Ceremony held for Incoming First Sergeant Tamara Tatum of Ferris

FORT HOOD – On Dec. 17, 2019, Sergeant First Class Tamara Tatum was promoted to Incoming First Sergeant at a ceremony at Fort Hood, Texas.

She was born in Dallas, Texas, and enlisted in the US Army on Oct. 2, 1997 as a Food Service Specialist in the Army Reserves. 

She joined active duty June 16, 2001. 

Tatum’s assignments include HHC 553D CSSB as the Hwy Operations Sergeant, HHC 553D CSSB, Fort Hood, Texas, HHC 498th CSSB at Camp Carroll, South Korea as the Operations Sergeant, HHC, 1SB at Fort Bliss, Texas as the SPO DIB and Mobility NCOIC, 337th Transportation Company, Fort Bliss, Texas as a Platoon Sergeant, Charlie Company 58th Trans at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri as an AlT Platoon Sergeant. 

SFC Tatum’s awards and decorations include; five Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, Good Conduct Medal w/five knots, National Defense Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with a numeral three device, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Ribbon. 

SFC Tatum’s education includes: Warrior Leaders Course, ALC with Commandants List, Unit Movement Officer Course, Master Driver Trainer, EO Leaders Course, TC-AlMS Movement I and II, SLC as Distinguished Honor Graduate, Hazmat, Master Resilience Course, Basic Instructor Training, Battle Staff, and Commander and First Sergeants Pre-Command Course. Civilian Education includes: Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Trident University, Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Columbia Southern University, Black Belt Six Sigma Certification from Villanova University. 

SFC Tatum’s professional future aspiration is to become a Guidance Counselor at a Title I Middle School after retirement from the Army. 

She is married to SFC (P) Wilson Dexter Harris, Jr. and has six children. She is the daughter of Roger and Laverne Tatum of Ferris, and graduated from Ferris High School in 1998.

Her deceased grandparents, Nathaniel and Ella King, were both from Ferris, while Rovelia Tatum, deceased, and Roger Tatum were from Fairfield.