Womack does not recall rival serving in Sinai

— As a soldier in the Arkansas Army National Guard, the Democratic challenger in the 3rd District congressional race served under his Republican opponent in the Sinai Peninsula in 2002.

But Congressman Steve Womack, a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard in 2002, said he doesn’t remember Ken Aden from the six-month peacekeeping deployment overseas.

Womack oversaw a 529-member task force made up primarily of Arkansas national guardsmen. As commander of South Camp in the Sinai, he also was responsible for hundreds of other contingent forces.

Womack said he only remembers soldiers who stood out as being particularly goodor bad, and Aden didn’t fall into either of those categories.

“If Ken was a dynamic leader and outstanding soldier in every respect, I probably would have had reason to have crossed paths with him during that deployment, but honestly I don’t remember him,” said Womack.

Aden said they did cross paths and spoke to each other on several occasions.

“He had to cross paths with me because I was on the Force Skills team,” said Aden. “He knew who I was.”

Aden, who was a private in 2002, said he was one of 14 soldiers chosen to compete on the United States’ team in the Force Skills Competition, and Womack would have remembered him for that reason. Aden said he was chosen because he was oneof the most physically fit U.S. soldiers deployed to the Sinai post. He said the competition included endurance, marksmanship, land navigation, an obstacle course and a medical skills competition.

For the first half of 2002, Womack was contingent commander of the Multinational Force & Observers at South Camp in the Sinai. The force is an international organization responsible for enforcing a 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The force also has a North Camp in Sinai.

When asked about the Force Skills Competition, the congressman compared it to “intramural sports” that gave the soldiers something to do.

“Bless his heart, Ken Aden does not need to over-embellish being a member of the Force Skills Competition,” said Womack, who at 54, is 20 years older than Aden.

“The primary mission over there was not related to what I call kind of an intramural sport. ... It’s surprising that anyone would try to make some hay out of being on the Force Skillsteam,” said Womack.

“I’m proud of the work all of my solders did. But he didn’t stand out because he would have been a lower ranking person, more observable by his platoon commander. Naturally, I didn’t have daily interaction with my ground forces.”

Lt. Col. Keith Moore, a spokesman for the Arkansas National Guard, said he wasn’t familiar with the Sinai competition, but similar boot camp competitions around the world varied considerably.

“Some of them are more bragging rights. Others are truly big deals,” he said.

Moore said 2002 was the last time the Arkansas National Guard was deployed to the Sinai.

Womack said the U.S. Force Skills team under his command did well but finished third behind teams from Fiji and Columbia.

After the Sinai deployment, the two men didn’t meet again until they ran into each other on the campaign trail, at Russellville High School.

Wearing a Multinational Force & Observers ribbon, Aden introduced himself to Womack, saying he had served under the congressman almost a decade ago.

“The first thing he said is, ‘How much money have you raised?’” remembers Aden.

Aden said he is just now beginning his fundraising in earnest. On Oct. 13, Aden sent a letter to the Federal Election Commission saying he had not raised or spent enough money to reach the reporting threshold of $5,000 for the quarter ended Sept. 30.

According to the FEC, Womack raised $201,394 through Sept. 30 in his race for re-election. Formerly mayor of Rogers, Womack was elected to Congress last year after Republican John Boozman vacated that seat to run for Senate. Boozman won the Senate race.

The 3rd District has been in Republican hands since 1967.

Womack retired from themilitary in 2009 with the rank of colonel.

Originally from Pine Bluff, Aden grew up in east Arkansas and now lives in Russellville. Womack is from Russellville but lived in Rogers for more than 30 years of his adult life.

Aden served for two years in the Arkansas Army National Guard and was deployed in the Sinai with the Guard during the first half of 2002. He went on active duty in the Army in September 2002.

Aden, who eventually became a staff sergeant, served with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and the 1st Infantry Division.

Aden said he fought in Iraq during two deployments there and went on to become a Green Beret. Aden said he finished his time in the Army as a Special Forces soldier.

Last year, after spending 11 years in the military, Aden started non-profit organizations in Dayton, Ohio, and West Memphis to help those communities.

Besides Womack and Aden, a Green Party candidate, Rebekah Kennedy of Fort Smith, has also announced her candidacy for the 3rd District congressional seat.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 11/03/2011

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