ForeverMissed
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His Life

Awards & Decorations

November 29, 2014

Ssg Tompkins' awards and decorations include: the Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart Medal; Joint Services Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal, fourth award; Army Good Conduct Medal, third award; National Defense Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Force Medal; Afghan Campaign Medal, with one star; Global War On Terror Service Medal; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon, with Numeral 2; NATO Medal Afghanistan, with Bronze Star Device; Combat Action Badge; Marksman Qualification Badge, Pistol and Rifle; Driver Badge, Wheeled Vehicle.
Order of Saint Barbara from the Field Artillery Association.

Honored at FOB Shank

November 28, 2014

Ssg Tompkins was a Military Policeman assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Dagger, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Task Force Patriot from Fort Polk, who died as the result of an enemy attack in Afghanistan March 15th 2011.
The 4th BSTB fallen hero was a 31 year old Lawton, OK. native. He was attached to Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 25th Artillery Regiment's Task Force Thunder when he was killed in a complex small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade attack in Logar Province.
"This memorial is about Ssg Travis Tompkins, but it is for us ---- Thunder, Dagger, Patriot, and more specifically for the soldier's of Law Platoon ---- those soldier's that have been serving  and fighting alongside of Travis these past months," said Lt. Col. William Chlebowski, TF Thunder commander, speaking to the assembly. "Ssg Tompkins was a consummate soldier. As a fourth generation soldier, he carried himself and performed his duty in a manner that all respected and admired."
Lt. Col. Chlebowski said Ssg Tompkins was a great leader who could be hard and demanding at times, but he always looked after his soldier's as if they were his own children. Many would seek advice and guidence from Sgt Tompkins, who often spoke of his love for his family and for the outdoor hobbies he enjoyed.
1st Lt. Park, his Platoon Leader, said Sgt Tompkins served proudly as he lead his soldier's.
"What defins us as men?" Park asked those attending the memorial. " It is by the way we live our lives, the relationships we have and the fruits of our labor. I look at how he touched all of us, what a friend he was to many soldier's in the platoon and what a devoted father and husband he was."
Lt. Park said "Sgt. T" loved to tell stories. People who knew him and spent much time with him undoubtedly heard him speak about his family's tradition in the Army. " Ssg Tompkins proudly continued his family tradition in the military. Military life was a part of him." said Park. "Another big part of Sgt "T" was his family---- His fondest memories were of his wife, Candy, and his two little girls, Madison and Gianna. They were the lights of his life. Whenever he talked of them he was noticeably happier.....
"The speed in  which he was taken makes it seem unreal. One minute he is on mission with us; then the next he is gone," continued Lt. Park. "I walked through his empty room the next night, and I stood there----- everything hitting me at once. But there is a hope that I hold onto in this dark time that "Sgt. T"  may be gone in body, but his spirit lives on."
 Ssg Dustin Pounds said he could tell that Tompkins was a soldier the frist time he met him. After really getting to know to know Ssg Tompkins, it was evident why, he said. " He came from a long line of soldiers. He was proud that he was a fourth generation soldier," said Pounds. Pounds remembered Tompkins as an extremely devoted Family man. When not working or on missions, Sgt. T was always talking about his wife and two little girls, they ment everything to him.
" Ssg Tompkins had just been home, where he and Candy had celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows," said Pounds. " He and I talked about this quite a bit in all of our bouncing around we have done since getting in country. We had just talked about it earlier that day. He was so happy and proud of it."

2010 - 2011

November 27, 2014

We spent Christmas of 2009 with Travis and his family at Ft Polk and Toledo Bend Lake. It was a grand time watching him play with Madison and Gianna. He and I went out fishing three times and looked around the lake, what fun as always. Next thing you know it is Sep 2010 and the 4th BCT 10th Mountain DIvision (Light Infantry) deploys to Afghanistan. He is first attached to the 1st BN 30th Inf and way out in the mountains of Logar Province at Combat Outpost Kherwa. Then he ends up attached to the 5 BN 25th FA Reg. still in Logar only now working out of the biggest city in it, Pul-e-Alum. In Feb of 2011 he gets leave to home in Lawton,OK. He gets to spend time with us, his old friends and Candy, Madison and Gianna. Plus, his in - laws Wendy and Tim Brown.  1 March 2011 he renews vows with Candy on their ten year annivesary, a perfect day for the family. 6 March he got on a plane at the Lawton Airport headed back to Afghanistan.  The night of the 15th in  Logar his squad was moving in their MRAP's , with the lights on as ordered, when they were ambushed. Travis was killed instantly as two Rocket Propelled Grenades hit the bottom of the windshield in front of him. All of his Team members were injured with non life threatening wounds. I believe he would have wanted that as he had said he would get them safely through the tour and back. 

Ft Sill/Lawton 2006 to 2009

November 21, 2014

Travis re enlisted for Station of Choice and came home in 2006. We got to see Gianna Tompkins born at Ft Sill just as he had been. There were fishing trips, bar BQ's, pool parties,brithdays, holidays and movie nights. It was a great time of being with everyone. It was really a stroke of luck for him to get stationed here for that long. The time came for them to move on in late 2009 for the 10th Mountain Division. He was sent to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 10th at Ft Polk, LA.

2000 to 2009

November 15, 2014

Lord, these years Travis did so very much. These were truely the most wonderful years of his life. In the Army and off to Ft Carson, CO. He meets the love of his life and gets married to Candy while there, 1 Mar 2001. He is enjoying being with the 59th MP Company in the field and on the road. They deployed to Saudi Arabia and landed on what was 9-11-2001 back here. Within hours they went on full alert as the news of the attacks got there.  So, that security assignment suddenly became a combat assignment. He made SP4 and picked up his second AAM during those next six months. Home to Candy and along came Madison Tompkins his first daughter. We got to visit back and forth between Co., OK. and even to his Grandpa Wall's place in Texas at Lake Fork. Then Travis decided to re up and asked for a tour in Europe to see the world with his family. It came down as a assignment to NATO at HQs Armed Forces North, Brunsum.

1999 to 2000

November 13, 2014

Travis graduated from high school May 1999. Now, he felt like life was going to get easy. Of course that never is the case as we all know. He did not think about collage and started looking for a job. Worked at a car lot for awhile, had a one man Detailing business. After he turned twenty the 26th of Nov he came and told us he was thinking about going into the Navy. He wanted me to go with him. We spoke to the Navy and then I told him that he should talk with the Air Force and Army. See which service would give him the best deal. He really wanted to go into some form of law enforcement with a service. He and I had gone to a Gun Show that summer and I got a 7.62 Mini Thrity, 12 gage military pump shotgun. Plus, I got a .40 cal auto pistol and we started going to the range so I had gotten him used to larger weapons. Travis decided on the Army and went about testing and getting ready to go active in mid Jan 2000. We were glad he had choosen the Army and we were hoping that it would be something that he could accept. It started with a few rough spots, however he got to call home both times. First they tried to get him to go infantry by telling him they did not need MP's. I told him not to raise his hand and he would wait. The NCOIC heard about it and took care of that BS. Next, he left his paperwork at the MEPS in Oklahoma City. The next day he called from Ft Leonard Wood all up set. NCO's there had him believing he could get sent to jail or be kicked out because of it. I told him they were messing with him, calm down and take their crap, do what they make you do and don't let it get to you. I called his recruiter and had them make sure the paperwork got sent to Ft Leonard Wood. As he started training all was cool, he took to it like a duck takes to water. He was happy and liked what he was learning, with much self pride.

1988 to 1999

November 13, 2014

These years were so busy for all of us. I was working 8 hour rotating shifts and that messed up my sleeping and being able to be with the family  much of the time. Plus, when I could I fished bass tournaments on what weekends I was off shift. Now, Travis did get started fishing some with me during the 1990's, Goodyear had 6 hour tournaments at least twice a month. They were team tournaments that were geared for fathers and their children. That was the begining of his tournament fishing. Of course we took vacation trips to San Diego and Kingman a few times. Vickies father and grandmother moved to Idaho for some years. They then moved to near Hugo,OK in 1992. During those years we visited and bass fished around that area. Travis and I started taking fishing trips to Lake Fork ,TX and other bigger lakes like Texoma. I had started fishing larger tournaments all around Texas and Oklahoma a little. Travis played sports up to high school then went very active in the boy scouts and spent more time with his friends. We got him his first .22 and did some target shooting. We let him have a motorcycle and later got him a car. The first car didn't last long, so I got him a small 4 cylinder that he hated. He managed to kill it in about a year. The pick up I had was what he liked using. That was not something I was able to give totally to his use. I got him a min- van which had lots of room for his gear and was good on gas and pretty safe. Between it and the motorcycle he was covered. I again missed a lot , however I was at quite a lot of things as I got more  vacation time with Goodyear. I have so many great memories from these years.

From Nov 1985 to Nov 1988

November 7, 2014

Back to Ft Sill and C Co. TCB as Asst. NCOIC of Basic Rifle Marksmanship Division. Travis had changed so much in a year. He didn't want to tell stories or even talk much. He had gotten a temper and would get upset easy. We went to San Diego for my father's 95th BD and Christmas. By then he had opened up and was acting like a happy six year old and laughing a lot again. We went on to Disneyland after that and he was wild there, talk about having a great time! I moved to the Training Center Headquarters S-3 shop in 1986 and we were having fun camping and fishing. My father passed away in August and we spent a few days in San Diego with my mother. I was so glad that Travis and his sister, Jenny, had gotten to spend such a wonderful time with my parents the trip at Christmas. Travis got into T-Ball and PeeWee Football and Basket Ball while at Robert E. Lee Elementary School. I got really in to Bass Tournaments. Those were very good years. I decided to retire from the Army in early 1988 . I had set that as a goal, if not an E-8 before 20 I would retire. So, I made my retirement date as 31 Oct 1988. I was out with terminal leave starting that August. I got a job at the Goodyear Tire Plant right away. Shift work and that made me miss many games and school programs of my kids. It caused  us to quit camping and everyone was seeing less of each other. I missed so much over the next 18 years, I regret that. The good money did make it so I could give the family a good life.
 

From 1981 on to 1984

November 3, 2014

I got back to Ft Sill the Fall of 1981 and Travis was very big for two years old. He didn't take to me for awhile. This wasn't helped as I was a weapons instructor by day and a Taxi driver by night plus taking night classes. So, I was home only not much of the time. Still, it wasn't long before he was running to me when I came in the house. I got a small bass boat with the Taxi money and started taking the camper and boat out when I could. Both Travis and his big sister, Jennette , loved  the outdoors. Travis was talking a lot by then and he started going to the lakes with me much of the time. He loved to play with fish in the live well. As he talked more he started telling stories. We had many good fishing trips and we had wonderful talks. Things were going great and in 1983 I traded up to a bigger bass boat. That one went faster and he really liked that. I started hooking fish and letting him reel them in and he didn't know about that, he would rather play with them in the live well. I had joined a Bass Club so he didn't get to go as much then. Then in 1984 I went off to Korea for a year.

The Begining

November 1, 2014

Travis was born in Building 4700 on  Fort Sill in Oklahoma Nov 26, 1979. I was there to see it as I was on leave from assignment to 1st BN 13th Inf in Baumholder, Germany. His mother had lost a boy baby in Nov 1978 and we had decided to try one more time for a boy. He was sort of blue and quiet for sometime and we were both worried, then the cry came from him. Boy, did he cry. I was lucky enough to get to stay for 90 days before going back to Baumholder. During the next 20 months I did not get to visit home much.