Traditionally, November is a time of reflection, gratitude and family-focused celebrations. Also known as Military Family Appreciation Month, it provides a chance to thank the NGA’s military workforce and their families for their service to our nation. NGA’s senior enlisted advisor, Army Command Sgt. Maj. TJ Baird, is a family man whose life demonstrates how military service impacts family dynamics.

Baird comes from a line of military men. His grandfather fought in WWII, his father served in the Navy, his uncle was in the Air Force, and his identical twin brother serves in the Army. 

When Baird and his brother joined the Army, their grandfather sat them down and shared his experiences. He taught them about duty, honor, country — and most importantly, service to others. He also instilled a sense of purpose and what it meant to serve something greater than oneself, and shared how proud he was to fight alongside his shipmates for the country he loved.

As someone with a spouse assigned overseas to Korea, Baird understands first-hand the sacrifice that military families go through serving their country. He is married to Army Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann. Though they have not been geographically located together for the last five years, while his wife is deployed, they rely heavily on technology to keep them connected.

“It’s a lot of tactical patience,” he said. “But it’s been amazing to have her as my teammate … she is amazing.” They schedule indoor bike rides together, her in the early morning and him in the late evening, so they can still work out together. These two senior enlisted leaders continue to be each other’s greatest cheerleaders.

No matter the distance, his family is the glue that keeps him together, providing him with the support and inspiration to make it through the toughest of battles. It helps keep him focused on the mission.

One of the biggest components of what keeps Baird dedicated to the mission is his daughter. He describes his role as a father as a role that directly impacts his career.
“Becoming a dad is my proudest career achievement,” exclaimed Baird.

Baird regularly discusses with his daughter what it means to live a life of service. Veronika has taken their chats to heart and is currently pursuing a degree in education and hopes to inspire the next generation.

At NGA, there are several hundred service members embedded into our teams from all of the DOD elements – Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force. NGA’s military service members support the mission 24/7 and are on call around the clock.

Service members live in and around the military installations at the locations they serve which provides the needed resources for themselves and their family. For example, Fort Belvoir — located near NGA headquarters in Springfield, Virginia — frequently hosts family events, such as their recent Octoberfest.
 
Service members can also access family support groups at local installations and through their service elements. In addition, Baird is actively working toward creating a unified family readiness group for NGA service members to strengthen existing support systems. In the meantime, Baird strongly recommends service families connect with their DOD components, in addition to staying up to date on news from the base they live on or their closest military installation.

Baird reminds the NGA workforce that family “does not just mean those we live with — it’s also those we work with … NGA is a family and we oftentimes forget that,” he said. 
“We’ve got to support each other. It’s easy to do it when times are good and harder to do it when times are bad,” he continued. “So, we just can’t forget that this is a family… the NGA family, not just at headquarters but our entire global footprint — we’re a family.” 
 
With sincere appreciation, NGA thanks Command Sgt. Maj. Baird and all of NGA’s military service members, veterans, and their families for their service and their sacrifice.  
 

About Military Family Appreciation Month: Established in 1993 by the Armed Services YMCA, the U.S. government has recognized November as Military Family Appreciation Month ever since. Read the 2022 White House statement on National Veterans and Military Families Month: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/10/31/a-proclamation-on-national-veterans-and-military-families-month-2022/