What propelled you towards military service? When did you join, which branch, which duty position(s)?
Every male in my family has served since the American Revolution. The largest influence was my grandfather who served as a pilot in the China-Burma-India theater flying the Hump. I would listen to his stories of sacrifice as a young kid and it sparked a desire to write my own story.
I also had a voracious appetite for history. I would read about the American Revolution and the heroes in South Carolina like Francis Marion and Thomas Sumpter.
I initially was going to join the Marine Corps but at the time I had a family friend that was serving in 3rd Ranger Battalion. He pulled me aside one day and talked me out of the Marines and into an option 40 contract.
I found Basic training not very challenging, Airborne school was a fun vacation. When I arrived at the RIP detachment my life abruptly changed dramatically. The cadre was future legends of the Regiment and all were profoundly hard men.
I served in the US Army from 22 july 1986 to Aug 2011.
2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment (Rifleman to Squad leader) 1986-1991
Ranger Training Detachment, 75th Ranger Regiment RIP (Squad Leader / Platoon Sgt) 1991-1994
75th Ranger Regt. S-2 Section. (Platoon Sgt)1994-1996
Fco 51st Infantry (Long Range Surveillance Company) 525th Military Intelligence Battalion (Platoon Sgt)1996-1999
Cco 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, TRADOC (Senior Drill Sgt) 1999-2001
Aco 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division (1st Sergeant) 2001-2004
Cco 3rd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, TRADOC (1st Sergeant / Command Sergeants Major)2005-2006
1st Training Brigade, Ft Jackson, TRADOC (Operations Sergeants Major)2006
Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan (Afghan Army Development Sergeants major)2007-2008
2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. (Command Sergeants Major)2008-2010
Tell us a bit about your military service, positions served, moving up through the ranks, deployments, memorable moments.
I served in Operation Just cause with 2/75. As a Sergeant it was the most developmental time in my career. The work up and jump into Rio Hato DZ is what made me a career soldier. It was to my life what Teddy Roosevelt referred to as his “crowded hour”. Everything I had worked for to that point culminated in that mission and set me on a path to a career. I realized at that point that I was a soldier.
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom with 3/504 (1SG Aco and HHC) under LTC Clarke, now General (ret.) Clarke of SOCOM after what felt like a time in purgatory as a drill sergeant. I was handed a company in the 82nd as a 1SG…it was almost a film plot. The company was recovering from a horrible deployment to Kosovo and I was told to “fix it” and by the time it was over the company was the Division main effort of Shkin fire base in Afghanistan.
I will always cherish my time as 1SG. It is truly the most magical time I experienced in the army other than being a machine gunner in 2/75.
Then it was Operation Enduring Freedom with Combined security transition command-Afghanistan as the Afghan army development SGM and mentor to the ANA SMA. This was a blind side assignment. I was waiting for my orders for the SGM Academy when I was hit with orders to be on a MTT team. No one could tell us for where though. We trained for a month to go the Iraq with cultural and language trading classes not to find out we would be going to Afghanistan. I was trained to going to work with an Afghan BDE CSM but once I got the ground in Afghanistan I was snatched up by my old CSM. He pulled me up to CSTC-A (combined security transition command - Afghanistan) when I was assigned as the Afghan army development SGM and a mentor to the SMA of the Afghan army.
Operation Enduring Freedom as CSM of 2/508 in the Arghandab after returning from my tour in 2007 I was assigned to 2bn 508 PIR in the 82nd Abn Div as the CSM. We deployed to back the Afghanistan in 2009 into the surge.
2/508 deployed in an “advise and assist” battalion but in short order we were retained with taking and holding the Arghandab valley. It became a meat grinder where the men and women of 2/508 took it on the chin but they in the end took and held the valley where a Soviet motorized rifle regiment could not.
When did you transition out of military and why?
In August of 2011 I retired after 25 years of service.
What did you transition to in the private sector (or continued governmental service) and what were the biggest challenges you faced in doing so?
I was lost due to a lack of planning. I did several jobs but now I mostly work in the film industry as a props master/military advisor. I utilized my hobby as a reenactor. I heard that a show called “Turn Washington’s spies” was looking for an advisor for historical artillery. I got the job. That job parleyed into being a military historical advisor for the next 4 seasons.
What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to a veteran currently transitioning from military service?
Have a solid plan and know it’s gonna get fucked up.