Sergeant’s Time……. An essay by William Marshall


I remember the first time I heard the term, I think I was a SSG. I thought, this is kinda silly, isn’t every day SGTs time. Turns out, looking back, SGTs time was a great program. It made you stop, prepare for, and conduct training at a level that previously was overlooked. SGTs time allowed a NCO to look at the training of his people and tailor training for exactly what they needed.


The biggest thing, though, is it made the trainers plan, prepare, and present training to their own Soldiers.  This is what forced many leaders to actually become proficient in their tasks so that they could lead their Soldiers.
I remember SGTs time fondly.  Task, Conditions, and Standard.  Butcher block boards. Demonstrator Post…….
SGTs Time…….

You are always right………. An essay by William Marshall


It is easier for me to see now.  You are always right. 

No matter who you are, where you are, what your are doing, where you have been……… you know deep inside, that you are right. That you have been right. 


You might have gotten some bad outcomes, mistakes could have been made, errors occurred.  At the end of the day, though, no doubt, you are and continue to be right! You are always right! Of course you are.

The cousin issue………. An essay by William Marshall

The cousin issue………. An essay by William Marshall

Stopping this rampant gun violence will be in part lead by cousins. If we really want to stop this stuff, we have to make sure that our mentally ill “cousin” doesn’t get access to weapons. We have to begin to turn in our cousins for being too ill to have access to a weapon.

I was a First Sergeant in the Army and there were times that I would not issue weapons or bullets to a particular Soldiers. They know it, knew it when it was happening. I would give them their weapon when it was time to shoot and qualify, and then only with their trusted boss standing over them with a big paddle to beat them with it if need be.

There are troubled Americans who don’t need access to weapons. We have to find away to keep our “cousins” from getting access to weapons when we know that they really aren’t stable enough to have them.The cousin issue.

Poor is a legend……….. An essay by William Marshall

Poor is a legend……….. An essay by William Marshall

Did you ever meet someone that was obviously meant to be doing what they are doing? SSG Poor was that guy for me. I was the new 1SG of HHB 5-52 ADA. I wasn’t even wearing the diamond yet, I was still a nonpromotable SFC. SSG Poor was my new range guy working in the S-3 Shop.

I got to know him over the time I was there. He loved weapons, he honestly did. He knew about them, all about them. He wasn’t a gun guy creep though. He knew what was important.

He was also a range guru. He was a Fort Bliss fixture. If it involved ranges or weapons, he was your guy.

The biggest thing that Poor did though, was help people. It didn’t matter what it was for, what you needed. If you asked, then you just got the best team mate anyone could have.

SSG Poor passed early. In his prime. Poor is a legend. A true legend.

Advanced Airborne School History

Advanced Airborne School
The Advanced Airborne School maintains the readiness of the 82nd Airborne Division by preserving the ability to deploy anywhere in the world in 18 hours by either an airborne or airland assault. It trains selected personnel in Jumpmaster, Air Movement and Basic Airborne Techniques. It also advises and assists unit Commanders in the evaluation of Jumpmasters and Air Movement Officers/NCOs.


The Advanced Airborne School was started in 1947, it was then known as the “Heavy Drop School.” The school operated as a 3-day course in which techniques of heavy drop were taught. In 1949 the school closed and opened again in May 1950, this time with the Jumpmaster Course integrated into the school. The course taught was a 1-week course in Air delivery and a 1-week course in Jumpmaster techniques. In June 1950, plans were approved to construct a 34-foot jump tower on Pratt Street. This greatly improved techniques taught by the Jumpmaster committee, since newer equipment was being introduced into the Airborne. This school operated until 1954 when the Basic Airborne Course was started. At this time, more acreage was obtained and also 2 new 34 foot towers were constructed along with PLF platforms, suspended harness apparatus, mockdoors, swing landing trainers and general subjects shed. The Jumpmaster, Air Delivery and a new course that had been added to the school (a 1-week course on Air Transportability) did not come under a single headquarters. They operated as the Basic Airborne Committee and the Advanced Airborne Committee until 1958, when both were combined into a unit known as 3rd Augmentation Unit (Abn) (Fld) under the control of Command and Control Battalion.


In January 1962, the Basic Airborne course was moved to Fort Benning, Georgia along with all equipment and most of the BAC Instructors. At the same time, the 82nd Division Support Command (DISCOM) area was where the Advanced Airborne School was constructed, giving the Advanced Airborne School newer and better training aids. In 1967, with upgraded aircraft and equipment, another change was made in the courses conducted. At this time, the Air Delivery and Air Transportability courses were combined into a single course known as “Air Movement Operations.” This course was 2 weeks in duration. The Jumpmaster course was also changed from a 1-week course to a 2-week course. The Advanced Airborne School could accommodate 50 students in the Air Movement course and 60 in the Jumpmaster course.


In April 1982, with better equipment and newer technology more changes were made in the course conducted. The AMC Load Planners class, which was taught as part of the Air Movement Course, was expanded from 2.5 days to one week, thus creating a new 3 week Air Movement course, producing better qualified unit Air Movements Officers/NCOs. Additionally beginning in FY83, the Jumpmaster Course was expanded from a seating capacity of 60 students to 70 students per course.


In October of 1983 the Advanced Airborne School Cadre was increased from 1 and 19 to 1 and 24 in order to accommodate a new program, MC1-1B reinforcement training. This course was designed to better familiarize the new paratrooper in the proper techniques applicable to the MC1-1B parachute.
In December of 1991, the AAS cadre accepted the first instructors from the XVIII Airborne Corps. Upon completion of their training the JM class size was increased from 70 to 80 students with the additional slots going the XVIII Airborne Corps students. SGT J. J. Little was the first instructor from XVIII Airborne Corps. In June of 1992 the first female instructor, SGT Genota Brown, became a Blackhat. She served as an instructor on the AMO Committee.

In March 1994, the United States Army Air Force certified the Air Movement Operations Committee to teach the Load Planners course. The Air Movement course was then increased to 13 days with all aspects of Air Movement being taught at the Advanced Airborne School. In November 1994, the DZSTL procedures were added to Jumpmaster School. This enabled the 82nd Airborne Division to certify it’s Jumpmasters to serve in all aspects of Airborne Operations. March of 1995, the first female Jumpmaster Instructor was SFC Jan Garcia. SFC Garcia had served as a Platoon Sergeant in the 82nd Aviation Brigade prior to earning her Black Hat.


In October 1994 the Jumpmaster Committee and the Tower Committee combined resources and established a new training facility on Taylor Street. The 34 foot towers were moved from their Longstreet location along with all Tower committee assets. The Jumpmaster School moved from it’s original location at Green Ramp to the new AAS training site at Taylor Street. The combining of the Jumpmaster Committee and Tower Committee resulted in more resourceful teaching procedures.


The mission of the Advanced Airborne School has also been to conduct refresher courses for airborne elements returning from combat deployments as part of the Global War on Terror, especially elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, to help return them to ready status for their traditional rapid response mission. In 2003, instructors deployed to Camp Falcon in Iraq to assist elements of the 2nd Brigade in refreshing their skills pending redeployment back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In March 2008 instructors from the Advanced Airborne School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina were sent to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan to conduct a Jumpmaster Refresher Course for members of the 82nd Airborne Division who were preparing to return from their 15 month deployment.


In June 2008 instructors deployed for a similar mission to Contingency Operating Base Adder in Iraq, again in support of elements of the 82nd Airborne Division.

I’m not a Christian, I’m different………. An essay by William Marshall

I’m not a Christian, I’m different………. An essay by William Marshall

She said, “No, I’m not a Christian, I’m different.” She went on, “Christians are assholes you see. They think they don’t have to be nice or care or give to others cause Jesus gonna come scoop up their mess when he comes back to “Save Them,” and they look down at me about it, like I ain’t rich cause I ain’t good enough to be rich or something.

Christians give money when the plate comes by if they thought to ahead of time and conveniently placed the bill in their husbands pocket so he could pull it out at just the right time.

Christians don’t cuss around kids and don’t like me holding a beer and a baby, so, no, I’m not a Christian. Some people say I’m just a sinner, cause I don’t wanna be “that kind of Christian.”

She finished, “I just wish we could all kinda just hug you know, sit around a fire, sing a song. Have church without going to church. Tell about how things are good, how things are ok. I think we all are good inside, deep inside, not sinners, not assholes. I’m not an asshole to others, I’m a very kind person if you will let me.”

She finished, “My Spirituality is different, I’m not a Christian, and I’m not a sinner. But your not a sinner either at least in my mind. Neither of us are. We are just here. Here to love. Love, Some damn how. It would be nice to be together, sing a song, dance a dance. While we still can. 

I’m not a Christian, I’m different and I love you even more because of it.