Photo By Spc. Devin Davis | First Lt. Benjamin Connell, executive officer for Bravo Company, 125th Finance...... read more read more
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In the military realm, the transition from enlisted to commissioned officer is a remarkable feat that accentuates both dedication and leadership potential. Challenges, sacrifices, ambition and moments of profound growth often mark such a journey. One such inspiring story is that of 1st Lt. Benjamin Connell, whose journey of commissioning as a finance officer is less than typical.
Before he was the executive officer for Bravo Company, 25th Finance Battalion, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Connell’s journey began in 2008, when he enlisted as an infantryman straight out of high school.
“I have a history of service in my family, and with the war in Iraq as well as Afghanistan, I wanted to serve my country,” said Connell.
Despite rigorous training, multiple deployments, family and more responsibility as he rose through the ranks as a noncommissioned officer, he was able to finish his degree in 2016. Connell was able to earn his degree using the Army's Tuition Assistance Program coupled with college credits earned through military education.
“I was just going to different schools at the education center like all the other Soldiers, just scrapping credits together using the training the Army's given me,” said Connell. “I was able to go in and get my bachelor's degree.”
After earning his degree and being promoted to sergeant first class, Connell pondered his option to apply to become a commissioned officer. Ultimately, he decided he wanted to serve in one last NCO position before starting his commissioning program.
“It just didn't feel like the right time, and I wanted to go be a platoon sergeant. So I went forward to Fort Riley (Kansas) and was a platoon sergeant,” said Connell. “You just get caught up in the operations and your Soldiers and it's never really the right time, and, truth be told, I was a little scared. That fear of failure and everything was kind of eating me. I got a really great thing, a great career, I like my job and I like to Soldier; so, I did not want to switch.”
Connell did his time as a platoon sergeant at Fort Riley and then moved to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he was promoted and took responsibility as a basic combat training first sergeant.
“I had no experience in basic training and was working with some drills sergeants. I'd been there about four or five months, and they'd come to me and said they wanted to try OCS (Officer Candidate School), but they were also expressing a lot of the same feelings that I had,” said Connell. “I was telling them, ‘You got a really supportive chain of command here, and this is a great opportunity to really set you up and chase your dreams.’”
As Connell mentored his drill sergeants, his words began to hit home.
“I was like, ‘Man! I should really be looking at me right now’ because at that point, I really wanted to try to commission before I got any older as well as before the doors start to close,” said Connell. “I was like, ‘Hey, we’ll do it together.’ So, we would do the OCS process together, applying and going to the board and building our packets together. That was kind of what helped put me over the edge and have the courage to do it.”
Connell’s pursuit to earn a commission did not go unnoticed. His superiors recognized his potential and supported his decision to submit for OCS. Holding the position and rank of first sergeant with more than 12 years of service, Connell was not a typical OCS candidate.
“Going to OCS, coming from a basic training environment, I think was helpful because probably two thirds of the class were fresh from basic training,” said Connell. “So, I knew what they had just experienced and went through, so I could kind of relate with them even though we didn't have much in common personally, and I think that helped our class as a whole just to have that kind of connection.”
The journey through OCS was arduous, testing Connell both mentally and physically. Yet, he persevered, drawing upon his years of experience as a noncommissioned officer and fellow enlisted personnel to navigate these challenges.
Probably about a third of my class was in-service enlisted, and, other than myself, we had two or three sergeant first classes in my class, said Connell.
Finally, after 12 weeks of rigorous training and evaluation, Connell achieved his long-awaited goal, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. The moment marked the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice.
As a former infantry first sergeant, Connell had the Soldier aspect of the Army under his belt, but as a newly commissioned finance officer, he still had much to learn.
“It's definitely been humbling,” said Connell. “I think going finance is a completely new world and not knowing anything, I’ve really had to depend on the Soldiers and the NCOs in the unit. It's helped me stay grounded.”
One such Soldier Connell depends on is Cpl. Djamila Balima, a finance Soldier currently working as the supply sergeant for Bravo Company.
“He didn’t tell me that he was previously a first sergeant or had experience in the Army,” said Balima. “But every time we need documentation he knows where to find it. I was not familiar with some terms and he could explain it to me. He knows a lot.”
Despite being the supply sergeant for the company, Balima still continues to processes multiple contract transactions each day.
“She's a brilliant coder, just phenomenal at her job and she was selected by the command team to serve as the supply sergeant and really establish what our command supply discipline program should look like,” said Connell.
Balima went on to say that, she could identify how his previous experience as a first sergeant far surpassed the experience levels of a newly commissioned lieutenant.
“He’s also the type of person, that if he doesn’t know how to do something, he knows where to search for it,” said Balima. “What I like about him is his patience, because everybody has a different way of learning and he understands that.”
With a new functional area and position, Connell now looks forward to the challenges and responsibilities that lie ahead. Armed with a wealth of experience and a steadfast commitment to his Soldiers, he is poised to excel in his new role. His journey from first sergeant to first lieutenant serves as an inspiration to aspiring leaders within the military, illustrating the boundless opportunities available within the Army.
| Date Taken: | 02.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.15.2024 16:19 |
| Story ID: | 464008 |
| Location: | HI, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From enlisted to officer: A journey of leadership, by SFC Joshua Brandenburg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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