FORT JACKSON, S.C. (Oct. 30, 2014) -- Whereas many of the Soldiers in next week's Basic Combat Training graduation are privates fresh out of high school, one staff sergeant can look back on two deployments to Iraq and 11 years of prior service.
"While serving in the Air Force I've worked mostly in joint service environments," said Staff Sgt. Chancellor Thompson, Company D, 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment. "So the few times I have worked with Army warrant officers they all seemed to be pretty on top of their game, and I was pretty impressed by them, so I figured it was something that I wanted to do in the future."
Thompson, a 32-year-old staff sergeant in Basic Combat Training, is a candidate for Army Warrant Officer Candidate School. He switched service branches after meeting an Army Warrant Officer who impressed him with his professionalism.
"My decision to change service branches came after 11 years of service in the Air Force as a signal communications intelligence specialist and being introduced to an Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 by the name of Raymond Mack," Thompson said. "On my second deployment to Iraq he was my officer-in-charge, and I liked how he handled things."
Thompson said Mack's professionalism, attention to detail and command presence impressed him the most.
"CW2 Mack was not one of those people who could tell you to do something and not know how to do it," he said. "He actually could do it and show you how to do it, as well. That just impressed me. I figured that I could do the same thing."
Thompson served with Mack at Royal Air Force Menwith Hill, United Kingdom, and at Forward Operating Base Delta in Al Kut, Iraq, from 2009-2010. He later decided to change service branches and join the Army to become a warrant officer.
"One of the best things I think I've learned from him was Army discipline and being a good teacher of your skills," Thompson said. "With the ability to teach, you can always have the opportunity to show someone else something that you've learned."
Thompson said Mack told him that when you learn something always be willing to help others learn the same knowledge that you've learned. He said these lessons learned from Mack helped him and his battle buddies during basic training.
"With my prior service, I've learned a lot. And so here what I try to do is when (my battle buddies) get a task I try to help them see where they fit into the overall big picture and remind them that no task or responsibility is too small because that could save their lives or their battle buddy's life," Thompson said.
Thompson said his decision to change service branches was no shock to his wife and three children. However, being a staff sergeant in basic training was somewhat surprising to his drill sergeants and battle buddies.
"When I first got here, I was wearing civilian clothes so I was treated as every other private," Thompson said. "As soon as I put on the uniform and they saw my rank, I got a lot more special attention from the drill sergeants asking me why was I here, what did I do to have to come back here. ... Now that I look back on it, I think it was more humorous because of all the confusion."
As of Jan. 1, according to Army Regulation 350-1, prior service members wanting to join the Army who are coming from the Air Force must attend Army Basic Combat Training if they have not received Air Force or Naval special operations training or Air Force security police training.
"I have been deployed to Iraq twice, I thought, 'What the heck, it can't be the that bad. ... It's just another deployment,'" said Thompson said.
Thompson said his attempts to show young Soldiers what being an "old man" with experience is all about is working. He is tied with another Soldier in the company for the highest male Army Physical Fitness Test score.
After graduating Nov. 6, Thompson will go to Warrant Officer Candidate School for seven weeks of training and then to his first duty station at Fort Meade, Maryland.
"When graduation comes I will be happy that I am accepted into the Army and I am fully trained and can serve my country," Thompson said. "I will just be happy and proud that I get to don the Army uniform."
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