Recruiter waits twenty-four years to realize dream

Photo By Nelson Ballew | Sgt. Maj. Michael Todd received his parachutist badge, 21 Nov. 2018 at Fort Benning, Georgia when his wife, Nicole Todd pinned them on his uniform. His daughter KarLee stands by his side. Todd the operations sergeant major for U.S. Army 2nd Recruiting Brigade graduated from Airborne School twenty-four years after first expressing the desire to the guidance counselor when he enlisted in the U.S. Army.  

UNITED STATES

12.21.2018

Story by Nelson Ballew 

U.S. Army 2nd Recruiting Brigade

After experiencing five successful aircraft exits and subsequent parachute landings, Sgt. Maj. Michael Todd, operations sergeant major for 2nd Recruiting Brigade stands in formation waiting for his wife Nicole and daughter KarLee to pin a parachutist badge onto his uniform. Todd has been waiting twenty-four years for this moment.
In April 1994, a young Todd sought to follow the path of his older brother. To become a Soldier.
His brother, who had already been serving for four years and had attained the rank of sergeant offered what he believed was sage counsel to his little brother. “There are three jobs in the Army you do not want: Infantry, Artillery and cook.” Armed with that brotherly advice, Todd intended on joining to be a mechanic.
Like most Army plans his intent changed after the initial contact; or in this case the initial conversation with Sgt. 1st Class Ricky Riley the Army guidance counselor, at St. Louis Military Entrance Processing Station in Missouri.
Riley showed Todd a video of infantry paratroopers jumping from an airplane. The video resulted in an emotional response from Todd. He told Riley, “That’s what I want to do. I want to be an airborne infantryman.”
Since Todd needed a weight waiver to enlist Riley’s responded, “I don’t know if you could ever fall from the air as small as you are.” Todd believed the statement was meant to pump him up. “That’s what I want to do,” he responded to Riley.
After breaking the news there were not any airborne allocations at the time Riley contracted the future sergeant major as an Infantry recruit telling him to volunteer after he finished his Infantry training.
As time passed, Todd never got the chance to attend airborne school. Along the way he has earned many awards and decorations including graduating from air assault school. But the dream only became a possibility recently when he received an age waiver to attend the school.
After reporting to B Company, 1/507th Parachute Infantry Regiment on November 1, 2018, Todd told his cadre he did not want any special treatment. He just wanted to enjoy the experience.
His experience was so life changing he is now trying to attend Ranger School. His experience shows that any dream is attainable. Even if it requires 24-years of patience.

• Date Taken: 12.21.2018
• Date Posted: 12.27.2018 11:13
• Story ID: 305276
• Location: US