BUCK Sergeant
Life on the Other Side of the Rainbow
All spit and polish I was in my blues
Waiting in the airport on Rhein Main
Uncle Sam had trained me well
My mission was to keep the peace
Sometimes that my call for use of my m-16
But most of the time command voice was all that was needed
A bus carried me to my base high up in the mountains
It was called Hahn
I had never been to Germany and I had never heard of this place Hahn
But in my first year I worked hard and learned well
That is how you became an NCO
And when that day came before my peers
I was so proud
No longer just an Airman
Now I was a Sergeant
Now I was part of the history of the buck sergeants
More responsibility came my way and now I was a leader
No longer was it just me
Now I had others I had to lead
Now I am a staff sergeant
And the buck sergeant seems so long ago
The really sad part is that
That rank now only exists in my memory
It has been retired forever
To make way for a new course
New staff sergeants that will lead as I did
Who will never know the rank of buck sergeant
But will still serve proudly and well
(This is in homage to the last of those who wore the rank of "Buck SGT"/E-5 in the Air Force & Air Force Security Police Specialists)
Published by Mr. Chip's
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4 Comments
Post a CommentBring back buck sergeant
The biggest disservice the USAF did to its enlisted corps was to get rid of the rank of sergeant. The transition between airman and NCO is an important one, and should not be taken as lightly as it is these days.
- ART
The best way to prepare young troops to be ready for "NCO status" is for the Air Force to stop treating NCO status as a special club. We have a problem in the Air Force where if you aren't an E-5 ... a junior enlisted airman doesn't have to take your command seriously. Then we wonder why airmen aren't ready for command and leadership when it's thrust upon them.
- sigecaps
Thank you for your comments and corrections.
continued:
(Non commissioned Officer) I was given the responsibility to write Evaluations
on my Airman for promotion, I ran a Photolab with 7 subordinate
personnel / photo crew with letters of appreciation and Awards for duty.
I know you deal with facts and would not like to see the information
incorrect. I have documents with military seals, signatures, and names
of discharging personnel to support this. The military personnel center
is Randolf Airforce Base, TX.
Any questions please contact me Gardog@gobot.com
sincerely,
James M. Garstecki
I really like wikipedia and would like to share with you, that the
information on the site is incorrect concerning the LAST BUCK SERGEANT E
- 4 in the United States Airforce. I
officially Had seperated from the Airforce Mar23, 1998. I always thought I was the last one to hold the rank. I made Below the Zone early in my 10 year career with a lot of high praises. I made the rank within hours or one day of
the upper command decision of retiring the rank of Buck Sergeant. My DD
214 shows when I seperated at the rank of E - 4 (enlisted Sergeant
NCO)from Hickam Air Force Base, HI (Mar 23, 1998). I went to military
leadership school and the NCO prep course at Holloman Air Force Base.
Plans for E - 4 were to be switched to Senior Airman only. (I made
Airman of the month, Airman of the Quarter and went on to vie for Airman
of the Base) I was a studeous and professional Airman and earned the
right of being Buck Sergeant(NCO status) and after becoming a NCO (Non
commissio