BENTON, Mo. -- After a near year-long deployment overseas, Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul R. Boyd returned home last month, and he said it's back to business as usual.
"It's good to be home," Boyd said. "It's good not to see dirt in the air."
On April 29, 2017, Boyd deployed to Fort Hood, Texas, for training before heading overseas to the Middle East. Boyd officially returned to the United States on Jan. 21 and then to Scott County on Feb. 7.
"I had to stay at Fort Hood and help train the 28th Infantry Division that was coming in behind us," Boyd said. "We stayed there to train with them and give them scenarios so when they get there, they would be ready to handle some of similar situations we faced on deployment."
Boyd has served in the Missouri National Guard since November 2000. Currently, Boyd holds the rank of lieutenant colonel and has served as deputy staff judge advocate for the 35th Infantry Division headquartered in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., with his unit located in Lexington, Mo. Previously, he worked a Command Judge Advocate at Whiteman Air Force Air Base, Jefferson Barracks, Kansas City and Lexington.
The 35th Infantry Division had not been deployed since World War II so this was the first deployment of the division headquarters since 1944, he said, adding President Harry Truman served with the 35th Infantry Division during World War I.
"We went in following a six-month rotation by the 29th Infantry Division out of Virginia and Maryland," Boyd said.
In military units, there are squads which are comprised of 12 people, and companies which may have 100 people. Then there are battalions and usually one battalion has three to four companies. A brigade has three to four battalions. The next step up from a a brigade is a division, which may have five to six brigades under it at one time.
Overseas, the 35th Infantry Division had five brigades under it initially, Boyd said.
"Our role in the Middle East was, basically, as the intermediate division headquarters, we were substitutes for personnel at the headquarters for Army CENTCOM (ARCENT/Central Command) forward," Boyd said. "We worked with them, but ARCENT lost so many soldiers in the 2014 federal government sequester, we were the fill-in to the assist them in their mission in the Middle East."
A division headquarters deploys for nine months so if there's a rotation of four divisions, then every 36 months they may be back in country, Boyd noted.
"Our main operation was Operation Spartan Shield," Boyd said. "Operation Spartan Shield took care of about 12 countries in the Middle Eastern area."
Without getting into specifics for security reasons, Boyd said his division had soldiers or units doing missions in 12 countries in the Middle East.
"Given that, we actually had soldiers not just doing missions in Operation Spartan Shield, but we also had soldiers doing missions in Operation Inherent Resolve which is Iraq and Syria," Boyd said.
Boyd's Division also had soldiers involved in Freedom Sentinel out of Afghanistan.
"My role with the 35th Infantry Division was deputy staff judge advocate, but my role there was to supervise all the judge advocates and paralegals," Boyd said.
As deputy staff judge advocate, Boyd was the No. 2 attorney for the whole area, he said.Throughout the tour, there was about 78 personnel, of which about 32 were attorneys and 42-plus paralegals, he said.
"We were told the division had a very successful mission in all the various countries," said Boyd, who received a Meritorious Service Award for the hard work and dedication he exhibited throughout the mobilization.
Boyd traveled and worked in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, but said mainly he was in Kuwait.
"We interacted with lawyers from the Jordanian Army and officers with the Kuwaiti Army," Boyd said.
While the mission was a success, this deployment also was better than his previous one a few years ago, Boyd said, adding communication with family was better this time around.
"This deployment -- based upon where I was in Kuwait -- made it a little easier to communicate with my wife this time," Boyd said. "It wasn't bad last time, but it was better this time.
He continued: "I could even do more video chat with her this time than last time. She could see me once in a while and that helps out. Even though we were in what's called the combat zone, I would say our individuals in Kuwait were not subject to hostile fire."
The difference in this deployment and his last one was that Boyd was subject to hostile fire in Afghanistan, he said.
In addition to keeping in contact with his family, Boyd was also in communication with his office on a daily to weekly basis, he said.
"We tried to work out the eight- to nine-hour difference. They'd usually call me in the morning and I'd be close to bed time over there, but it was just to let me know what was going on," he said.
Prior to leaving for his deployment, Boyd had hired Bollinger County Prosecuting Attorney Heath Robins to assist his staff while he was gone.
"He was a great asset and helped to give that steady hand when you needed someone to come in and lead and make some decisions for the office," Boyd said.
Boyd said he appreciates the assistance he received from the various prosecutors and attorney general's office in agreeing to and accepting to assist on cases until he returned, and he also praised his office staff.
"I want to thank the people in Scott County who supported me and my troops," Boyd said, adding he received many care packages from local groups and individuals.
Boyd first returned to his office on Feb. 13 -- but just to visit staff, and he slowly made his rounds to visit law enforcement.
"I just wanted them to know I was back and let's get this business done and the jail cleared out the best we can," Boyd said.
On Feb. 27, Boyd filed for re-election as prosecuting attorney, a position he's held since 2003. Prior to that, he served as an assistant prosector for the county since 1996. And since that time, Boyd estimated the office has handled over 44,000 criminal cases.
"This is a human institution; no one's perfect. As a prosecutor, the bottom line is to seek justice as best as you can and as humanly possible," Boyd said.
His goals are for fair and firm prosecuting, he said.
"There are people who make stupid, dumb mistakes, and if I can just push them in the right direction and get them some help from their parents, that's the best thing," Boyd said. "But then there are people that do things that just can't be forgiven. Maybe the victim says: 'I can't handle this' or refuses to testify."
A criminal who has done this slight criminal act, whatever it might be, is going to have to face justice and their criminal history, Boyd said.
As Boyd returns to business, he also foresees his recent deployment as his last overseas duty, he said. However, Boyd can still get called for state emergency duty, he said, adding that he served as lead JAG officer in both Show Me Protection I and II (Ferguson, Mo.). He also served a couple days during Bird's Point,he said.
Regardless, Boyd said he will just keep doing what he's always done.
He said: "I want to continue to serve the county like I've served my state and my country."