I remember a challenge by my first squad leader. He asked me, “Which squad is the best squad in this unit?”
I was confused. I was brand new, I really didn’t know what to say.
I was a private in the 82nd Airborne Division. I was a young trooper stepping into a legacy that few can fathom. I looked at the three other squads in my platoon. About that time, I heard "Cold Steel, Prepare to Move Forward", bellow from across the way as another entire other unit sounded off. I was in Bravo, they were our rivals, along with two other entire units.
I said, “I’m not sure Sergeant, I haven’t even been here a week?”
He said, “Well, if you had to look around and pick, what would you say?”
I didn’t really answer then.
Now looking back, that challenge made me really think about being the best. I really spent countless hours of diligent study and work to make it happen. If I was a part of it, the standard was met. I had brothers like Maggott, and Burnley. Leaders like Rogers and Stout. I had Soldiers like Evans and Bibb. We all love Bibb. Evans is leading our branch.
I really think that our unit Table XIIing in Korea might be the highlight of it all. I loved my PATRIOT Battery. We were the best, we proved it. We proved it by doing it first, and that is because our leaders led us there.
At the end of the day, looking at my little awards both for personal stuff but all the firing out parties and missile shots. I took it upon myself to know that “My Squad was the Best”
AUDACIA, Cattlemans, Range 40 and Sea Range shoots! Herndon what a shot you made, shoot on the move with the Avenger. Our squad won, we beat the rest of the battery running away. Of course, Mills and Adams came in second to Herndon and I........ We are are best because I make us the best, its the way it has to be!