Master Sergeant at last!
by Jim Wagner
The effective date of my promotion to Master Sergeant, E-8, was on 3 March 2015 “by order of the governor” of the State of California. However, I did not actually receive my third rocker (the third bottom line of the chevron is the best way to explain it to those unfamiliar with American army rank) on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at approximately 7:20 in the morning at first formation on my military base in Southern California. It took 11 months to go from a piece of paper to my Commanding Officer, a full bird colonel, to press the new Velcro rank upon the center of my chest. I can’t go into why it took so long to get it, but let’s just say that “I cause trouble wherever I go.” In fact, that is exactly why I have such an extensive background that few police officers or soldiers have, and that’s because I always “got into trouble” and had no choice to move on: the U.S. Army in the 1980s, corrections officer (the only job I didn’t get into any trouble), police officer, SWAT officer, reserve police officer, a reserve deputy sheriff, Dignitary Protection Team team leader, the U.S. Air Marshals Service, my tactical training company I owned with three other partners, reserve military police soldier, and finally 36 years later finishing up as a Security Forces senior sergeant just transferred to Operations. An impressive resume, and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. It’s because of all these jobs, training and experience, that I was able to create the Reality-Based Personal Protection system that thousands around the world have learned how to survive today’s crime and terrorism.
This year marks my 10th year as a reserve soldier, and next month will be my 10th year as a sergeant, or as we call it – a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). The photos below will give you just a brief glimpse into my military career starting at 18-years-old right out of high school. So, HOOAH! I was finally promoted. (the Army term “HOOAH!” means a lot of different things: that’s great, yes, I agree, press forward, don’t give up, I’m motivated…
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