FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — Fort Cavazos is under the leadership of III Corps Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, but he doesn’t do it alone.
He’s got folks like Cliff Burgoyne, a dedicated soldier and outgoing Command Sergeant Major of the Army’s 3rd Armored Corps, by his side.
Though he is a Texas native, CSM Burgoyne grew up in the small-town bayous of Slidell, Luisiana.
”It was unique because it wasn’t just a small town, it was where a lot of the engineers for NASA lived,” CSM Burgoyne said.
“It was folks that fished for a living, folks that did construction for a living, and then we had high end of white-collar folks.”
After falling out of college and working manual labor jobs, it was time for a change.
That's where the Army came in to surprise him.
”I remember a recruiter saying, hey why don’t you join the Army,” CSM Burgoyne said.
“I remember specifically telling him that I'm not the Army type. So, I'm not going to join the Army. Sure enough, a couple years later here I am and it’s exactly what I needed.”
Now more than 38 years of dedicated service later, he is set to retire, but not without leaving lasting impressions along the way.
”The commitment that he has shown, not only to the corps but, to the Army, the families, the DA civilians that are in this corps as well,” said SFC Steven Peck, who works for CSM Burgoyne.
“That's what needs to be highlighted about, not only his career but, his time here at Fort Cavazos.”
A commitment that Command Sergeant Major Burgoyne says would not have been possible without the support of his wife Kate and their children.
”My kids definitely sacrificed as well, not just Kate, but my kids Trey and Chandler,” CSM Burgoyne said.
“They saw other parents growing up always there, and I was always gone.
That’s why he has a message for them before he starts his next chapter in life.
”Thank you for letting me spend so much time in the Army,” CSM Burgoyne said.
"I know it came at a cost because I didn’t get spend as much time with you, but I thank you for allowing me to serve our soldiers and serve our country.”
Command Sergeant Major Cliff Burgoyne has proudly served our nation for nearly four decades, deployed six times to Afghanistan and Iraq, and worked his way up to become the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer in the 3rd Armored Corps.
Though the uniform is coming off soon, he says he plans to find a way to continue serving the country and communities he loves.
