Why I Came Back: Reason 4

When I think about what drove me to come back here there are several things that come to mind but number four is a driving force for coming back and for most everything I’ve been able to do over the last 19 years.  Even when I’m in the zone, this single consideration is always at the fore of my mind.

Reason Number 4:  The Team

The early years it was about the guy or gal next to me, my peers.  We shared experiences that most young kids would only dream about.  For crying out loud, I went to Normandy with a slew of paratroopers for the 50^th Anniversary of D-Day.  I’d never seen so many vets in my life, guys who actually jumped on the cold June night.  That trip showed me that the team was so much bigger and even with 50 years between us a Paratrooper is a Paratrooper.  That was without a doubt one incredible experience, to see the drop zones, the beaches and speak with so many Medal of Honor recipients.  I am still humbled.

That legacy and the history lesson I began at Fort Bragg in 1993 continues today.  Most of those Soldiers from the early days have gone on to other things every so often I run into one.  The first crossroad came  while I was stationed in Germany.  It seemed simple, my initial contract was coming up and I was sticking to the original plan, four years and out.  The problem was I couldn’t let go because there was more to do, more to see, and more people to meet.  I’d never had such incredible peers and leaders and I wanted an opportunity to pass on to others what had been given to me.  I reenlisted, made sergeant and moved back to Fort Bragg to learn to lead from some of the best in our Army.

You make mistakes when you’re cutting your teeth but when you have Soldiers you can never stop trying.  It’s those early guys; Vonsick, Pierce, West, Price, Morrison, and so many others who still drive me to learn.  Each new assignment brings a new crew and new challenges.  In Iraq I learned so much about how important a role player is on a team and that sometimes the best way to lead is to follow.  Rhodes, Donnolly, Rainsford, Nihill and Marshall were the folks I could always count on to keep me going and make me try harder because every piece of the puzzle counts and you don’t want to show up without your piece.  Last year it was Counts, McCabe, Bocanegra, Wilt, Bailey and Campbell…we even adopted a Bettencourt and a Sherman.  They taught me how critical it is to give everyone a role and then to step back and let them perform, and they were awesome! 

It’s a new team now with new faces and new roles.  Every day we face challenges but I know I can count on each and every member of the team to do their part.  It’s motivating and nowhere on this earth are you going to find this kind of culture.  True, there are days that give you headaches and many where you miss your family like mad and you wonder what you’re doing half a world away, but the team keeps you going.  The people you have a chance to influence for the better, to help through a rough spot, to share some tough times and good laughs are what draw you to and keep you in the fight and they are a big reason I chose to come back.