FORMER BRENHAM RESIDENT RE-ENLISTS IN THE NAVY AFTER LENGHTY ABSENCE

  

Story by Commander Cheryl Collins, Navy Reserve Region Readiness and Mobilization Command in Fort Worth, Texas

In the summer of 2016, the atmosphere in the drill hall at Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. was charged with pride and anticipation. Among the sea of uniformed sailors and their families gathered for Navy boot camp graduation sat Brett Davenport, a man whose own Navy career had ended two decades earlier. As he watched his son, Clayton, wearing his summer dress whites, a deep sense of nostalgia and regret stirred within him. Little did he know, this moment would reignite a flame he thought had long since extinguished.“I immediately felt the weight of loss for my naval career on a visceral level,” Brett recalls. “Once again, I mourned the opportunity I lost while at the same time being overwhelmed with the pride I felt watching my son march out into the drill hall. I was drawn back into the desire to serve, to wear the uniform of our nation's sailors, to hopefully step foot on a submarine again or maybe even go to sea.”

Brett’s journey to this moment began in Brenham, Texas, where he first embraced the values of duty and service as a Boy Scout. “The oath of a Scout is one of honor, service to others, and a promise to keep oneself physically and mentally strong and morally straight,” Brett reflects. “I credit the scouting program for taking me from a boy with a deep desire to serve and molding me into a young man ready to take my skills to the next level.”

Enlisting in the Navy in 1988, Brett’s career took him through the demanding world of submarines, from the shipyards of Groton, Connecticut, to instructor duty in Charleston, South Carolina. But life’s unexpected turns, including a divorce and the responsibility of raising his two young boys, led to his discharge in 1998. “Retiring off active duty was my plan, but it didn’t look like that would happen,” he admits. “I eventually accepted that retiring from the Navy wasn't in God's plan for me.”

After his separation from the Navy, Brett focused his energy into his civilian career as a co-founder of Gibby's Capital Investments, a real estate firm in Houston. Yet, the call to serve never fully faded. His son Clayton’s entrance into the Navy was a turning point. “When I learned of my dad rejoining the Navy after being out for 20 years, I was ecstatic!” says Machinist Mate 1st Class Clayton Davenport, a native from Goose Creek, S.C. assigned to Surface Warfare Engineering School Command in Great Lakes, Ill. “It gave me a much deeper appreciation for his prior service. Being able to share the Navy experience with him and see him back in uniform was incredible.”

Meaghan Davenport, Brett’s wife, witnessed his renewed determination first-hand. “Brett had been talking about finishing his naval career for years,” she says. “I was excited for him to do this as I knew that he had a burning desire to complete what he had started all those years ago. At his core, he bleeds red, white, and blue, and his dedication to the Navy and all it represents is just part of his DNA.”

Re-enlisting at nearly 50, Brett faced the challenge of integrating back into the Navy’s evolving landscape. “After being out for 20 years and then coming back, I realized that not only had the Navy changed, but so had I,” he reflects. “Being in my late 40s, my life was in a different place than the majority of junior sailors and many of our senior leaders. I quickly realized that I could provide a different perspective about many of the challenges of Navy life.”

Those phone calls with Clayton about his job, had a new level of comradery as two shipmates talking. “It had been an honor and privilege to carry on his name and legacy as a machinist mate, but the reality of him re-enlisting and falling into ranks alongside me gave me the biggest sense of pride and honor I've ever felt,” Clayton said proudly. “It's one thing to be able to be empathetic, but the power of sharing the struggle has depth and instills purpose. Father and son yes, but now...we are fellow Snipes, shipmates, and brothers in arms.”

Now a Chief Petty Officer and engineman in the Navy Reserve assigned to SURGEMAIN Houston at Navy Reserve Center Houston, Brett blends his military duties with his civilian career. “As a reservist, I sometimes feel like I'm incorporating my Navy duty into my civilian life, and sometimes it's the other way around,” he explains. “In today’s geopolitical climate, I’m acutely aware of the need for a trained and ready reserve force.”

“Having my dad serve in the Navy again has been a huge inspiration. Knowing the success he had from his prior service and the passion he's always had since then, I have no doubt that he would have continued on until they kicked him out!” says Clayton with a grin. “It wouldn't surprise me if he gained a star on that anchor before he goes ashore for the final time.”

For Brett, the culmination of his Navy journey is deeply fulfilling. “Being a Navy chief and wearing the uniform gives me purpose in a way I didn't expect when I initially came back,” he says. “I think being a good chief and a good sailor makes me better at all the others, and it’s an honor for me to be able to do them all for as long as God will let me.”