Who was your Favorite Battalion Commander and/or Mentor? Why?

Only one. It's been 38 years and I remember him like yesterday. Finance major who was a "Sailor" to his profession, a gentle man with quick wit and razor sharp fangs for those who tried to Bravo Sierra him. What a fine man and sailor of the seas.

LTC David Patraeus, 3/187 Inf, 101st Abn (Air Assault). 91-93. Along with CSM Donald Purdy, they together built the most disciplined and well trained unit I ever served in. I knew I was in for something different when I reported in Dec 1991 and the sign hanging under the big red Torii in front of the Bn HQ read "IRON RAKKASANS, NOT FOR THE WEAK OR FAINT HEARTED", and under that read "MARCH OR DIE". Standards were everything, there was no question. Dude survived a gunshot wound to the chest on a live fire range and maxed the push-ups only months later. Not the most NCO friendly Bn Cdr I ever had, especially if you weren't tabbed, but he did push the unit to be the best and failure or sub-standard performance was never acceptable. You learn to appreciate that.

LTC (now MG) Paul Hurley. He was an amazing commander. He would talk to Soldiers and ask them what the issues in the Battalion were and then act on that. He also kept his promise not to leave anyone on the side of the road when we convoyed from Kuwait to Baghdad.