Sometimes we forget the power of our diversity. Our minds are focused on the collective mission - fixated on the medic bag, the wrench, and the rifle - we lose track of the importance of connecting with our fellow Soldiers as individuals. This series of profiles will highlight that individuality; showing who we are outside of the uniform and the depth of why we wear it.

As a chef at Keo’s Restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, SPC “Sonny” Keomanivong of Alpha Company (Engineer), 224th Brigade Engineer Battalion calls out orders while moving instinctively with his line-cooks to execute with speed, focus, and synchronized motion through tight kitchen quarters. They look like a symphony objectified. “Dancing to the rhythm of the music,” as Sonny calls it, noting, that kind of chemistry can only be forged over time with repetition through stressful situations in an environment of trust.

Sonny believes working in kitchens throughout his life has served him well in his role in the Guard. It is where he first learned discipline, to follow orders without question, and the importance of being flexible and versatile when things don’t go as planned. He credits the National Guard for refining these characteristics in his life. In fact, he loves the rush of adrenaline sparked by the challenges of Guard training and the high-pressure chef environment. “Being in the Guard and being a chef go hand-in-hand in my book,” he says.

But those aren’t the most striking correlations for Sonny. His inspiration for becoming a chef stem from his grandmother’s legacy of gathering family around her “good” Laotian food for memories of happiness, laughter, and love around the table. His inspiration for joining the National Guard, besides being a childhood dream, was because his dad encouraged it and he wanted to make him proud. Family has been the key motivating factor for Sonny’s trajectory. And, if you asked Sonny what the most important benefit the Guard has given him, he’d say it’s given him another family.

Sometimes we forget the power of our diversity. Our minds are focused on the collective mission - fixated on the medic bag, the wrench, and the rifle - we lose track of the importance of connecting with our fellow Soldiers as individuals. This series of profiles will highlight that individuality; showing who we are outside of the uniform and the depth of why we wear it.

As a chef at Keo’s Restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, SPC “Sonny” Keomanivong of Alpha Company (Engineer), 224th Brigade Engineer Battalion calls out orders while moving instinctively with his line-cooks to execute with speed, focus, and synchronized motion through tight kitchen quarters. They look like a symphony objectified. “Dancing to the rhythm of the music,” as Sonny calls it, noting, that kind of chemistry can only be forged over time with repetition through stressful situations in an environment of trust.

Sonny believes working in kitchens throughout his life has served him well in his role in the Guard. It is where he first learned discipline, to follow orders without question, and the importance of being flexible and versatile when things don’t go as planned. He credits the National Guard for refining these characteristics in his life. In fact, he loves the rush of adrenaline sparked by the challenges of Guard training and the high-pressure chef environment. “Being in the Guard and being a chef go hand-in-hand in my book,” he says.

But those aren’t the most striking correlations for Sonny. His inspiration for becoming a chef stem from his grandmother’s legacy of gathering family around her “good” Laotian food for memories of happiness, laughter, and love around the table. His inspiration for joining the National Guard, besides being a childhood dream, was because his dad encouraged it and he wanted to make him proud. Family has been the key motivating factor for Sonny’s trajectory. And, if you asked Sonny what the most important benefit the Guard has given him, he’d say it’s given him another family.