FORT SHAFTER, HAWAII – Moving around as an immigrant can be challenging and difficult to adapt to, but very few are able to embrace it as a way of life and overcome the challenges at a high level while providing helping others along the way.

Staff Sgt. Dylan Thai, a 35-year-old supply specialist assigned to the 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, discovered his purpose and significance in life thanks to the Army, and he has committed to offering support to those open to receiving it.

Thai was born and raised in a poor area in Vietnam and moved to the United States at the age of 6 where his sisters and mother had to move multiple times between Florida and Kansas in pursuit of a decent living.

“We left my father when I was around, like, elementary school and moved between Florida and Kansas.” said Thai. “My family wasn’t wealthy, so it was hard for my mom to raise three kids independently.”

Despite his unstable living situation, Thai graduated high school and pursued higher education, attending multiple colleges in the following years. All the while, his mother, his sister, and her husband provided support and motivation. Thai, motivated by a desire to make a meaningful impact, proactively chose to enlist in the Army at 23 years old.

“I wanted to give my sister her space, and the Army was also a quick route to make my mom proud,” said Thai. “I went to the recruiting station and lucked into a job that I’m good at.”

Thai went to the recruiting station and took a job as a supply specialist. After completing basic training and advanced individual training, Thai was assigned to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division for three years in 2012 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. There he learned fast and mentored fellow Soldiers who needed guidance. Those Soldiers still praise him to this day.

“I was a specialist in the S4 in a sergeant position; I would gather information from various sources and push it out to others on the supply social media forums,” said Thai. “Pfc. Justin Binder, a former Soldier of mine, reached out to me and thanked me for molding him into a great supply specialist.

Following his departure from Alaska in 2016, Thai encountered a significant shift in the environment upon his move to Hawaii. The specialist’s personality was shaped by his high ambition to become the best supply Soldier he could be and to get promoted to sergeant.

“He pays attention to the smallest detail as well, as part of his job, and does it well in a … personal way,” said Master Sgt. Juana Torres, general supply operations noncommissioned officer in charge, 8th TSC.

Another way he did well at his job was he helped cheer up his battle buddies during difficult times, even herself, said Torres.

Thai left Hawaii in 2017 to further his career as a sergeant in Fort Carson, Colorado, for five years. There, he continued to grow in the ranks. He returned to Hawaii in 2022 as a staff sergeant to work in a sergeant first class position in the 8th TSC’s G4 directorate, where he covered everything logistics and beyond.

“Global Combat Support System-Army – he speaks that language like no other NCO out there in the Army, so he’s definitely one of the premier NCOs when it comes to supply,” said Master Sgt. Jeremiah Calhoun, G4 sergeant major for 311th Signal Command Theater. “He also led the way for inventory management of APS-3 (Army prepositioned stock) equipment left in Australia.”

Maj. Beverly McGee, the executive officer for the 8th Special Troops Battalion, 8th TSC, believes Thai is an outstanding NCO who came highly recommended for the 8th STB’s S4 NCOIC position.

“He was the go-to person for the battalion command group whenever we needed anything – equipment, supplies, or help solving problems,” said McGee.

Despite encountering various challenges, Thai remains cognizant that his professionalism and work ethic directly benefits his family and contributes to his service in the military. He allocates a lot of his time to professional endeavors while still prioritizing time for his spouse and three children.

“I have stick figure tattoos on my right forearm to represent my kids and me,” said Thai “They motivate me to keep pushing, especially during physical training. My kids are my number one motivation in life, and I enjoy spending time with them on the weekends.”

Despite all the praise and accolades he receives, Thai keeps himself grounded and continues to think about others. Thai remains committed to sharing his expertise as a supply specialist across various platforms, including in-person interactions, social media, and email. He believes in the importance of knowledge sharing and actively encourages others to do the same. His advice to fellow Army members is to make the most of the opportunities and benefits available while serving in the Army and to plan effectively for the future beyond military service.