I have been looking for pictures of my enlisted days because I don't want to forget those days and the lessons I learned then-- they were some of the best. I learned some very valuable things during the E-5 to E-6 years -- things that served me well in my O-5 and O-6 years. I met some pretty good guys who also happened to be pretty fine Soldiers. But aside from learning how to conduct operations and be an MP, I learned how to work with people. This came in handy in my civilian job of teaching and coaching. In those early years I was exposed to lots of good and bad examples of how to treat people. 
I learned how to take care of others and how to see things from different points of view. After all, up to that point I had a pretty black and white viewpoint of things, which is indeed rare for a recent college boy from O.U. Probably another invaluable thing I learned was how to listen and I'm still practicing that one.As I have said in a number of these entries, I developed many long lasting friendships. In the top picture, SFC Barnett on the left (who later served as my CSM in the MP battalion I commanded) and 1SG White (w/cigarette) were two pretty good role models for the young troops we had at that time. Remember, this was the mid-seventies and being associated with the military wasn't very popular. Lots of the guys we had in units at that time liked long hair and sideburns. It took special kinds of NCOs to deal with these troops. One of those good examples was a former company commander, CPT. Wainwright (right-middle picture, leaning on the 1/4-ton). He was an easy-going communicator and a good thinker.
I also learned a lot about putting up with some of the inconveniences and "hardships" of being an enlisted Soldier.
Granted, these were not combat times, and lots of the crabbing that Soldiers do during those times is more like whining, but this was where I learned the difference. This was a tremendous help later on when I was teaching or coaching and heard whining from students. A lot of the times I would tell them they reminded me of some of my troops and then, sometimes, I would tell them an Army story to illustrate the point. I still remember eating meals in the field on the back of a vehicle. I still have my mess kit, and I take it out and rattle it around the campfire when camping out. If it's a campgrounds, I look around to see if anyone is taking notice...looking to see if there are any old Soldiers around. Those who have eaten from one of these remembers that sound and can pick it out anywhere. In the bottom picture, I am beginning to dig a fighting position. Yes, I dug foxholes too!! The Soldier with me is SP4 Riggle. He was my
roommate at OU for the first two years. He was a big ol' strapping farm boy. Good choice to help dig a foxhole, huh. See, I told you I learned some pretty good lessons in those years.Every book I read dealing with wars or soldiering generally has one central theme -- the relationships Soldiers build with others in their units is why they do what they do. We join the Army for any number of reasons, but we stay and fight because we would never let a "buddie" in our foxhole down . We often lose physical track of these guys, but we never forget them. We never forget the times.
Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Soldiers don't have that problem. (Ronald Reagan)
HOOAH
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