Metheny takes on significant role in military

Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Metheny has fought in battle, he's learned the ropes and now he faces a very difficult task in his military career.

Metheny is a graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School. The U.S. Army veteran was back home visiting family and friends before heading out on another two-year deployment. There, he'll serve as the senior enlisted leader to four-star Gen. Austin "Scott" Miller, who was selected earlier this year to lead U.S. forces in Afghanistan, according to a recent article by Tyler Graef.

Metheny will have to navigate an intense landscape, with a persistent Taliban insurgency, an unsteady political climate in the foreign land, all in hopes of ending violence there.

He'll be tasked with training the Afghan military and enforcing standards of discipline.

"I'm basically a kind of mother hen of the entire enlisted branch," he said.

Metheny's role is an elite one, an assignment not given to but just a few; there are very few senior enlisted leaders for a four-star general.

We are proud of our hometown hero who has placed service above self and is doing important work across the world. We pray for his success and safety as he serves our interest in the military.