Watershed Paper

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Desert Storm

After shortly arriving to Fort Bliss I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant Dailey, D (2015) “the roles and responsibilities of the NCO have always been to lead, mentor and train soldiers while enforcing standards. The NCO Creed galvanizes the idea that NCOs are professional soldiers who are also members of a time-honored corps known as “the backbone of the Army” (pg. 27). I attended PLDC (Primary Leadership Development Course) where it was my first step in understanding the concept of becoming a leader and focusing on what my mentor SSG Jones always talked about, taking care of Soldiers.

Our organization had just returned from NTC (National Training Center) after 45 days in Mojave, California I was in need of vacation. After two weeks of vacation in California we were prepared to train up for hazardous cargo movement with the Air Force. That was cut short due to Desert Storm, Franks, F. & Fontenot, G. (2015) ” After some intense National Security Council meetings and consultations, Bush declared on Aug. 5, 1990, “This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait.” The result of this decisive response was a 38-nation international coalition, the largest military alliance since World War II” (pg. 43). Our organization was deployed on the 15th of August to an unknown area in the Middle East to provide air defense coverage in support of the first Gulf War.

The Beginning

Returning from Desert Storm, I was still a young Sergeant but attended the promotion board for the next rank and was immediately enrolled into the next school for non-commissioned officers. I was on standby when the list was officially released for NCOs to attend BNCOC (Basic Non-Commissioned Officer’s Course) and since the NCO on the primary list wasn’t able to attend, I filled his spot. As you can see, my career was moving and often referred to as “Fast Track”. I graduated with honors from BNCOC and was selected over my peers to attend numerous courses from Equal Opportunity, Hazardous Cargo, Master Fitness and a few others. This didn’t go to well with some of my peers but I focused and stayed on path to ensure I was moving forward to my next goal.

Not too long after graduating from BNCOC, the U.S. Army conducted a realignment into Air Defense MOS that were in support of Divisional Units, so they formed two new MOS and started combining some MOS within the branch as well. My MOS which was 16S were in the process of changing over to 14S, however, they only selected a few and all those who were selected to change over were automatically promoted to Staff Sergeant and of course this made our MOS over strength and many of us were unsure of the future.

The Chaos

Immediately after the Army decided to change our MOS and laterally promote some NCOs, our MOS suffered a long period where the cut off points were maxed out due to the realignment. This caused a lot of frustrations within our branch and many quality leaders depart the branch and even retired early. Today, the Army is on an 800 point system and the requirements are listed according Department of the Army (DA) Promotion Point Cutoff Scores for 1 March 2016 and Junior Enlisted Issues for the Active Army (AA) for this month. The old system was on a 1000 point system and because of the realignment for my MOS, many of us didn’t get promoted.

I witnessed a lot of my peers from other Air Defense MOS get promoted and move up in rank while we suffered and our moral was at an all-time low. At one point, I had lost interest in the Army and I had no motivation to move up. I had completed all my required military courses, correspondence course and even took college courses but my points just didn’t drop. After ten years in the service I was ready to exit the army until I met SGM Elzie, he was our Operations SGM and he was my second mentor that pushed me to change my MOS from 14S to 14T, basically moving from SHORAD (Short Range Air Defense) to Patriot Missile and the outcome was amazing. He mentored me, guided me on the right path and showed me my first career path map, basically a map of your career, if you follow these step you would be successful.

The (BEST) Ending

Patriot Missiles were deployed to the Middle East in the first Gulf War and have been in the area ever since. I was on a deployment to Kuwait, when I finally got promoted to Staff Sergeant, it took me almost 9 years to go from Sergeant to Staff Sergeant. I had gained my motivation and realized that I can make it, I returned back from deployment only to find out that I was selected to take over a platoon sergeant position over numerous senior Staff Sergeants to include a few Sergeant First Class in another battalion within the same brigade. Many of my peers at this time, knew me from the past and were witnesses of what had happened to me because of the Army’s decision to realign our MOS.

Immediately my career changed, I was again deployed to Kuwait when I was selected in the primary zone for Sergeant First Class and was immediately assigned to the NCOA (Non-Commissioned Officers Academy) upon return where I was the “Instructor of the Year” for FORSCOM (Forces Command) and inducted into the SAMC (Sergeant Audie Murphy Club) and became the president of the club and again was promoted in the primary zone to Master Sergeant. I was again deployed but this time it was to Korea where we deployed as a Battalion to support the transition of the air defense structured in the Pacific Rim. Upon completion of that tour, I was selected by the Division Command Sergeant Major to be the Division Headquarters First Sergeant. I was the youngest Division First Sergeant and later was selected in the primary zone for attendance to the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy Class #59 and later was appointed to the distinguished rank of Command Sergeant Major.

I am grateful to have gone through this and as I sit back and reflect on the past, I understand this process even more. Bridges, W. (2014) “Endings and beginnings, with emptiness and germination in between. That basic shape is so essential to growth that we must learn to recognize it in our lives” (pg. 175). I have gained a lot about my situation, first, I have to have faith that all things will be possible if I have a plan and believe in it. Second, is trust yourself, ensure you do your homework or research the reason for changes in your organization and trust that you can accomplish your goals. Last but not least, don’t give up. Never let changes affect you permanently, especially if you disagree, fight through it and humble yourself to find a solution or plan of action.