The Last Word

He was the First Sergeant I needed, but I never gave him the chance.

I was a Company Commander in a Maintenance Battalion in Germany. He was new to the company and nothing like the First Sergeant he replaced.

He didn’t fit the (my) mold. He was different.

He didn’t know how a field unit operated or much about the day-to-day expectations of a First Sergeant. He had been part of an elite US Army Marksmanship team and needed a field leadership role for promotion. Or at least that’s what I thought. I never asked.

I quickly and firmly decided that he was not up to the task. Each time the duty roster was a mess, supplies were not ordered, promotions were not processed, or firearms were not issued, it confirmed that I was right. But here’s the thing. I wasn’t.

I didn’t see what he brought, only what he lacked.

“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

—Anaïs Nin

We all have moments like this, where we quickly judge others.

If I had known then what I know now about how to bring someone along, recognize and build on strengths, and pause before reacting, could things have been different between us? Maybe. Maybe not. But I like to think so.

I know now that he brought steadiness, conviction, and a quiet composure I didn’t recognize or appreciate then.

Before I left the company, he gifted me with the obligatory pen set - engraved with the following:

“Thanks for being a great Company Commander - and a pretty good First Sergeant too.”

I had much to say while in command, but the last word was his.