PLDC - Platoon Sergeant

One day while we were in class our instructor told us 1/2 way through the course we'd be changing leadership positions (the ones that were randomly chosen by student number) and they were posted on the wall in the classroom so on our next break we should check it out.

I didn't care.  I mean --what were the chances I'd land a leadership position?

Pretty good.

Platoon Sergeant.

Nothing short of complete and total unadulterated panic ensued.  I mean, the guys didn't panic as much as they just stood there in disbelief wondering how I'd ever pull off such a thing ---but me?  Panic.  Total panic.  Complete panic.  Nothing ---no words to explain the panic in me.  Come on --this is like sending a 1st grader into a high school to teach them how to read.

1.  They already know how to read.
2.  Not only can they read, they are experienced readers and have been doing it for years.
3.  No high schooler is going to take a 1st grader seriously.
4.  A 1st grader can't even stand tall enough or talk loud enough to bee seen/heard.

And that is exactly what me being assigned as Platoon Sergeant over all these CAV soldiers would be like.  They knew it.  I knew it.

And not to even mention the fact that the last half of PLDC was the most difficult --as that's when we did all of our "hands on" stuff --and we'd have a field exercise and ---our big 5 mile run.

What did you say?  A FIVE MILE RUN?  Yeah, as if I wasn't dreading that enough, now I'd be the one to run it, lead it and sing cadence.  I was going to be the Platoon Sergeant.

Oh dear.  Oh Dear.  OH DEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!