For His Family, And His Country: Greendale's Craft In Third Middle East Deployment

By Mike Perleberg Troy Craft, of Greendale, is currently on his third deployment to the Middle East. Photo provided. (Greendale, Ind.) – Troy Craft has sacrificed much time with his family in service to his country. Since January, he’s been sacrificing more of that time. Indiana National Guard Command Sergeant Major Craft, of Greendale, is currently in Afghanistan on a nine-month deployment with 46 members of the Guard’s 38th Infantry Division. He was previously deployed in Afghanistan in 2004 and Iraq in 2008. “I enjoy the military. It has provided me with a lot of opportunities and education. My family is supportive,” the 39-year-old says of his 20 years in the military, the past 15 of them with the Indiana National Guard. Taking care of things back home is Craft’s wife, Christina. She tends to the needs of their 16-year-old son, Trevor. He has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a debilitating muscular disease that has bound him to a wheelchair. “But he’s otherwise your typical 16-year-old teenager,” Troy shares. “It doesn’t hinder his teenage youth mentality.” RELATED: Lohmiller Is In The Business Of Protecting Freedom The couple’s other child, Caleb, wants to do what dad does. The 18-year-old just graduated from Lawrenceburg High School this past spring and plans to enlist in the Army. He heads out for basic training in September. Craft admits it’s tough to be overseas for so long away from his family, even though modern technology allows him to frequently video chat them. “I want to be there to help Christina,” he says. The couple’s other family members are lending a hand until Troy returns home. Craft with a member of the Afghan Army. Photo provided. During his current deployment, Craft is playing a role in NATO’s Resolute Support Mission. He is tasked with taking care of many basic needs such as maintaining the food and water supply at Camp Resolute Support. The camp resembles a small city, he says, but is humble about the magnitude of his responsibility. “I’m just a gear in the wheels,” Craft says. His time in the NATO camp has been a bit of a culture shock experience, with troops from a number of NATO countries, speaking various languages and observing diverse customs sharing the camp. “Everybody does things a little differently, but we’re all here for the same mission,” he says. Launched in 2015, the Resolute Support Mission is providing training, advice and assistance for the Afghan security forces and institutions. Craft expects to return to the U.S. with the rest of his division in the fall. The troop will arrive back in Texas. As Command Sergeant Major, he must see that all other division members complete their responsibilities before their deployment concludes. That means he will be among the last to rejoin his family in Indiana. A 1996 East Central High School graduate, Craft works as an enforcement agent for the Indiana Gaming Commission.