Serving And Protecting Your Country And Community

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI)- There’s a familiar laughter and voice now echoing around the Aberdeen Police Department.

If you guessed it’s that of Police Chief Henry Randle, you guessed right as the top cop is back home from deployment.

“I’m kind of like, settling in, I haven’t just really gotten back to my normal self,” said Chief Henry Randle, who was deployed overseas for more than a year. “I’ve basically just been kind of like taking it day by day trying to feel my way back around, but it’s good to be back home.”

Since February of 2018 up until just a few weeks ago, Randle was deployed with the Army National Guard.

He deployed with the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team.

The troops spent much of their time at Camp Buehring in Kuwait where they were on a peace keeping mission.

“My job is a 88 Mike, which is a driver and a fuel operator,” Randle explained. “I provide fuel for whatever necessary vehicles are out there or whatever tank that’s out there.”

While Randle says he enjoyed being out in the field, there’s one element he constantly struggled with during this mission.

The heat.

“Sometimes the heat can be detrimental to your health over there, it dries you up,” the police chief explained. “We have plenty of water and kept hydrated, but just being away doesn’t really bother me, it’s just the atmosphere. I could deal with being away, I just couldn’t deal with that heat.”

Randle is an E6 Staff Sergeant in the military.

This marks his second deployment.

The first was in 2003 when he deployed in Iraq.

After being overseas for so long, Randle expressed how blessed and thankful he is that all of the troops were able to make it back home safe and sound from this mission.

“We were there to show a force of protection,” the staff sergeant said. “Most of the troops were on ground pretty much ready to do whatever needed to be done, but we just thank the good Lord that it didn’t come to that.”

Being on the front line protecting his country and community is something Randle takes pride in.

He always wanted to be a public servant which is why he joined the military and police department.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,” said Randle. “I’ve always wanted to serve and protect. Military and law-enforcement kind of go hand-in-hand. If you’re in the military first, most times you get out you want to get into law-enforcement. If your in law enforcement before you’re in the military, then you want to join the military, so I’ve got to do both and I have enjoyed it every day.”

Randle has spent over 20 years serving at the Aberdeen Police Department and has spent 18 years serving our country in the military.