Photo By Sgt. Javier Amador | Sgt. Sherman Gibson (right) of the 62nd Forward Support Company, 62nd Engineer...... read more read more
Ft. Hood, Texas – It was nearly 100 degrees outside the training areas at Ft. Hood on the afternoon of July 20, 2019. With large dust clouds announcing their arrival, trucks roll in, carrying that most necessary ingredient to sustain all life: water. With that water, they also bring ice. As they come to a halt, Soldiers connect hoses from the trucks to the portable water tanks and begin to channel it in.
Connecting one of those hoses was Sgt. Sherman Gibson, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and a motor transport operator with the 62nd FSC (Forward Support Company), 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade. As one of his Soldiers watched on, Gibson made sure that the connections were tight and turned on the equipment to fill the tank. In doing the job himself, he demonstrated to the Soldiers in his charge that he is both willing and able to get his hands dirty. And all this for a purpose: to make sure his own command and units of the Army National Guard’s 420th Engineer Brigade are supplied and ready to go in the lead up to their culminating river crossing exercise in the days to come. Long hours will entail to get the job done, but Gibson has never fallen short.
“Seeing a sergeant giving his all to provide the life support that we need is a great example for every Soldier, as well as even some senior Soldiers and leaders to emulate,” said Cpt. Hugh D. Foster, the commander of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, also of the 62nd Engineers .
His proficiency in making the mission happen has given rise to Gibson being the go-to Soldier for his peers and command. It’s a quality that Foster encourages in all his Soldiers.
“Sgt. Gibson is a real asset to our unit by providing us with key services such as delivering water, performing maintenance for the medics' FLAs (Field Litter Ambulances) and bringing us ice to treat heat casualties. He is also an asset to the rest of the units training out here by providing them with water as well”, said Foster
There is a lot involved when it comes to making his mission a success, and Gibson is consistently counted on to take responsibility of the tasks at hand. With a smile and soft-spoken manner, he describes his approach, acknowledging the importance of his mission, but somehow making it all seem easy.
“You take it one step at a time, you take one puzzle and you put the pieces together”, said Gibson. “I also get good support and motivation from my Soldiers. Without them I couldn't do everything I need to do to complete these missions.”
As for the Soldiers he leads, they find in him a leader that mentors and inspires. Pfc. Alfredo Solano, just nine months out of AIT (Advanced Individual Training) where he too trained as a motor transport operator, is glad he was assigned to Gibson's team.
“Sgt. Gibson's awesome. He always backs me up, gives me the confidence that I need,” said Solano.
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2019 12:12 |
| Story ID: | 332781 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Hometown: | CHARLOTTE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Hood Soldier's Commitment to Mission Makes the Difference, by SGT Javier Amador, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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