Stories

My first job as a first sergeant was Charlie Company, 2/505 in the 82nd Airborne. This was my dream job: being top sergeant in the company in which I began my Army career as a private. I had a blast leading the enlisted soldiers as their primary trainer. I was tough on standards, uniformity, and appearance, but in a way that the boys were unaccustomed to—with humor.

One day, I stepped out of my office into the main hall of barracks and noticed two of my troopers at the end of the hall wearing Burger King crowns. I yelled, "You guys take those off! You know you can't wear any uniform item unless everyone in this company wears it."

The very next day, just before work formation, I walked in my office, and sitting in the middle of my desk was a Burger King Crown. I asked the Captain Griffith if he had a crown on his desk. He confirmed that he did. I looked outside, and my whole company stood there, at parade rest, wearing crowns.

"Well, Sir, put it on or we'll both be out of uniform."

After formation, I received a phone call from the Battalion Sergeant Major ordering me to his office.