I’ve mentioned Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Terry Cowan in my blogs before, but I think the time to give him some individualized attention and thanks, is way overdue.
Terry lives in Nicholasville with his beautiful wife Sue and four talented and special kids! By the way, Hi Eric, Austin, Adam and Heather! I miss you guysJ!
If you let CSM Cowan tell you his own story, in my opinion, it wouldn’t last very long. It would sound something like this: “I grew up in rural West Virginia, got in a lot fights, learned it wasn’t best to always fight, made some mistakes, joined the Army, learned what was important in life, talked with God, and became more of a man than I thought I ever would be.”
That literally would be as long as he would talk about himself. In a world full of people who like to be the center of attention, CSM Cowan is a breath of fresh air.
He wouldn’t spend much time on himself. At least he never has that I’ve ever seen. He’s the kind of guy that finds others far more interesting and sits patiently while they unload their stories or sometimes just their troubles. He wants to know about your life, and your ups and downs, and would try to learn from you, and will really listen to you. That’s the other thing about him, he’s a great listener. Most of us just wait on our turn to talk. He listens and responds if it’s really needed. Which can be rare in the Army, since we have quite a few ‘type A’ personalities, almost all willing to tell there own war stories.
His business is taking care of soldiers. If you’re unfamiliar with the military, it tends to be the job of a Sergeant Major to take care of soldiers. So really, he’s in the business of taking care of people. You would be hard-pressed to find a CSM that does it as well, or with as much genuine concern, as CSM Cowan.
Are you eating good? No problem, he’s got you taken care of.
Sleeping well? No problem, he’s got you taken care of.
Want to call home and check on your newborn baby and wife? No problem, he’s got you taken care of.
But here’s what really makes him so special:
Ask around and see how many servicemembers had their unit’s CSM as one of their ‘best men’ in their wedding. Then ask how many CSM’s have offered to be a designated driver to a bunch of lower-ranking soldiers, just so he could be sure they got home safe. Then try to find a CSM, in any branch of service, that will come to your house on his free-time and help you move.
Oh yeah and before I forget: Ask around and see how many CSM’s they know, that have randomly tackled them off an elevated pier, twenty feet above the Atlantic ocean, during low tide, at night, with no advance warning and coming close to drowning both of you! You heard me right. True story.
You thought this was going to be a love-fest didn’t you? He’s great! The best! We all just love him! Yeah, right.
My CSM, (not a CSM at the time of this incident – editor’s note) came out of nowhere, tearing down the dock like Charles Barkley entering a casino, in the dark, and tackled me off the edge of a twenty foot high pier, sending us both spiraling into the black of the Atlantic Ocean at night.
Why, you ask?
No, he wasn’t mad. He wasn’t drunk. He wasn’t even upset over anything. I already told you why, weren’t you reading? He’s from West Virginia. The ‘hills’ of West Virginia. He, by his own admission, is a West Virginia hillbilly, and he just likes to fight sometimes. His only rule is; “I have to pick the biggest guy in the room and he has to be bigger than me.”
Sadly, for the last 7 fights or so when he’s gotten his ‘West Virginia itch to fight’ I have been the biggest guy in the room. I couldn’t have picked a better guy to be ‘pummeled’ by with such frequency. Really.
When you ask around the unit for one-word descriptions of Terry Cowan you get words like; giving, concerned, genuine, ‘takes care of his troops,’ dutiful, focused ‘without being a jerk,’ and ‘very likable.’
Not surprisingly, the biggest guy in the unit (not me) said, that CSM Cowan could be ‘a little rowdy’ at times. Yeah, I know what you mean.
The only way I can describe CSM Terry Cowan would be that he is one of the best men I’ve ever been around, a great role model, a friend and an absolute class act of a human being, with a great left uppercut.
Thanks for taking such good care of us CSM, you’re the best.
You know what, though? Even after all that, if I’m the biggest guy in the room on any given day - look out!
I love you Lindsay,
YAMWW,
Steve
