For much of my six years active duty I had the good fortune because of my usually serving in the command element of various units as a radio operator/driver or a battalion/brigade staff chemical warfare  NCO, to work closely with several of the Army's finest senior NCOs: the first sergeants and sergeant majors.

As Shane says, they run the Army; the officers command but those tough old (relatively speaking: most are in their late thirties to late forties but seem like Methuselahs to their troops) birds who make it to the top of the enlisted ranks are the ones who keep it organized and running with a good ol' boy network that extends around the world and defies belief.

As a rising young NCO, I was so impressed by these men and the unquestioned authority with which they make this huge military machine hum along that I turned down the opportunity to go to OCS, deciding that if I made the Army my career, I would much prefer to be a command sergeant major than a mid-level officer. However, the extension of the G.I. Bill to cover us Vietnam vets decided my fate instead.

I left the Army to finish college and because of the military stand-down following Vietnam, decided to remain in civilian life. However, I have spent more than thirty years marketing medical products to the military, calling on military installations all over the world. One lesson I have never forgotten and which I still occasionally put to good use is that when confronted with a difficult situation, seek out the senior NCO, preferably a sergeant major, or a Navy master chief, or Air Force chief master sergeant, and a solution will be found. Quickly.

So thanks, Shane, for the tribute to Sergeant Heywood Smith and all the NCOs who make our military what it is. Without question, our celebrated military leaders are the officers who lead our forces. But it is the NCOs who ensure they have forces to lead.

Some truths endure forever.

***

Webmaster's note: The spammers have discovered this post in a big way, leaving me no choice but to cut off commenting. If you have a legitimate comment relating to the post please email me and I'll re-enable them temporarily. Otherwise, FOADMF.

Contributed by Russ Vaughn on July 20, 2006 at 12:57 PM in Russ Vaughn, The American Warrior | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: Becki

As someone who is very happily married to one of the senior NCOs you refer to in your post, they are an incredible lot. Its very interesting to watch people older than my husband (he made his rank at a very young age, he is 34) respect him so much, Officers and Enlisted alike. Before reaching NCO status, much less Senior NCO, my husband asked my father, a retired Colonal, for permission to marry me (he really did that!). My father was not so thrilled with the idea and Ty had to endure a huge speach on the economics of being married on his current tiny salary. Fast forward to now and you would think Ty engineered the hanging of the moon in my Daddy's eyes! When my father is with anyone of the military type, he brags like there is no tomorrow of what Ty has accomplished (and it is impressive, his rank at his age in the MedCom, what he has done that earned him 2 military awards typically only given to senior ranking Officers, the list goes on). Its these guys that hold down the fort, literally. Here's to all of them!

Posted by: Becki | Jul 20, 2006 7:31:03 PM

Posted by: Mac

I'm a retired Navy Master Chief (AVCM) having served three tours in Vietnam and I can vouch for the fact that the Chiefs make the Navy go.
I was fortunate to make Master Chief in 17 years when the Navy average was 22 years. I was stationed at Barbers Point, Hawaii in Patrol Squadron One in 1974, when two other Master Chiefs and I went over to Hickham AFB for some sort of conference. As we were walking down the sidewalk after lunch, three young AF Second Lts. came riding by in the opposite direction on bicycles. When we didn't salute, they skidded to a halt, came back and proceeded to eat our ass out. I said, "Wait a minute, Lt. Number One, you haven't done anything to rate a salute, and Number Two, have you read Instruction #xxxx?"
(I just spit out some number). "No", they replied. I said, "Well you better go read it because it says that a Navy Master Chief doesn't have to salute any officer below O-4." "No s___,
one of them said. "No s____", Lt. So we'll be getting along, sir." "OK, Master Chief", they said and rode off. The other two Master Chiefs with me couldn't hardly stand up for laughing. "I can't believe you did that", one of them said. I replied, "I don't have my name tag on and you two do!"

Posted by: Mac | Aug 10, 2006 7:35:03 PM

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