These two badges I am showing here are just a few of the awards that I received while I served in the Army for 10 years (4 Active and 6 Reserve) and they are the ones that probably bring me the most satisfaction of any awards that I received.
Yes, I spent some time as a Drill Sergeant, three years as a matter of fact while I was in the Reserves and that was probably one of the most rewarding times of my life, taking a part in molding a young man or woman from a civilian into a soldier. Contrary to popular belief we are not mean sadistic people who thrive on making people suffer.
We have a difficult job to perform and not as much time as we would like to do it and we do it to the best of our abilities. What the Drill Sergeant imparts to the trainee may one day mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield.
There was a poster I once saw while I was going through Basic Training that made it all very clear to me and the caption was,
"LET NO MAN'S SOUL CRY OUT 'IF ONLY I HAD THE PROPER TRAINING' "
I was awarded this while serving in the Persian Gulf during Desert Shield / Desert Storm. This was basically for providing medical aid to wounded and injured personnel while under fire from an enemy force.
