First Sergeant

Amsterdam. However I never pursued it completely to see where it would bring me to. In 2011, I decided to join the Army to get a firsthand experience and said to myself if I don't like it, I could always get out after my first initial contract. Meanwhile I have reenlisted twice after my first contract and by the end of this contract I would be close to 7 years of service in the Army. Beside the responsibility that I felt as an American, I also saw the military as a great career and so far I have…

a reserve army to the frontline 12th Army after the Germans began their advance on Kiev. I commanded the six squad members in the vehicle (Stanislav, Ivanov, Pyotr, Leonid, Sergey, Alexei) since I was the rank of Senior Sergeant, the highest rank in the regiment. Junior Sergeant Stanislav Emelyanov, or “Stan” as I called him, was my second-in-command and a dear friend to me during my time in the Red Army. Sergey and Alexei were both Corporals and were amazing marksmen when I watched them…

When I first wanted to join AROTC I thought it was just about being an Army soldier while in school. I actually didn’t know what to expect or what I was getting myself into I was a clean sleight. I had no idea that AROTC was dealing with being an officer and all the roles officers played. Once enrolling I started thinking the words “Army Officer” meant nothing but paper and desk work. Later to find out that the words “Army Officer” has a much deeper passionate meaning than I thought. Over the…

varied expectations were the result of not knowing the exact format of the new CLC. The class of 2015 faced an entirely different CLC than seniors before us. Cadet Command implemented several new changes. We were not sure what we would be facing. At first, it was difficult to acclimate to the new changes. I believe my classmates and I were slightly baffled. Up until the beginning of our junior year, we had been training for the old ways of summer training. Confusion ensued when Cadre were…

and graceful. Instead of making it easier for herself, she insures it’s easier for all her soldiers and keeps us all calm. 1SG Grant has taught me how to be interdependent, to develop emotional intelligence, and accepting personal responsibility. My first day at my unit, I felt a little out of place, as anyone would. I didn’t know who were my superiors yet, which concluded to me being lost for most of the day. There were only a few faces I recognized from my future soldier days, but I didn 't…

instill the same values in my Soldiers that MSG Howard instilled in me. I expect excellence and drive my Soldiers to that same ideal. I force myself to let go and allow my Soldiers to lead and grow all because of the lessons I learned as a young sergeant. I want my Soldiers to remember me as that NCO with the drive and ambition that led him to become an expert in his field. An NCO that wasn’t afraid to let go of the reigns and let his Soldiers have the opportunity to become that same leader.…

When people look at the U.S. Army, civilians often view soldiers as the same because they are usually unable to differentiate between ranks or positions of their authority. Nearly all people understand that there is a difference between a soldier and a leader, but they don’t know the Army has several types of leaders within its ranks and maintains an official chain of command. John C. Maxwell, a leadership expert, speaker, and author once said “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way,…

a young man or women become a soldier. Enabling them to get a free college education, job training and experience. The ability to work in the community help out school age children with bullying, and feeding the homeless. As a Recruiter and First Sergeant my duty description according to Army Writer is “Serve as the Army’s Ambassador within the community, recruits, determines applicant enlistment eligibility, counsels applicants on enlistment programs and options, prepares enlistment…

The Army Counterintelligence field first began in 1942 as the Army Counter Intelligence Corps. Army CI has undergone many changes in the last 74 years since then. Some of the time, changes were made with the intention of furthering the successes of Army CI. Other times, changes were made to prevent shortfalls that were identified through previous failures. All in all, there are many things right with the Army CI and there are many things wrong. My intention is to identify one of the…

When entering the military young men are often looking for themselves; unsure and confused. While in the military young men learn discipline and integrity, this help figure out their manhood. When they leave the military they are able to apply their teachings to real life situations. In the novel Devil in the Blue Dress by Walter Mosley, Ezekiel Easy Rawlins does just that. Easy enlisted for the military to go fight in World War II hoping to find who he is and what he wants. After the war his…