Brother Lloyd Boxley was initiated into Omega Psi Phi on February 25, 1982 on the campus of Hampton Institute (University). He was #2 on Hotline 13 and his line name was Dracula. Those were the fun days for Brother Boxley; he managed to make it through Hampton and in 1984 earned a BS in Marketing. He also earned a commission in the United States Army where unbeknownst to him would be his career for the next 22 years. One of the gloomiest days of 1984 was when Brother Boxley was told he was assigned to the Armor Branch and Brother Tony Reyes was told he had Field Artillery. Both choices were part of the mandatory combat arms choices they had to select and definitely not at the top of their desires. Brother Boxley switched specialties to Quartermaster and ended his career as a Force Management Specialist.
Brother Boxley trekked around the globe assigned to areas which he never imagined he would visit. One recollection was when he drove from his home in Bowling Green, Virginia to Fort Knox, KY and had to stop in West Virginia for gas. He recalls driving miles off the interstate in a Chevrolet Chevette into a town and not seeing a black person anywhere. Not having enough gas to find another station closer to the interstate, Bro Boxley contemplated whether to turn the car off while pumping the fuel. Having been sheltered around primarily African Americans for the past four years and now being thrust in an environment where he was the minority turned out to be somewhat difficult at first for Brother Boxley. Needless to say he survived.
Brother Boxley’s military career took him through assignments at Fort Knox (where he attended a frat meeting where David Doctor was the Basileus); Mannheim, Germany; Fort Lee; Fort Campbell; Norfolk State ROTC; Camp Humphreys, Korea; Fort Bragg; Washington, DC; and culminated in August 2006 at Fort Monroe, VA. He was active in Omega throughout his career meeting some great men of Omega. He remembers some key brothers in his life from Brother Tim Lamb who let him share his house at Fort Campbell, Brother Tracy Whitehurst who marched with him in the final 12 mile road march at Air Assault School, Brother Reid who was his Sergeant Airborne, and in addition to his GE Brothers, Brothers Antonio Coleman and Willie Haigler became lifelong friends. There are too many others to mention who have shaped Brother Boxley’s life in one way or another.
Brother Boxley has been active contributing to Omega. He chaired countless committees, however held his first office while the Vice Basileus at Kappa Iota Iota (KII) in 2005. Brother Boxley assumed the duties as Basileus mid-way through Que Year 2005-06 and held that position for two and one half years consecutively. During that time KII became a regular in the 3d District newsletter having at least one article in virtually every edition, became a winning force at the 3d District level with multiple brothers walking away with District awards, and the Chapter being the 3d District Social Action Chapter of the Year two years in a row. While Basileus, Brother Boxley represented KII and received the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, International Social Action Chapter of the Year award for Que Year 2005-06 at the 75th Grand Conclave.
After retirement, Brother Boxley still works for the Department of Defense and settled in Chesapeake, VA with his wife Anne and children Lianne and Christian. His loves are being the taxi cab for his kids to their events, continuing to take care of his mother in Bowling Green, maintaining his father’s tradition of a huge garden, and just relaxing. After 28 years of active service, Omega Psi Phi continues to be a large part in Brother Boxley’s life with all of the friendships he’s made over the years and those that he has yet to make. Brother Boxley said the older you get, the more you realize that Friendship is Essential to the Soul.