Tobyhanna Army Depot Latest Warfighters of the Quarter

Two devoted soldiers from Northeastern Pennsylvania were honored on Friday, November 11, as they were officially named Tobyhanna Army Depot’s (TYAD) Warfighters of the Quarter for the 3rd and 4th Quarter of 2022.

The award recognizes the relationship between employees at TYAD and the warfighters they work each day to support. The presentation was held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, PA, during Friday night’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey game versus the Hartford Wolf Pack. The recipients are just the latest honorees on a list of 35 distinguished soldiers.

The honorees are Sergeant First Class (SFC) Robert D. Walker and Staff Sergeant (SSG) Wesley A. Brand. With 15 and 9 years of military services respectively, these two soldiers have lived the Army Values for a long time and are the epitome of what it means to be Warfighter of the Quarter.

SFC Walker is currently stationed at the High-Tech Regional Training Site-Maintenance at TYAD, where he is responsible for the tracking of training for 14 full time staff on a daily basis. In addition, he has ordered over $500,000 in maintenance repair parts for equipment that improved unit equipment readiness by more than 60%, which contributed immeasurably to real-life training scenarios. He also worked with several quota sources managers to acquire class seats for critical unit requirements (both job-related and professional development) that vastly improved readiness and morale.

Over his 15-year military career, Walker has spent time in places such as Washington, Las Vegas, Texas and has also served as a reservist in Iraq. He is the recipient of four Army Commendation Medals (ARCOM), an Army Achievement Medal (AAM), two Army Good Conduct Medals, a National Defense Service Medal and an Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

Walker said that he didn’t necessarily know where the road would take him, but everywhere he has been presented new challenges and interesting opportunities, including this Warfighter of the Quarter award.

“I’ve been to many different places that I never expected before joining the Army, but things happen and you find yourself there and it always ends up being very rewarding,” said Walker. “I’ve always just tried to do what I can for everybody, so I never expected this award. It is a tremendous privilege.”

Master Sergeant David P. Indie commended Walker for his strong work ethic and selflessness.

“SFC Walker is dedicated to mission success by meeting every challenge head on. He continually goes above and beyond by completing maintenance tasks to ensure the High Tech’s equipment is mission capable and ready to train the new warfighters in the Signal Regiment,” said Indie. “He is sought out by the entire unit daily to assist in performing tasks and without hesitation, will stop what he is doing to help.”

SSG Brand is currently a member of the Wilkes-Barre Recruiting Company and has excelled as a recruiting non-commissioned officer (NCO). He was number one within the company for FY22 mission accomplishment in what is considered one of the more difficult recruiting areas. In addition to his duties with the recruiting company, he also spends time as a high school golf team coach, hockey team coach, and has organized numerous fundraising events in his community.

Over his nine years in the service, Brand has spent time at Fort Campbell, Fort Carson, Fort Knox, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and more. He has earned an ARCOM, three AAMs and has completed a show of force deployment in Germany. SSG Brand is also a graduate of the Army Recruiting Course and Air Assault School.

SSG Brand said that he was very caught off guard when he learned he’d been selected as one of the latest Warfighters of the Quarter – but was very honored.

“When I heard the news, I almost didn’t know exactly how to feel,” said Brand. “I don’t do the things that I do for awards but receiving them is a great honor and it is nice to know that there are people out there who notice.”

Captain Taylor Viotto spoke highly of Brand, praising his accomplishments both on and off duty.

“SSG Brand is a stellar NCO that is among the top 1% of Soldiers I have worked with in my career,” said Viotto.