Guard promotes four Citizen-Soldiers from 735th to rank of sergeant

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Missouri National Guard has promoted four Citizen-Soldiers from the 735th Quartermaster Force Provider Company from specialist to sergeant.

At its most recent drill at the armory in Cape Girardeau, the 735th's Detachment 3 announced that Alan Caruso, Shannon Ferguson, Jonathan Holt and Michael Ballard had been promoted. Caruso and Ferguson are both from St. Louis, Holt is from Puxico and Ballard lives in Cape Girardeau.

"I've watched these guys' performance for the past few years and every one of them is key in our training and support operations," said Sgt. 1st Class Jay Moore, platoon sergeant and full-time readiness technician for the 735th. "I'm very glad to see the promotion system work for them. They deserve it."

Moore said Caruso and Ferguson are instrumental to the food-service aspect of the 735th's mission and Holt and Ballard are key with training.

The 735th has its headquarters in De Soto, but has five detachments, including Detachment 3 in Cape Girardeau. Detachment 1 is in Poplar Bluff, Detachment 2 is in Jefferson City, Detachment 4 is in Rolla and Detachment 5 is at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis.

Quartermaster units provide support to other troops such as general supply, mortuary affairs, food service, fuel and water and other field services, such as laundry services.

Caruso, 25, joined the Guard in 2006, attending basic at Fort Jackson, S.C., and attended advanced individual training at Fort Lee, Va., where he trained to become a food-service specialist.

"It's a great accomplishment," Caruso said. "It's pretty much what you're going for."

Caruso thanked his family for their support, especially his wife Abigail, with whom he has a 17-month-old son, Ezekial.

Ferguson, 35, has served in several military branches, including the Air Force and the Navy before joining the Missouri National Guard in 2006. He also is a food-service specialist. Ferguson served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the 735th's security operations.

"I'm glad I got it," Ferguson said of the promotion. "I was an E-5 in the Navy and I'm working my way back up. But hopefully I'll do a good job and that will happen."

Holt, who joined the Guard in 2006, attended basic at Fort Jackson and Fort Lee for advanced training to become a water-treatment specialist.

"I'm grateful to get the promotion," Holt said. "Hopefully, it's just the first of many."

Holt thanked his parents, Steve Holt of Puxico and Sharon Barlow, of Anna, Ill.

Ballard, 27, is a laundry-bath-shower specialist. He joined the Guard in 2000, going to Fort Leonard Wood for basic and Fort Lee for advanced training. Ballard is also an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, serving with the 110th Engineer Battalion.

"It took a while to get here," he said. "But hopefully it won't take as long to get the next one."

Ballard also thanked his parents, David Ballard of Marble Hill and Laura Hutchings of Faristel, Mo.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.

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For more information about this release, please contact Scott Moyers at 573-339-6237 or at scott.moyers1@us.army.mil