Photo By Sgt. Alex Romanack | U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Michael Cano, first sergeant of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion,...... read more read more
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After 15 years in the Army, 1st Sgt. Michael Cano decided it was time to put himself to the test. Cano, an M1 armor crewman and the first sergeant of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, had never competed for the Expert Soldier Badge (ESB). That changed during an ESB testing event at Novo Selo Training Area (NSTA), Bulgaria.
As a tanker and senior noncommissioned officer, Cano had spent years honing his craft and leading Soldiers. This time, he wanted to challenge himself while showing his Soldiers that their first sergeant was willing to take on the same challenge that he was asking them to take on.
“How can I tell them to do it and then not do it myself?” Cano said. “I just wanted to lead by example. I want to show them that even this old guy can go do it.”
Cano's path to the competition was not a straight one. He joined the Army as a tanker, later reclassified as an information technology specialist and eventually returned to the armored corps. “I loved being a tanker a little too much,” he said. Returning to the armor community reinforced how much he valued his profession and the skills that come with being a tanker.
The ESB became an opportunity for Cano to test those skills while motivating the Soldiers in his company. He wanted his Soldiers to see the competition as an opportunity to challenge themselves and improve their basic Soldier skills. Of the company's approximately 65 Soldiers, 29 volunteered to compete, and five ultimately earned the badge.
Not everyone who started the competition earned the badge, but Cano said the experience was valuable for the entire company. Soldiers made it through several challenging events, including the physical fitness assessment, land navigation and weapons lanes, before some fell short in later events.
For Cano, the effort mattered as much as the outcome; several Soldiers were already talking about returning for another opportunity. Cano wanted his Soldiers to understand that falling short during one event was not the end of the road. The competition gave them a chance to identify areas for improvement, build their skills and come back better prepared.
The competition also gave Charlie Company an opportunity to challenge some of the stereotypes surrounding tankers. Tanks are heavy, require significant maintenance and consume a lot of fuel. Cano said that can sometimes create the perception that tankers are slower or less physically fit than other Soldiers. His company wanted to prove otherwise.
“My Soldiers and I came to a common ground agreement,” Cano said. “We are going to get the infantry standard. We are not going to let them or anybody else tell us that we are less than.”
The ESB was especially meaningful in an infantry battalion, where many Soldiers compete for the Expert Infantryman Badge. For armor Soldiers, there are other ways to demonstrate expertise, such as becoming a master gunner. But Cano believes Soldiers should still strive to be experts in the basic skills expected of every Soldier.
“Why not be experts in your craft?” he said.
Preparing for the competition in Bulgaria required coordination across the battalion and brigade. Because the training area is remote, the unit had a limited number of badge holders available to support the event. Soldiers from other battalions and from the 1st Infantry Division came together to assist with coordination and execution of the competition.
Charlie Company also had to balance ESB preparation with the daily demands of maintaining its tanks. The company's equipment required constant attention, and the older vehicles meant Soldiers had to spend significant time keeping them ready. Even with those demands, 29 Soldiers volunteered to compete. For Cano, that showed the level of commitment within the company.
The competition also gave Cano a chance to learn from the Soldiers around him. Rank and experience did not make the tasks any easier, and the event tested his knowledge and attention to detail just like it did every other competitor. Working through the weapons lanes and other events reminded him that even after 15 years in the Army, there is always something to learn and improve.
For Cano, the experience was humbling. He entered the competition confident in his skills and knowledge, but the demanding events required him to slow down, focus and trust his training.
“I like to think highly of myself at times,” Cano said, “but when it comes to my craft, I’m pretty confident. I’m pretty knowledgeable.”
The experience reinforced something Cano wants his Soldiers to understand: Expertise is not about how long you have worn the uniform. It comes from continuing to train, learn and challenge yourself.
The final challenge was the 12-mile ruck march. Cano was deep into the march when he began approaching the finish. Ahead of him was Charlie Company's yellow guidon, and around him were the voices of his Soldiers cheering him on. A fellow first sergeant was helping pace him.
“He told me, ‘Don’t you quit. Your Soldiers are watching you,’” Cano said.
Cano kept moving. He focused on the finish line while his Soldiers and officers continued to encourage him. With the finish in sight, Cano drew motivation from the people waiting for him at the end.
“Do it for you, do it for your wife, do it for your kids,” he told himself.
He finished the ruck and completed the competition, earning the Expert Soldier Badge on his first attempt. For Cano, earning the ESB was a personal accomplishment, but the experience was bigger than a badge. It gave him a chance to train alongside his Soldiers, learn from younger NCOs and show his company that leaders should be willing to take on the same challenges they ask of their Soldiers.
The experience also gave Cano a better understanding of how Charlie Company should prepare for future competitions. He plans to establish a training progression that focuses on individual tasks and builds Soldiers' skills over time instead of trying to teach everything at once.
His advice to Soldiers preparing for the ESB is simple: take care of your body, train for the physical requirements and practice the basic Soldier skills. Run in your body armor. Carry sandbags. Practice land navigation with a map and protractor. Work on your pace count. Practice the tasks until they become familiar.
“Don’t drink from the fire hose,” Cano said. “Definitely that progression will get you there.”
After 15 years in uniform, Cano finally put his skills to the test at NSTA, Bulgaria. He passed on his first attempt, but the accomplishment was about more than adding another badge to his uniform. For Cano, it was an opportunity to show his Soldiers that leadership means being willing to stand beside them, take on the challenge and keep moving when things get difficult.
“I just wanted to lead by example,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2026 17:16 |
| Story ID: | 574376 |
| Location: | NOVO SELO, BG |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Leading from the front: First sergeant earns Expert Soldier Badge on first attempt, by SSG Alyssa Blom, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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