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About The Hellgate Lance (Missoula, Montana) 1964-current | View This Issue
The Hellgate Lance (Missoula, Montana), 14 Oct. 1982, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/TheHellgateLance/1982-10-14/ed-1/seq-8/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
Williams gets discipline in Army Reserve . ~·. By Meg Moulding Assistant Features Editor Time spent last summer for Barry Williams, an English teacher at Hellgate, was not spent relaxing in the afternoon sun every day . In fact, Williams had little time to relax because he joined the Army Reserve and attended basic training for nine weeks at the \Military Show- place of the South,\ Fort Mc- Clellan, Alabama . (60 miles from Birmingham .) Originally , in search of a ca- reer, Williams had wanted to join the army after he graduated from high school , but poor eye- sight prevented him from pass- ing the physical. Even though the trend during Vietnam was to stay away from the army , he said he wanted to do something different. But he ended up waiting until last summer to join , and said that he got a very interesting perspective then that he wouldn ' t have gotten earlier . Williams said that the platoon he was in s~ed the day at 2:30 a.m. because their drill sergeant wanted their platoon to be \ the best ,\ making them scrub floors, tighten beds, and clean latrines . Just about anything that could be done was · done . The other platoons didn't have to wake up until 4 : 00 a . m . because physical training started at 4 : 30 a . m . Physical training included run- ning , running and more running , Williams said , in temperatures of over 100 degrees . They also did calisthenics , ran obstacle C()urses , and marched . Williams learned that a person can suffer more and last longer In uniform, Williams has a sense of accomplishment and pride. FIND YOURSELF at OLSON'S GROCERY 2105 S. Higgins 2/89e Burritos 7 a . m.-Midnight '~o. 3/$1.00 r GruJ,'! Hot Pizza · Hot Sandwiches . . Polish Sausages Fresh PopcOrn Foootain Drinks - .. .... . . . . , than anyone could imagine possible . \I believe that we are all play- ing a game of deterrence ,\ he said . He stressed that if people are disciplined, they can do more than they think they can . Williams really valued the deep sense of comraderie · and cooperation involved in the army, especially in his platoon. He said that the support went beyond friendship. \When the going gets tough, the people work together and you must work together to suc- ceed, \ he said. , The average age in Williams ' platoon was 18, but the drill ser- geants didn't make it any easier on Williams because he was older . They actually made it harder and because they ex- pected so much, Williams said he did more than he thought he could . ''Drill sergeants have powerful lungs, \ he said, which is where part of the mental challenge of the army comes in. Williams is of course used to being the boss because of teaching, and said that it ' s different being the \crawling private\ and being older also. He said he saw a lot of people break down because of the pressure, but it soon be- comes a reality. \The army knows people and their limitations almost down to a science,\ he said. H~ doesn't look at the army as being cruel \ in that sense. There were four platoons in Williams' company and one of them was for women, with 50 women in it. The women had the same training as the men and were respected by the men. Williams said he was very im- pressed by them but he thinks that women do not yet have an entirely clear perspective of what they can accomplish. His family, wife Elaine and son Nathan, kept themselves busy all summer so they wouldn't have to worry, but Wil- liams said he did get lonely. He said it was as if their camp were totally cut off from the world. He saw a newspaper about once a week , the reason being was to put them in a full military type situation with a cut-off environ- ment like war . Williams feels that a lot more students should consider the mil- itary after high school. \I believe that it is the kind of experience that everyone should have,\ he said . Williams also has a firm belief that if we (the United States) get involved in a military conflict, everyone will be involved any- way , so we might as well know the skills. The discipline of the army, Williams said, is a challenge · both physically and mentally , but he was proudest of his physi- cal accomplishment. He lost 30 pounds and laughed, \It was ex- pensive , I had to buy all new trousers .\ Williams graduated first in his class, as an honor graduate. He was a platoon sergeant for a company f 65 and was responsi- ble for th whereabouts and be- havior of t ~ men at all times . Williams .as a six year enlist- ment with the reserve and has to train one weekend a month. He expressed that he ' d love to share his experience with anyone who wants to talk about it. Williams enjoyed and valued his training period in the army and said, \I' m like everyone else , it was a great experience , but I'd never do it again .\ ATHENS GREEK RESTAURANT AUTHENTIC GREEK SANDWICHES & DINNERS Our Specialty GREEK GYROS -Homemade- Soups - Salads - Pastries Eat it here or take it out Open Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. 2021 South Ave. W. Ph. 549-1831 ATHENS GREEK ~EST AU RANT '· . .._
