Photo By Master Sgt. Brian Hamilton | Army Reserve drill sergeant candidate, Staff Sgt. Margaret Diacheysn, C. Company 2/413...... read more read more
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FORT JACKSON, S.C. - “You would make an awesome drill sergeant!”
A friend, who also happened to be a recruiter, spoke those words to Army Reserve drill sergeant candidate, Staff Sgt. Margaret Diacheysn, C. Company, 2/413 Regiment, 95th Training Division (IET), in 2010 when she was thinking of coming back into the Army Reserve after a brief break in service.
And after four years of patience, this registered nurse and mother of six, found herself in the middle of her second week at the Drill Sergeant Academy conquering an obstacle that after 20 years of combined active and reserve service in the Army, had never experienced before, Victory Tower.
“I am so glad this part is over. When I came in, in 1994 at Fort McClellan, Alabama, it was a hot summer day and it rained. So they canceled the confidence course for safety reasons. Since then, I’ve never been in a unit that has gone repelling. That was the scariest thing I’ve ever had to do. I am absolutely petrified of heights,” Diacheysn said.
“At the same time I’m glad I did it. For me this is exactly how the privates will do it and now I will be able to relate. I really see the value in us doing all of this. “
Diacheysn originally planned on commissioning in the Army Reserve as an officer in the medical corps. However, after learning she needed more than an Associates Degree, the M.P. with a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom under her belt decided to take full advantage of the education benefits of the Army Reserve and took on the challenge of becoming a drill sergeant.
“My hope is that I will make a good drill sgt. A compassionate drill sgt. that reaches out to the new recruits. A drill sgt. that Soldiers can relate to. I want to make them understand that the Army is a good place to be and that discipline helps. Since I’ve been in my unit for so long I’ve seen a lot of the privates come through and I don’t think they understand the importance of the discipline and traditions. I think that’s important for us to hold onto and I want to show them that those things matter. If we let those traditions go then we’ve lost them forever,” Diacheysn said.
So with Victory Tower far behind her, Diacheysn now sees no need to give up her dreams and goals for the future.
“I’ve been a nurse for eight years and I love it. Being a nurse on the civilian side and being a Soldier in the Army Reserve both have their equal parts that I enjoy. My one major goal though, is to someday become a nurse for the Army Reserve as well.”
After showing the grit and determination to conquer her fears at the tower, she left little doubt in the minds of her peers, nor her drill sergeant leaders, that she would one day achieve that goal.
| Date Taken: | 01.26.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.26.2015 19:21 |
| Story ID: | 152784 |
| Location: | FORT JACKSON, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 863 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldier Spotlight: Staff Sgt. Margaret Diacheysn, by MSG Brian Hamilton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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