Posted on Sep 4, 2014
Most Humbling, Proud, Embarrassing, or Memorable Experience.
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My most humbling experience in my Army Career has been when I transferred from the Iowa National Guard to Active Duty Service following my commission. I started as an E-1 and progressed to an E-5 in the National Guard. I was than reassigned from Team Leader to Platoon Leader in the longstanding absence of a Lieutenant. My commander assigned me this task because of my knowledge of Engineer Doctrine and my potential to be an Officer.
It was a very strange experience at first and it was even stranger to those outside of our unit. I was an E-5 now giving orders to an E-7 and to my previous Squad Leaders. Through hard work, dedication, professionalism, and competence I quickly earned their trust and respect. I always listened to my NCO’s first, sought their advice, and then made the decisions for the platoon.
I had my share of embarrassing experiences as well, as I further developed my leadership skills and adjusted to being an officer. My First Sergeant, who took a very strong interest in my development, always challenged me. He was very relentless and always the first to address my mistakes. In hindsight he was one of my greatest mentors.
During my final drill in the National Guard my First Sergeant had me post at the front of the Company formation. He then spoke of my accomplishments, my dedication to the company, and of my development from an E-1 to E-5 and finally to an O-1. I was presented with an Army Achievement Medal and the entire company saluted me. Then everyone lined, shook my hand, and wished me luck in Active Duty. It was a very humbling experience to have the respect and admiration of all the NCO’s and soldiers in the unit. I was even to better to have earned the respect and admiration of my First Sergeant, who had challenged, mentored, and developed me into the leader I am today.
It was a very strange experience at first and it was even stranger to those outside of our unit. I was an E-5 now giving orders to an E-7 and to my previous Squad Leaders. Through hard work, dedication, professionalism, and competence I quickly earned their trust and respect. I always listened to my NCO’s first, sought their advice, and then made the decisions for the platoon.
I had my share of embarrassing experiences as well, as I further developed my leadership skills and adjusted to being an officer. My First Sergeant, who took a very strong interest in my development, always challenged me. He was very relentless and always the first to address my mistakes. In hindsight he was one of my greatest mentors.
During my final drill in the National Guard my First Sergeant had me post at the front of the Company formation. He then spoke of my accomplishments, my dedication to the company, and of my development from an E-1 to E-5 and finally to an O-1. I was presented with an Army Achievement Medal and the entire company saluted me. Then everyone lined, shook my hand, and wished me luck in Active Duty. It was a very humbling experience to have the respect and admiration of all the NCO’s and soldiers in the unit. I was even to better to have earned the respect and admiration of my First Sergeant, who had challenged, mentored, and developed me into the leader I am today.
Memories
Experience
Leadership
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 14
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Not humbling, Marines don't deal in humble,:), but certainly one of the most memorable. One night in VN I was the duty medevac pilot. At about 2300 we got an emergency mission and launched to recover a Marine who had been wounded when the village they were assigned to as a Civil Action Team was overrun. The ville was about 15 minutes away, but as soon as we lifted off the runway in Danang, we could see it burning in the distance. By the time we got overhead, the number of casualties had increased to 3. The Marines had consolidated in a defensive position on a one lane wooden bridge that was about 150 to 250 feet long. They had the wounded men on the bridge. On our first approach we got shot out of the zone by heavy small arms, machine gun and mortar fire, but made an immediate go around and made the pick up. By the time we cleared the zone, we started receiving additional missions to pick up Marines, Popular Forces and civilian casualties from the same site. Long story short, we ended up making 5 trips back to the same bridge and evacuated over 100 people by the time the night was over and the crews relieving us took the mission.
Of course, that night sticks in my mind, but the most unforgettable portion takes a little time. We had filled all the hospital beds in DaNang on the first four pick ups and ended took our last load of casualties to the hospital ship in DaNang harbor (I believe it was the Repose). Sitting on the ship's pad, I saw one of my gunners carrying a Vietnamese infant over to a group of sailors standing by the pad. He handed the baby to one of the sailors and got back aboard my aircraft.
Fast forward about 8 years. I flew a TA4 out of New Orleans to NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach. We had been invited to dinner at a Navy officer's home in the area and had a great evening. Over coffee, we started talking about our VN experiences and established that our host had been there during the same period I was there. He mentioned his most memorable experience had been as a surgeon aboard the Repose. He had heard there was a big battle and a helicopter was inbound with casualties, so he went up to the flight deck to see what was going on. While standing there, a crewman from the helicopter came out and handed him an infant that had been burned during the battle.
Of course, that night sticks in my mind, but the most unforgettable portion takes a little time. We had filled all the hospital beds in DaNang on the first four pick ups and ended took our last load of casualties to the hospital ship in DaNang harbor (I believe it was the Repose). Sitting on the ship's pad, I saw one of my gunners carrying a Vietnamese infant over to a group of sailors standing by the pad. He handed the baby to one of the sailors and got back aboard my aircraft.
Fast forward about 8 years. I flew a TA4 out of New Orleans to NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach. We had been invited to dinner at a Navy officer's home in the area and had a great evening. Over coffee, we started talking about our VN experiences and established that our host had been there during the same period I was there. He mentioned his most memorable experience had been as a surgeon aboard the Repose. He had heard there was a big battle and a helicopter was inbound with casualties, so he went up to the flight deck to see what was going on. While standing there, a crewman from the helicopter came out and handed him an infant that had been burned during the battle.
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Memorable Experience - Working at the US Embassy in Cairo during the 2013 revolution. To stand at the balcony outside the Ambassador's floor and feel the country's energy. That I will never forget.
Proud - I'm just proud to serve.
Humbling - Serving as Cadre for a WTB. "Improving the lives of every Soldier"
Embarrassing - I have some many but I'll throw a tanker one. So there I was... on my tank in Korea. My brilliant plan of platoon maneuver so we would not be seen (despite the really loud engine) was to follow the river which was shallow.
Well, not shallow everywhere. All the sudden there was a fall like an air pocket when in commercial flights. Since we were on Open-Protected I could not stick my head out. I looked through the 50 Cal sight and noticed a lot of water splashing. At the same time my gunner stops scanning on his gunner's sight and said to me, "LT... am... we are under water"
I ask the driver, "Driver! are you good?" All I hear is "mm... mmm... MMMM!!!" I told him slow down and hard right.
We came out, all is fine and the engine did not choke. There was no way to tell how deep we were. Fast forward to recovery after the field exercise. The Driver, Loader and Gunner are smiling and they ask me if I knew how deep we were under water. Of course I don't.
So they show me the pre-cleaner and there is fish in it. In fact 3. We all got some good laughs from it.
My go away plac reads "FRAGO: Dive! Dive! Dive!"
Proud - I'm just proud to serve.
Humbling - Serving as Cadre for a WTB. "Improving the lives of every Soldier"
Embarrassing - I have some many but I'll throw a tanker one. So there I was... on my tank in Korea. My brilliant plan of platoon maneuver so we would not be seen (despite the really loud engine) was to follow the river which was shallow.
Well, not shallow everywhere. All the sudden there was a fall like an air pocket when in commercial flights. Since we were on Open-Protected I could not stick my head out. I looked through the 50 Cal sight and noticed a lot of water splashing. At the same time my gunner stops scanning on his gunner's sight and said to me, "LT... am... we are under water"
I ask the driver, "Driver! are you good?" All I hear is "mm... mmm... MMMM!!!" I told him slow down and hard right.
We came out, all is fine and the engine did not choke. There was no way to tell how deep we were. Fast forward to recovery after the field exercise. The Driver, Loader and Gunner are smiling and they ask me if I knew how deep we were under water. Of course I don't.
So they show me the pre-cleaner and there is fish in it. In fact 3. We all got some good laughs from it.
My go away plac reads "FRAGO: Dive! Dive! Dive!"
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Flying the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Dan Rather from 60 Minutes for a segment being filmed at Ft. Campbell. As I started the helicopter, I thought to myself, "Lord, don't let me screw this up because everyone in the world would see it."
As a Task Force Standardization Officer, bringing all or our troops home safely without a single aviation accident. The first Task Force to accomplish that feat in the 8 years that the rotations had been happening.
Having my Mom and Dad in the audience as I graduated from Flight School.
As a Company Standardizations Officer, watching all of our company pilots perform combat operations without being watched-over like a hawk, thusly being able to bring everyone home safe and sound.
As a Task Force Standardization Officer, bringing all or our troops home safely without a single aviation accident. The first Task Force to accomplish that feat in the 8 years that the rotations had been happening.
Having my Mom and Dad in the audience as I graduated from Flight School.
As a Company Standardizations Officer, watching all of our company pilots perform combat operations without being watched-over like a hawk, thusly being able to bring everyone home safe and sound.
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