At what points in your career have you felt the most pride?

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 May 2023 07:40:19 -0400

Pride does not always mean you are the center. Certainly, the day you got your ranger tab, made SGT, or received some meritorious award are all achievements that made you proud of yourself. But, when have you felt immense pride in the organization, the country, your unit, your team, etc.? What moments have you felt most honored and dignified?

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made May 21 at 2023 7:52 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Sun, 21 May 2023 07:52:01 -0400

I was very proud that my Bn got to go the the '96 pre Olympics for security duty, it was great to meet people from other countries and to make new friends from those countries 1LT Private RallyPoint Member

Response by SSG Michael Noll made May 21 at 2023 8:22 AM

SSG Michael Noll — Sun, 21 May 2023 08:22:02 -0400

Third phase of basic training. Nothing sounds like or feels like newly honed soldiers especially when calling cadence/Jodies.
Our BN receiver Superior Service Ribbon for rapid deployment to the gulf "PATRIOT". Had the good fortune of being NCOIO of advanced party hitting the dirt first.
First two to pop into my head brother Pat.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made May 21 at 2023 10:09 AM

SGT Philip Roncari — Sun, 21 May 2023 10:09:43 -0400

On the occasion when we received ROTC cadets for training in night patrolling on our range at Ft.Polk in 1968 and all the instructors who had served in Vietnam volunteered to participate on their time off,and to top it all off we didn’t even let any of these future Second Lieutenants get lost in the swamps of Louisiana,always felt proud of that time and our guys,Welcome Home Brothers.

Response by Maj Kim Patterson made May 21 at 2023 11:30 AM

Maj Kim Patterson — Sun, 21 May 2023 11:30:11 -0400

When 3 out of 3 of my 1Sgts were selected as 1SGT of the Year for the Air Force. I wrote the nomination letters but they made it easy, they deserved them for taking care of our troops so they could take care of the mission,

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 21 at 2023 12:15 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 21 May 2023 12:15:06 -0400

When my company had immense morale and the NCOs were good leaders and took care of the soldiers and were instrumental in planning and training.

Response by MSG Stan Hutchison made May 21 at 2023 2:33 PM

MSG Stan Hutchison — Sun, 21 May 2023 14:33:27 -0400

Hard to limit. Over my 20+ years, there were many times, starting when I graduated MP school in 1964 right up to my retirement ceremony in 1986. Completion of difficult courses. Award ceremonies. REFORGER '77.

I always felt strong pride when participating in divisional ceremonies, we would "pass in review" Class A's sharp, Boots shinning, weapons on our shoulders, all in step, briskly crossing the parade ground to the sounds of the Divisional band playing.

The most emotional times were serving as Honor Guard at the funerals of fallen soldiers, returned from Vietnam.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made May 21 at 2023 5:50 PM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Sun, 21 May 2023 17:50:17 -0400

When my squad was the top organic squad in BN Squad competition

EIB when my group of 5 got 4 EIBs, in a year when the "go" rate was (IIRC) around 14%.

Every time I returned from deployment with my whole Platoon.

Response by GySgt Kenneth Pepper made May 22 at 2023 2:16 PM

GySgt Kenneth Pepper — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:16:35 -0400

Several years ago I got an invitation to a Texas A&M graduation/commissioning ceremony from a young Marine I helped get into the Enlisted Commissioning Program.
In it was a note saying (in part) "Thanks Gunny, I wouldn't be here without your help".
A close second to that was leading a color guard onto the field at Yankee Stadium for 2 World Series game. That was pretty cool, too.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2023 1:03 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 May 2023 01:03:13 -0400

I think it will be hard for me to trump the pride I get in how my boys look up to me.

I recall when I was little looking in my grandfather's closet and seeing his Blues on the hanger. WOW I thought. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, he was just a regular vet like everyone else. No medals of valor. His Bronze Stars have M devices. He retired out as a personnel officer OIC. I am even the same, and less so (ARCOM my highest award). I'm Logistics, just making sure the war machine is fed, not actually pulling any triggers.

But my young boys think I run the place. I do a lot of funeral details (which is a source of pride by itself). So I'm coming and going from the house in my blues a lot.

My oldest (only 5 in this story) really doesn't understand how the whole system works. He calls my ASU my "Sir Uniform". He calls my OCP's my fighting uniform.

There is this other parent at my kids school who drops off his kids in his emergency room scrubs. So all the kids think he's really important. Occasionally, I'll get a morning funeral detail and drop mine off in my ASU/Blues. So from all the little kids perspectives I'm WAY COOLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and my kids take great pride in that. Yea, that parent probably makes a lot more money than me, but both my kid and his kid think I'm the cooler guy :-)

So I'm humbled and take great pride in the fact that I make my little boys feel the way I did about my grandfather.

I will have no greater accomplishment in life than when I promote again and I have my boys (now old enough) to each pin me (one on the chest, and one on the cap). It could be from PVT to SPC or from 3 star to 4 star. Rank doesn't matter. Their pride in me regardless of rank is the source of pride.

Response by A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney made May 23 at 2023 7:22 AM

A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney — Tue, 23 May 2023 07:22:45 -0400

I Was An Air Force Enlistee....Enlisted ON My 17th Birthday.. 06/29/1961,,
SERVED A FULL 4 YEARS, And In ALL That Time;
From 1961 - 1965, You ALREADY Know, I Didn't DO Sh*t. ......!!
And, To THIS Day, They've YET To Demand A Refund..
And It's Kind-a Scary...Because They Should Be Allowed To Get It,

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made May 23 at 2023 9:59 AM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Tue, 23 May 2023 09:59:23 -0400

Retirement, mission completed.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2023 7:24 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 May 2023 19:24:18 -0400

Being a plankowner on a new U.S. Coast Guard cutter. Experiencing the crew coming together ,training and taking a freshly built lifeless 270 foot long ship and transforming it into an efffective mission accomplisher with it's own personality doing the stuff that you see on the news. And to top it off, there is a commemorative decorative wooden ship's wheel installed on the mess deck with all of the plankowners names engraved on it. The ship is still in commission and to know that there are young Coasties, that were not even born yet when I was aboard, that are walking by that ship's wheel everyday wherever in the world that ship is ... Well I can't even express how that feels.

Response by CPL Charles Domm made May 23 at 2023 9:55 PM

CPL Charles Domm — Tue, 23 May 2023 21:55:05 -0400

Great question! My life has been amazingly blessed since birth and continues now that somehow I have reach 76 and am looking forward, co-creating another very full lifetime hopefully for 30 more years. As a teen I was team captain, class president, awarded outstanding service recognitions, played football for national championship (1962), had over 30 scholarship offers and nominated to the service academies on 3 separate occasions, then into airborne, special forces weapons, and heavily involved in development of non-degenerating human migration space platforms (appeared before Congress to press for it, President Reagan made it the top national priority called "The High Frontier" 1982). Was inducted into a couple hall of fames, earned international acclaim, awarded Diplomat in Integrative Medical Care, healed people from stages 3 & 4 cancers and emerged comatose patients whose neurosurgeons told the families to donate organs and prepare for funerals. Won first ACE 1980 for CableTV,...got in over 25 feature films, sent my folks on trips that they dreamed about in their lives, been honored at military reunions and events, asked to do eulogies of many including generals and celebrities, and my list goes on and on. I really enjoyed being at XVIII Airborne Corps 118th MP Co. reunion with another former MP--we two were the oldest there and updated the history. I enjoy the comradery at the Orleans in Vegas when Special Operations Association Reunions (SOAR) take place. And, on Thursday, my blood platelet donation tops 20 gallons of efforts to save lives. The blood back calculates a potential 3 lives per donation, 24 per gallon, so I am hoping that I have helped nearly 500 people hold on to life for awhile longer. Also, I have been asked and have yet to make time to do it...perhaps Memorial Day, to join the 82nd Airborne Association (I was in 2nd/504th). Planning to produce a national film featuring Special Ops riders going coast-to-coast and having Legion and VFW riders as Honor Guards state-to-state taking place over 3 months and ending at The Orleans SOAR. And, I called SONS OF ARTHRITIS owner Stan up about my design for a BADASS PARATROOPER t-shirt. He assigned an artist to work with me... it was a huge hit at the XVIII Airborne Corps reunion on the just passed May 6th. Hoooaah!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2023 11:15 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 May 2023 23:15:19 -0400

This may sound like a cliché....but I am most proud when I see my Soldiers (previous and current) get promoted.

Response by SFC Tom Hardges made Jun 15 at 2023 4:28 PM

SFC Tom Hardges — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 16:28:51 -0400

When I felt I was really a soldier
“Graduation Day”