Whose Squad? My Squad Was the Best. An Essay by William Marshall

I’ll never forget the first real question my squad leader threw at me. “Which squad’s the best in this unit, Marshall?” SSG Arroyo barked. I froze. I was a private, fresh in the 82nd Airborne Division, barely a week into boots-on-ground life. A legacy loomed over me—paratrooper grit I could feel but couldn’t yet grasp. What was I supposed to say? I didn’t even know the guys in my own platoon, let alone how we stacked up.

I glanced at the other three squads in Bravo Battery. Across the way, Charlie Battery—our rivals—roared, “Cold Steel, Prepare to Move Forward!” Delta Battery and HHB chimed in too, their cadences rattling the air. It was chaos and pride all at once, and there I stood, a wide-eyed trooper, clueless. “I’m not sure, Sergeant,” I mumbled. “I haven’t even been here long enough to unpack.” He pressed me, eyes narrowing. “If you had to pick right now, what’d you say?” I didn’t have an answer then. Didn’t know I’d spend years finding it.

That moment stuck with me, though—a challenge that lit a fire. It wasn’t just about picking a squad; it was about proving one. I dove in headfirst after that. Hours of sweat, study, and grind—whatever it took to meet the standard. If I was part of it, it had to be the best. My squad wasn’t just a unit; it was family. Brothers like Maggott and Burnley, who’d take a bullet laughing. Leaders like Rogers and Stout, who carved the path. Soldiers like Evans—now leading our branch—and Bibb, the guy we all loved, no question. Together, we weren’t just good; we were unbreakable.

The highlight? Table XII in Korea. My PATRIOT Battery didn’t just show up—we dominated. First to fire, first to prove it. Our leaders didn’t drag us there; they charged ahead, and we followed, locked and loaded. I can still hear the thump of those missile shots, see the smoke curling over the range. AUDACIA runs, Cattlemans drills, Range 40 blasts, Sea Range showdowns—every shot a testament. And Herndon? That Avenger shoot-on-the-move was a masterpiece. We didn’t just win; we left the rest of the unit choking on our dust.

Looking back, my little stack of awards—personal ribbons, firing party pins, missile shoot citations—tells the story. My squad was the best because we had to be. We didn’t know any other way. That question from my squad leader stopped being a puzzle and became a truth I carried: My squad was the best. Not because I said it back then, but because we lived it every damn day.

1SG(R) William Marshall is an American Patriot who has been writing about his experiences and time in service as a Soldier for the US Army. 1SG(R) Marshall is an Airborne Air Defense Soldier that spent time in the 82nd Airborne Division, Korea, and the Persian Gulf. He has exited many aircraft even though they were satisfactorily safe to land and deployed at a moments notice in defense of his nation. He is proud father and grandfather and committed to serving the Holy Spirit who helps guide him in his daily life.