Law enforcement officers discuss service, Memorial Day

Road Deputy Jordan Kent, left, and Sgt. Jeff Harding stand Friday, May 26, 2017 in front of the Callaway County Sheriff's Office.
Road Deputy Jordan Kent, left, and Sgt. Jeff Harding stand Friday, May 26, 2017 in front of the Callaway County Sheriff's Office.

A sense of duty never dies.

For some veterans, entering law enforcement helps bring their national service back home. Callaway County Sheriff's Office Road Deputy Jordan Kent and Sgt. Jeff Harding, along with Fulton Police Lt. Jason Barnes, all had the desire to serve their communities.

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Kent said he is still active with the Missouri National Guard as a staff sergeant.

"I served two tours overseas, in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. "I will have been in for 14 years, as of June 3. I enlisted in the Army National Guard during my junior year of high school. I wanted to attend college, and they will pay the way. In 2012 I went through the law enforcement academy and became a deputy in 2013."

Harding had a similar experience.

"I also joined the Army right out of high school," Harding said. "I joined the military police because I knew I wanted to be in law enforcement. I was active duty from September 1996 to 2001 and served at Fort Lewis, Washington, Germany and was deployed with NATO in 1997 to Bosnia."

Barnes, on the other hand, sailed the high seas.

"I joined the Navy in 1998, and was stationed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower," he said. "I fueled planes for awhile, before becoming an electrician. I left active duty in 2002, and that same year I got into law enforcement."

From solider

to public servant

"I took the vast amount of experiences that I got with the Guard overseas back with me," Kent said. "I can relate my law enforcement to my service; because it is still service to people, assisting any way I can.

"The spectrum of experiences was bigger in the Guard, but it is still about caring for and serving people."

Moving away from the military's style of law enforcement, Harding said, was a nice transition.

"I did work a good deal of law enforcement as an MP," he said. "When I was in the Army, everything was a little more black and white, cut and dry; less flexible. Both jobs are certainly service oriented, but the rules, policies and procedures in the Army didn't necessarily lend themselves to free thinking.

"In the sheriff's office, there is more freedom to help people and I enjoy the ability to be more personalized."

A continuing sense of duty, Barnes said, is what drew him to public service.

"I was in the military because I wanted to serve," he said. "After coming back from two, six-month deployments overseas, I wanted to continue serving. The skills and discipline I learned definitely transitioned with me. "

A quiet Memorial Day

While many Callaway residents might spend their Memorial Day weekend grilling, swimming and soaking up rays, the weekend has a special, deeper significance to these three men.

"I don't openly celebrate Memorial Day," Kent said. "I use the time to connect with friends, and reflect on the people we lost. It's a time for every service member in the military, not just me."

Remembering those who put themselves in harm's way is the important thing, Harding said.

"That is something we have in common," he said. "I didn't serve so I could tell people about what I did. It's a personal thing for everyone.

"I view service-related holidays as a time dedicated to everyone that served; and I reserve those days to any fellow service members who actually did put themselves at risk, people like (Kent). These days are for those members, and the unfortunate who gave their lives."

Barnes shared a similar sentiment.

"For me, it's not a day about me," he said. "It's about the military in general and self-reflection."

Not about a 'thank you'

When they decided to join the military - and then their respective police forces - Kent, Harding nor Barnes did it for recognition - although a "thank you" never hurts.

"I do know some people that thank me," Kent said. "I am proud to serve. So when people say, 'Thank you,' I always acknowledge it."

Harding feels the same.

"Recognition for being in law enforcement is not something I ask for, but it does feel good," he said. "Personally, I thank any service member I come in contact with, no matter the circumstances of how we meet. Joining the military is a big deal, and a very personal decision."

Barnes said he is always glad to hear a "thanks."

"I am always grateful, but it is not something I look for," he said. "That being said, it's a nice thing to hear."

Kent said there is a strong connection among police officers reminiscent from what he has felt with the military.

"The brotherhood that you make with your fellow soldiers, you feel the same thing as a law enforcement officer," Kent said. "No matter where you come from, you form these bonds. To this day, I stay in touch with people I met in basic training."

Those bonds, Harding said, last a life time.

"The friendships made in the service carry on forever," he said.