What Was Your Best Experience With a Superior While Serving? Share and Be Entered to Win!

It was Oct 1980. I had been at my first Station for maybe 2 weeks. The NCOIC of the Clinic, MSgt Dube' took me to a lunch meeting and we just sat and talked. He asked why I enlisted, why the I chose the Medical Field and what were my goals while serving. Then just chatted about anything that came to mind for the whole hour or so. It impressed me so much, that for the next 20 years ever time I had a new member arrive I always made time to sit with them and chat as a friend before I set into the role as Supervisor.

My best experience with a superior was with. My First sergeant at the first duty assignment after returning from Vietnam. We had heart to heart conversations on subjects like if we believed in killing.Neither of us did. For instance, I asked him why he was in the Army. He said “I’ve got 17 years in and retire in 3.” I said “I’ve got 3 years in and want out.” He helped me get a discharge.

As a Sergeant of United States Marines Serving as Staff of the Inspector Instructor, 4th Landing Support Battalion, San Jose. California I was tasked as the Administrative support to The Inspector Instructor as well as handling the reservist we as active duty members were supporting. The exercise was Turbo Intermodal Surge which entailed the complete offload of an MPS (Maritime Prepositioning Ship) from BIC, Blount Island Command, the Active Duty Cadre consisted of a Major, a Captain (USMC O3) one Gunnery Sergeant, one Navy Corpsman Hospital Corpsman Second Class (With Fleet Marine Force Designation and me a Sergeant of United States Marines. My Major now a Lieutenant Colonel head through the active duty grapevine that my birthday was during the offload of the MPS and during the exercise, I attempted to keep it as quiet and under wraps as possible as not to interfere with the exercise, but to no avail. Major Katz was dead set on doing it nice, he ordered a cake be made from the Hotel we were staying (Holiday Inn) Airport Jacksonville, Florida, and tasked the Gunny; Gunnery Sergeant McDougal to get the festivities on! We were a tight bunch as Active duty Inspector Cadre and once all of the Birthday Logistics were completed Major Katz (Who as an Inspector Instruction in the Marine Corps is equivalent to the Commanding Officer) actually he over-sees the Reservist Commanding Officer, he and the Gunny cornered me in the corridor on my way to work on the Green Machine (the Computer in which we input data to get Token Payments for the Reservists) Gunny told me, "Sergeant Mendez, you are in deep $hit, for not reporting to the duty that this is in fact the day you were born on many moons ago" - I told the Gunny that I didn't want to interfere with operations on Turbo Intermodal Surge, but to no avail, Major Katz had a cheese eating grin on his face and said "Mendez you just gave me an excuse to grant some liberty for the Active Duty Cadre" I was bright eyed at this point, Major Katz said "well its your day there Mendez, what do you want to do, go high speed and low drag and end up eating the worm, or more relaxed like eating oysters at Hooters after a good meal of BBQ Ribs, Pulled Pork, Sweet Tea, at Bonos" , I opted for the latter as long as there were some cold beers to go with the festivities we all had a blast at dinner, stopped at Hooters for a few hours and ended up in San Augustine and finally in Daytona, it was a very memorable birthday for me, and Major Katz and Gunny McDougle went WAY, Way above and beyond the call of duty to take care of one of their own Marines on his birthday, I felt Loved and appreciated I did not expect a Commissioned Officer to really go so far out of his way to insure that one of his had a memorable birthday Gunny Mac also made a lot of Major Katz' request come to fruition. This was a textbook example of what exactly sets the Marine Corps apart form the other Services, Marines are and always will be a Band of Brothers and Sisters who above and with some exception rank has it's privilege's but we all wear the same exact uniform we are all from 4 Star General to the boot Private honored and privilegiad to say we are Marines first and foremost. To Lieutenant Colonel Jon Katz, sir I learned how to treat both superiors and subordinates form your tutelage. Thank you and Semper Fi !

I was drafted 3/4/64, I was a month away from 22,. my college credits dropped below 9. I was Hon. discharged 3/3/66. Fort Hood armored infantry, I made E4T in 10 months. I saw all the combat officers charge to Viet Nam. I maintained radios for 13 M113 APCs, 3 jeeps, and a 1/4 ton truck. My field position, and we war gamed a lot, was with the CO. Battalion strength start 400+ discharge about 125, Nam was ramping up. My CO Captain, and XO 1st Lt, were both from supply. The XO tried to march us like he tried to immatate a southern DI who had a very very very.... bad night, he was told by the Coronal never to march soldiers under his command. The XO signed out my 1/4 ton truck and got lost, we found him. The Coronal told me never give him a vehicle. The XO ordered me to give him the truck, several times to this E4, who said no. He got loud. I told him to call the Coronal.

When I first got to base, Petty Officer G.... took a shining to me and made me temporarily in charge of the group I came over with to the squadron. He instilled in me the confidence and drive to get me through my time there.
For the next year and half before he retired, his care and open ear was there when I needed it. i remember one time, I felt alone and isolated from my fellow sailors, he assured me that I wasn't alone and I will find my support out there someday. I miss him, wherever he is.

Being treated like a TEAM member and encouraged to find improvements. Be it, when I was stationed at Ft. Greely, 88M, and designed a better way to store and have better access for the spare tires. Later, when I was 91B in Honolulu at Tripler Army Medical Center, I was invited to do Physician Grand Rounds on Diabetes, that was so awesome. Then US Army MEDDAC Heidelberg Germany, I was able to teach a better triage for children. There were no screaming kids in the ER, even when one needed stiches in the toe, we put a sheet across, numbed the area up needle free, then the kid asked when were we starting, and to tell kid that we were finished. Getting my Advanced Cardiac Support at Travis Air Force base and being the only enlisted soldier there. And a Physician Assistant taught me how to suture. There were so many special moments, I could write a book. I have been totally blessed by good Leadership and I passed this on to my fellow soldiers. The only serious complaint was Military Sexual Trauma, and at that time I was not taken seriously by my NCOIC at the Motor Pool, otherwise very good leadership. I have learned to be there my troops and not barking orders. Bottom line care for your fellow soldiers and be part of a solution. Because of this I was a better supervisor in my civilian life. I think every civilian in a supervisory position should take NCO Leadership courses, learning how to build a team, better communication and overall appreciation. And I surely miss being in the Military.

When I was on my first rotation to south Korea, I participated in a spur ride. I was apart of a field artillery unit, 1st Cav. The spur ride consisted of ruck marching, the gas chamber, obstacle courses, crawling under barbed wire, just to name a few activities. My SSGT volunteered me to participate in the spur ride and I couldn't have been more shocked. I did not think that I could possibly finish it. I didn't believe in myself. I did not believe I was strong enough. I refused to speak my SSGT for days. I felt she was abusing her superiority.
There's an option to quit the spur ride at any moment, and everyone actually thought I wasn't going to complete it, because they too did not believe I was tough enough. That's when I knew I had to complete the 26 hour nonstop event. I pushed through every activity of the spur ride, marched over 46,000 feet, completed land navigation and battled ankle fatigued.
Once we finished the spur ride, it was the next day, my team was tired, sweaty, dirty and ready for some food and rest.
I found my SSGT later the next day, I told her thank you for volunteering me for it and that it gave me the greatest sense of confidence. Two other soldiers in my unit who participated in the spur ride quit midway and they were teased about it the rest of rotation. I had a sense of pride ever since that day. That SSGT became my favorite NCO. We are still in touch till this day. She reminds me of the spur ride everytime I feel down and depressed about myself. She was, and still is the best part of my military career.

I was a young dumb butterbar who had just rented a house that was a piece of junk and my husband was deployed. My refrigerator was broken in the rental so I asked my OIC for permission to meet the repairman back at the rental (for which I had to pay out of pocket). She completely surprised me by offering her husband’s repair services instead, called him right then and there, and she drove me to my house to meet him there and fix my fridge for free! I’ve never had a boss like that again, one who takes care of their own both on and off duty. If you see this Col Katherine Lowry, thank you!!

One of my first nights in Germany at my first assignment as the company Radio Repairman., I was taken to town by some of the guys in my platoon. Drank to much and as soon as I hit my bunk, I had to jump up and run to the latrine. I started throwing up as soon as I left our room and continued to do so all the way to the latrine. Our Platoon Sgt. had a room directly across from there. When I had finished in the latrine, the Sgt. was waiting for me in the hall holding a mop and bucket and laughing his butt off. I recall that memory quite often when I am walking down a long hallway.

My best experience was being led by a tank commander who knew how to keep his teenage crew in line and having a platoon leaders who were always up front, leading us into battle. I spent eighteen months in Vietnam with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and I think it was undoubtedly the best combat unit in Vietnam.