Deployed in Syria, Three Soldiers Celebrate a Shared Connection with Kean

At Al-Tanf Garrison in Syria, three New Jersey Army National Guard members - Kimmarah Casey, Marcus Martinez and Johnnie McDowell - discovered they had more in common than their mission: they were all Kean University alumni. 

Casey ’19, Martinez, ’15 and McDowell ’15 were all stationed at Al-Tanf garrison to patrol the Jordan and Iraq borders for ISIS activity for nearly a year.  

As a logistician, Casey coordinated the distribution of trucks, food and fuel, ensuring that soldiers had the necessary gear. Martinez supervised engineers responsible for constructing buildings and resolving drainage and electrical issues. McDowell, a common operations picture manager, tracked the movements of troops and drones. After discovering their shared alma mater, the group wanted to represent Kean while deployed and reached out to request a university flag. 

“Anytime a flag flies on an overseas post, military leaders present a certificate stating where it flew, when, for how long and with which unit,” McDowell said. “I emailed Kean the certificate, and soon I’ll return the flag signed by our unit.” 

While united by their desire to serve, the three took uniquely different journeys into the Army National Guard. 

Kimmarah Casey 

Casey, a Sergeant First Class with the HHT 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry Regiment in Westfield, enlisted in 2013 as a high school senior, knowing the National Guard would help fund her college education. She earned a B.A. in criminal justice and public administration from Kean, followed by an M.A. in management from Thomas Edison University. She now plans to pursue a doctorate in education with a focus on organizational leadership, culture and change. 

During her time at Kean, Casey interned with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Elizabeth, assisting in the preparation of asylum papers. She also spearheaded efforts to establish a Veterans Resource Lounge at Kean, supporting student veterans in their transition to civilian life, and founded the university’s Military and Veterans Club, according to Vito Zajda, director of the Center for Veterans Student Success at Kean Ocean. 

“She was a big advocate and voice for veterans, service members and their dependents, both on and off campus,” Zajda said. 

After graduating from Kean, Casey was deployed to Jordan before returning to New Jersey to serve full-time. A Union native, now living in Manville, she loves that her job allows her to help people, whether she’s guiding potential recruits or leading a team of logisticians. 

“Watching them blossom into different human beings — more sophisticated, more knowledgeable in their field and in life — is the biggest reward,” said Casey, who is also pleased to have met her fiancé, Sgt. First Class Andrea Hinds, through her job. 

Marcus Martinez 

Martinez grew up as an “Army brat,” born in Hawaii, graduating from high school in Puerto Rico and traveling the country on family vacations. 

“By the time I was 18, I had seen 25 of the 50 states,” he said. 

Martinez enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1997, serving as an air traffic controller until 2005. Nearly a decade later, he joined the National Guard while earning a B.A. in criminal justice from Kean. Today, he is a captain and Bravo Company commander for the Guard’s 104th Brigade Engineer Battalion in Hammonton, commuting there monthly from his home in Texas to serve. 

Inspired by his Kean professors and his wife, Jennifer Christine – a former adjunct professor of public health at the university – Martinez plans to pursue a master’s degree and teach college courses in criminal justice or public safety while also providing officer training through the National Guard. 

In his civilian career, Martinez spent 10 years in the food service industry and another decade in security before becoming a police detective in Celina, Texas, where he also serves as his department’s mental health officer. 

“My job is to train our officers to recognize mental health issues and de-escalate situations when they show up at a scene,” he said. 

Retired First Sgt. Marshall Franklin, who once supervised Martinez at Marine Air Control Squadron 24 in Virginia Beach, continues to be impressed by him. 

“I have had the honor and pleasure of watching a young Devil Dog grow into a tremendous Marine, soldier, husband and father,” Franklin said. “Marcus’s commitment and dedication to his country, community and family are reflective of the core values and principles which continue to set him apart.” 

Johnnie McDowell 

McDowell was at a turning point when he enlisted part-time in the New Jersey Army National Guard in 2008. He had lost his job and left Kean, before eventually returning to the University to earn his B.A. in criminal justice in 2015. 

“I hit rock bottom and needed something, and it changed my life,” said McDowell, an Atlantic City native who now lives in Egg Harbor Township. “The National Guard gave me structure, which made me a better person and a better leader in my civilian work.” 

A staff sergeant in Westfield, McDowell was deployed to Jordan in 2019 to help train military forces and then again to Washington, D.C. in 2021 to provide security after the January 6 insurrection.  

Retired Army First Sgt. Richard Wayne Schlack, who served with McDowell, described him as honorable and skilled. 

“Coming into the military older than most, he had an intellect and maturity that elevated his pride in his work and dedication to his goals and service,” Schlack said.