Soldier of the Quarter, Q12026

[1st Lt. C. Henderson]

Quarter One - January, 2026

Staff Sergeant Thomas Huot

Staff Sergeant Thomas Huot joined the 101st Airborne Division Realism Unit on July 8th 2020- where he was first assigned as a Rifleman in First Squad, First Platoon. Staff Sergeant Huot was one of our founding members in this community, and has remained a central pillar in its foundation.

From the beginning, Staff Sergeant Huot has, and continuously remains an enormous positive impact on our community - providing a guiding hand for many, and a lot of laughter for all. Staff Sergeant Huot exemplifies what it means to be loyal, dedicated, and steadfast in your friendships. Of all the members that have partook in this community, Staff Sergeant Huot alone has had one of the most significant impacts on building our foundations, expanding our communities reach, and being a central guiding force for many members. Without Staff Sergeant Huot, this community would not exist. Thank you for all of you do Staff Sergeant Huot, you are greatly appreciated by all. Strike!

Why did you join the 101st Airborne Division?

I've joined in July f 2020. I've mostly joined because 2019 pandemic and having  torn ACL and MCL in a ski accident left me with much needed time to be part of a new project. Also I've been part of previous iteration of the 101st 502nd and 82nd airborne

Any favorite/funny/memorable moment throughout our whole time in the unit?

Through the years I've had many memorable moments, the first jump on Corregidor, the first battle of Iwo Jima, the big join ops we did with 23rd Panzer Division, the release of Spearhead CDLC, and all the fun ops just but to name a few. But one moment that is dear to me was one time on Overlord D-0, we were drop around a 88 anti-aircraft batterie, two fellow paratroopers and I managed to take it with small arm and pistol. On this assault, I killed 2 German with my trusty 45. For this action we got some award since we were able to destroy the 88 with satchel charge limiting the German AA presence in our area of operations.

Any advice to give to your fellow Paratroopers?

Always be willing to learn new things because most of what we learn can be applicable in many real life situations.

What values matter to you most?

Loyalty, duty and honor are some value I hold dear. I think those core values are important to live a balance life in general.

What motivates you? 

To better myself at learning new skills and also making sure everyone have a good time every operation!

What would you say about the progress of the unit, and how you've contributed to it?
after almost 6 years in the unit I've learned quite a few things, like doing proper land navigation, working with Kat, flying a plane. Other than skills, I've learned to lead by example and how to improve the way I work with other people, which are two thing I use in my professional life on the day to day.