Caption: Master Sgt. Donald “Bud” Scully gets the last of the “wet down” celebrating his promotion at the Cherry Hill armory.  Watching the age-old field artillery tradition are members of Company A 250th Signal Battalion.

Standing in front of the unit formation following the dousing, the guest of honor looked at 25 broadly smiling faces of young men and women who he helped enlist into the New Jersey Army National Guard.  “I got a little emotional seeing those faces.” he said.  “ If you do the job right, you develop friendships as well as soldiers.”

Scully, who has worked as a recruiter at the National Guard Armory in Cherry Hill for the past five years, received his wetting down compliments of Company A, 250th Signal Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard.  Ironically, Scully himself was responsible for renewing the tradition.  The former artilleryman  brought the tradition of the wetting down ceremony to the Cherry Hill armory when the Signal Battalion first moved into the building and his Company Commander was promoted to Captain.  Since the armory previously had housed only artillery units, the newly promoted Master Sergeant, with both his heart and roots still deep in Field Artillery, thought it only appropriate to retain some of the old traditions.  The Company Commander, who was the first member of the Signal Corps to experience the joy of this new custom, was only too happy to introduce the concept of “turnabout is fair play” when Sergeant Scully was promoted. 

Along with his elevation in rank, Master Sgt. Scully has been promoted to Recruiting Team Leader and now will work out of the National Guard Armory in Hammonton. 

For the Scully’s, military service is indeed a family affair.  The Sergeant’s younger brother and one of his sons, and a nephew are also members of the Army Guard; but the new Recruiting Team Leader admits to having a “black sheep” in the family … his other son is serving with the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

The new Master Sergeant grew up in Audubon but currently lives in Lindenwold, New Jersey.  In addition to his recent ceremonial soaking, Sergeant Scully will be inducted into the Audubon High School Ring of Honor during halftime of the October 19th football game.