Let’s venture back to the latter months of 2007. I had just finished my first 15-month deployment to Baghdad, Iraq and was still only 20 years old, but nothing will make you grow up faster than war. It was 0630, which is when we have accountability formation before we start physical training (PT). First Sergeant (1SG) Q. walked over to my platoon (Scout/Sniper Section) and called me out of the ranks. He was not a quiet or reserved type of man, so everyone in the company could hear him speaking to me. He said to me that he saw my name come across his desk for the SGT/E-5 promotion board, to which I replied,
“Yes, First Sergeant”.
Then he asked me the simplest, yet most powerfully thought-provoking question I had ever been asked.
He simply asked, “why should I promote you?”
It was a simple question, so I gave the generic, simple answer, “so that I can lead soldiers, First Sergeant”.
To which he scoffed, “aren’t you doing that already?”
He then looked at my platoon sergeant, then back at me, shook his head, and walked away. My first thought was that of shame, that I had somehow let my leadership down. But my next thought was, “WTF am I supposed to say?!?!” I asked my team leader, my section sergeant, and the platoon sergeant and none of…
