Personal Narrative: My Army Career
My army career was right on track. I had been in the 3 years at this point, coming up on 4, and already had completed air assault school, been awarded my expert infantry badge, and had one 15 month deployment under my belt. I was assigned to the scout platoon sniper section and was waiting for a sniper school packet to get final approval from the company commander. I had been studying for the sergeant promotion board for months. I knew that study guide like the back of my hand, I knew whatever question I was asked by the Command Sergeant Major I would have an answer for. I went to the promotion board that morning and blew it out of the water. My dress uniform was perfect. No one was able to find a single deficiency. The Soldiers Creed and the
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As soon as I walked in, he ripped my corporal rank of my chest, threw it on the ground, and proceeded to give me the worst ass chewing of my life. I felt less than a man by the time he was done with me. Afterwards, I moped around for a day or two. Dragging my feet and not really caring about anything anymore. I had lost my sniper team, my promotion, and my promotable status. All because I had to go out and think that I was too good to get help from anyone. All the good that I had done up to that point was completely forgotten. I was just another shit bag as far as my Chain of Command was concerned. But then I realized something. All they did was demote me. All they did was take my section. That was it. I wasn’t being kicked out of the army. I wasn’t getting busted down to private. In my mind that said one thing to me, I messed up but they need me. I’m a good soldier. I can come back from this. I spent the rest of the time in the field go out of my way to get things done. I volunteered for every detail no matter how bad it was. I made sure tasks I was given were done fast and to the best of my ability. I was determined to show my Company that I may have messed up but I was willing to do whatever it takes to get back where I was and that I wasn’t going to let a little trouble completely destroy me or keep me from having what I had worked so hard to
As soon as I walked in, he ripped my corporal rank of my chest, threw it on the ground, and proceeded to give me the worst ass chewing of my life. I felt less than a man by the time he was done with me. Afterwards, I moped around for a day or two. Dragging my feet and not really caring about anything anymore. I had lost my sniper team, my promotion, and my promotable status. All because I had to go out and think that I was too good to get help from anyone. All the good that I had done up to that point was completely forgotten. I was just another shit bag as far as my Chain of Command was concerned. But then I realized something. All they did was demote me. All they did was take my section. That was it. I wasn’t being kicked out of the army. I wasn’t getting busted down to private. In my mind that said one thing to me, I messed up but they need me. I’m a good soldier. I can come back from this. I spent the rest of the time in the field go out of my way to get things done. I volunteered for every detail no matter how bad it was. I made sure tasks I was given were done fast and to the best of my ability. I was determined to show my Company that I may have messed up but I was willing to do whatever it takes to get back where I was and that I wasn’t going to let a little trouble completely destroy me or keep me from having what I had worked so hard to