Jeff McCaskill

It is a job that has empowering others at the heart of it. Although the pay was never adequate, the single job characteristic I enjoyed most about being an Army NCO was the opportunity to mentor young soldiers, to develop in them the confidence, pride and abilities necessary to one day become leaders themselves. In fact, none of my medals, awards, plaques and coins mean anything when compared to a single, most-cherished statistic: every one of the soldiers in my squad went on to become NCOs as well. That fact is my best evidence that I made a difference in their lives. I'll never forget what a privilege it was to serve with them....