Friends and Co-Workers of Millington Shooting Victims Speak
EAST JACKSON, Tenn. — When Captain Robert Crowley learned that two of his coworkers had been shot while on the job, he was shocked. “First and foremost, we just wanted to know that they were safe because both of them are friends, and we’re a close-knit family here in the National Guard,” Crowley said. Major Jeff Crawford and Sergeant Major Ricky Mckenzie were shot in Millington on Thursday. Both officers work in recruiting for the Army National Guard Crawford as the West Tennessee Regional Commander, and Mckenzie as the direct supervisor of recruiters. Captain Crowley calls them the foundation and the first impression of the National Guard. “An essential part of being a recruiter is talking to that kid and say hey, what do you want to do in life, giving them the options that they have before them and trying to get them on a good track,” Crowley said. Friends and coworkers say that both these officer’s impact extends beyond the walls of the national guard armory, saying that both are extremely devoted to both their family and to their community. “It’s a tough act to balance between being a recruiter, especially in commanding spots like them,” Crowley said. They both obviously are good men because of the work that they do in the community. They’re both family men. Both have children. They’re just really involved in a lot of different things.”
