Photo By Sgt. 1st Class John Healy | Spc. Jack Stillman, a Patriot System Repairer with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense...... read more read more
History was made at Fort Bragg’s Basic Leader Course this month when the Distinguished Honor Graduate earned both the Leadership Award and the Iron Warrior Award, the three distinctions that Soldiers compete for during each iteration.
Spc. Jack Stillman, a Patriot System Repairer with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, graduated September 15, after being awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his achievements.
Stillman attributes his success to the time he spends increasing his own fitness.
“Being physically fit sets the foundation to be mentally and spiritually fit as well.” said Stillman. “As long as you’re comfortable with yourself, then everything else falls into place, having a positive mindset, always being determined, and not giving up.”
Stillman knows a lot about not giving up.
Stillman and his wife had their first child when he was a sophomore in high school. They decided to keep the child, and Stillman’s parents disapproved.
“My dad kicked me out of my house,” said Stillman. “He said that if I was old enough to take care of a kid that I could live by myself and take care of myself.”
During his junior year, Stillman turned down a scholarship for wrestling in order to take care of his family. He ultimately decided it was necessary to drop out of school to work full time.
“I was working all the time making sure that they had a place to stay and a roof over their heads,” said Stillman.
Stillman never stopped working to improve his life or the lives of his family. He earned his G.E.D. online and at 20 years old he decided to enlist in the United States Army. He has already made progress toward earning his bachelor’s degree.
“Family is key to me,” said Stillman. “Me and my wife, we went through a rough time when I was younger. She’s the one that’s stuck by my side through thick and thin.”
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Evans first met Stillman as an Advanced Individual Training instructor at Fort Sill, Okla. Evans has since been reassigned to 3-4 ADAR and now serves as Stillman’s platoon sergeant.
“Most people don’t figure out that there’s something bigger than themselves that early,” said Evans. “It usually takes a few years for them to say ‘hey, it’s not all about me.’ When I saw him as a student, he understood that.”
Their lives are much easier now, Stillman says, thanks to the sacrifices that he and his wife made at such an early age. When he was younger, Stillman never imagined he would be able to accomplish all that he has so far.
“I never gave up,” said Stillman.
“At this point, for many Soldiers, they tend to lose that drive, that initiative,” said Evans. “(Stillman is) still hungry to learn, to do and accomplish things.”
During their unit’s upcoming deployment to Jordan, Stillman has been selected to serve as his sections non-commissioned officer in charge.
“He’s very much a part of the team; he’s always pulling everyone together,” said Evans.
Capt. Luis Gaitan-Tovar, the commander of F. Company, 3-4 ADAR, has encouraged Stillman to progress even further by enrolling in the Green-To-Gold program or becoming a Warrant Officer.
“He needs to be challenged,” said Gaitan-Tovar. “He’ll do great things wherever he goes, whatever organization he’s a part of.”
For now, Stillman has decided to defer any major career decisions until after he returns from deployment, but that doesn’t mean he plans to stop pushing himself to succeed.
“All great non-commissioned officers never stop progressing,” said Stillman. “Never be satisfied, always work for that next step.”
| Date Taken: | 10.03.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2016 17:02 |
| Story ID: | 211161 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 7,154 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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