bachelor of science degree in biology, accepted an internship with the Bureau of Land Management dealing with non-native invasive plant control and research.  She plans to work toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology and natural resource management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Future plans: Scott and his family plan to move to Texas.

(January 2009)

Keith L. Nall

Age: 22

Relation: nephew of Rita Beasley in the Division of Personnel and Budget; he is the son of Rita’s sister and brother-in-law, Phyllis and Lewis Nall of Owensboro

Rank: Lance Corporal (E-3) in U.S. Marine Corps

Home: Keith is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina, but he is currently serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.

Family: wife, Rachel, and a dog, Hoss

Military career: Keith’s current duties include patrolling and providing security throughout Iraq. One of the things he does is secure the crash area if a helicopter is shot down. During his first tour, Keith was known as a “water dog,” the nickname for the engineering unit that purifies the water supply at Al Asad Airbase 112 miles west of Baghdad. He was also responsible for electrical wiring at the airbase, home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and provided security at one of the gates to the base.

Future plans: Keith will be coming home in April and getting out of the Marines in July. After enjoying some time with his family and readjusting to civilian life, he plans to attend college.

(December 2008)

Rodney Nehus

Age: 21

Relation: son of Kim Field (pictured at right) in the Division of Value-Added Plant Production

Rank: Lance Corporal (E-3) in U.S. Marine Corps

Home: Rodney is stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., but he is currently on standby aboard the USS Iwo Jima in case his unit is needed in Afghanistan. Rodney recently received a package from the KDA’s Janet Eaton of donated items from the Department. “He wanted me to thank KDA for the care package,” Kim said. “He and his buddies really appreciate the thought and support from everyone. Kentucky Proud is strongly represented on the USS Iwo Jima.”

Family: none - "single and loving it," Kim said.

Military career: Rodney is currently in his second deployment in the Middle East as a Humvee driver with H&S Company. He is among the first in and last out during missions, and also works in vehicle recovery and maintenance. His first deployment was in one of the hot spots of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.

Future plans: “He’s unsure of his future plans,” Kim said.

(December 2008)

Katherine “Katie” Roberts Dehner

Age: 31

Relation: daughter of Janet Eaton, former KDA farmers' market coordinator

Rank: Petty Officer Second Class (E-5) in U.S. Navy

Home: Katie is currently based in England as part of a joint command with Great Britain and Australia. She will return to Washington, D.C., in mid-November, which delights her mom since she finally will be only a few hours’ drive away.

“Family”: two pet ferrets

Military career: Katie works in Naval Intelligence, monitoring and analyzing satellite images. She joined the Marine Corps before moving to the Navy. Her first Naval assignment was aboard a P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft based in Yuma, Ariz. She was reassigned to Whidbey Island, Wash., where she operated the sonar equipment on the plane.

Future plans: Katie has served 14 years and plans to stay in the Navy until retirement, when she dreams of operating an eco-friendly, primitive resort on a remote island. To prepare for her second career, Katie is presently studying hospitality services through an on-line university.

(November 2008)

John Damion Monarch

Age: 38

Relation: step-brother of De'Anna Clark in the KDA's Division of Strategic Planning and Administration

Rank: Chief Petty Officer (E-7) in U.S. Navy

Home: Bowling Green, Ky.

Family: wife Vikki and four kids

Military career: Damion is currently on a 40-day leave from the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau. He is on active duty the rest of the year as a yeoman, who is responsible for all personal records of the men and women in his command, whether on ship or shore. Damion just finished his second tour of duty in Iraq, where he served at Camp Victory in Baghdad for one year as administrative assistant to Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the Multi-National Force. During his first tour in 2003, he served 60 days in the Persian Gulf at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard the destroyer USS Deyo, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iraq. In 2005, while stationed in Biloxi, Miss., Damion and his family lost their home and most of their belongings in Hurricane Katrina. They relocated to Bowling Green, his wife’s hometown, and purchased a home. Damion grew up in Owensboro before moving to Frankfort, where he graduated from Western Hills High School. He joined the Kentucky National Guard at age 17, then enlisted in the Navy after completing one semester of college at Brescia University in Owensboro.

Future plans: After deployment on the USS Nassau, Damion will head the administrative office at the Naval Recruiting District in Nashville, Tenn. He plans to retire in three years after serving 23 years.

(October 2008)