Posted 1:32 pm Monday, October 05, 2009
Henderson County DA May Be Deployed To Iraq
By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
ATHENS — He is the elected district attorney for Henderson County, but Scott McKee wears two hats and the other may see him deployed to Iraq for a stint early next year.
Staff Writer
ATHENS — He is the elected district attorney for Henderson County, but Scott McKee wears two hats and the other may see him deployed to Iraq for a stint early next year.
McKee confirmed information the Tyler Morning Telegraph received that he was facing deployment in Iraq.
He added he has no intentions on resigning as the county's top prosecutor and added he would leave his first assistant in charge of day to day operations.
“My unit, the 256th Brigade Combat Team, has been alerted to the possibility of a spring deployment but I believe if we are deployed we would only be out of the country for seven to nine months,” he said.
McKee defeated Donna Bennett in March 2008 and took office in January.
He has served in the military since 1987, when he joined the Army.
“I have been on active duty, served in the reserves and now I am in the National Guard,” he said.
The district attorney said he was stationed in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s and his last deployment was 13 years ago in Guantanamo Bay.
When asked if he had researched if other elected officials had retained their posts while deployed he said there were a state representative and another district attorney being deployed.
“I will stay in contact with my office via e-mail and telephone. I know it can be done and believe I would be back in the country by December of 2010,” he said.
He added, “Some people will look at this and think the DA shouldn't be going, but I am a member of the military and my number has come up and I will not use my position to get out of a deployment.”
McKee said he is aware the plans could change and his unit could be held in the states and not deployed.
“We're fighting a war on two fronts and they need troops. Right now we are scheduled to relieve another unit, but I've been in the military long enough to know things can change.”
“My unit, the 256th Brigade Combat Team, has been alerted to the possibility of a spring deployment but I believe if we are deployed we would only be out of the country for seven to nine months,” he said.
McKee defeated Donna Bennett in March 2008 and took office in January.
He has served in the military since 1987, when he joined the Army.
“I have been on active duty, served in the reserves and now I am in the National Guard,” he said.
The district attorney said he was stationed in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s and his last deployment was 13 years ago in Guantanamo Bay.
When asked if he had researched if other elected officials had retained their posts while deployed he said there were a state representative and another district attorney being deployed.
“I will stay in contact with my office via e-mail and telephone. I know it can be done and believe I would be back in the country by December of 2010,” he said.
He added, “Some people will look at this and think the DA shouldn't be going, but I am a member of the military and my number has come up and I will not use my position to get out of a deployment.”
McKee said he is aware the plans could change and his unit could be held in the states and not deployed.
“We're fighting a war on two fronts and they need troops. Right now we are scheduled to relieve another unit, but I've been in the military long enough to know things can change.”
