Don L Willadsen
The opinions expressed on this page are my own and not those of my employer,
my chain of command, or the United States Army.
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I started my career in 1987 at the United States Military Academy. To the surprise of some of my classmates, I graduated and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Armor in 1991.
My first real unit was I Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored
Cavalry Regiment (the Workhorse of the Blackhorse)
in Bad Hersfeld, Germany. I learned a great deal from my
fellow officers and even more from the Noncommissioned
Officers of Invader Troop. While I was there the Invaders
won the Cav Cup over all other recon teams from several countries in Europe,
as well as the Draper Armor Leadership Award for the
Regiment. I mention this as evidence that it was a
great unit with some great people, and it was sad
to be a casualty of the drawdown in 1993. Some
friends of mine wrote a new verse to the unit song
to commemorate that event:
Our guidons held on high,
We bring our trusty mounts to rest,
Our deeds will never die.
In any hour that duty calls to keep our country free,
With a thunderous roar we'll ride again, 11th Cavalry!
Moving, isn't it? I may weep.
Visit the Blackhorse Association.
Since then, my assignments have taken me to Mannheim (Germany), Fort Lewis, Washington, South Korea, Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
My best assignment was command of D Company, 2-72 AR Battalion. I had a great time commanding the Death Dealers. I had the support of some great officers and NCOs, particularly my two First Sergeants, 1SG David Duguay and 1SG Larry Lynch, who did all the hard work so I could look good and keep outside influences away. Without the hard work and dedication of every Death Dealer, we would never have won five guidon streamers. Soon after I took command, my crew scored Top Tank in the battalion on Tank Table VIII. The tank crew photo below commemorates the event. Other interesting photos are also below.
I spent 2 years as an Army Automator and expect to do it again. When in such jobs, I manage computer systems and networks, with emphasis on security, intrusion detection, and vulnerability analysis. I have a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from USMA, and have had 2 years of hands-on experience and about 8 weeks of special training. I particularly enjoyed the security role of protecting the network from intruders on a daily basis.
Many people treat their computers like pets instead of tools. I created the SAC Dancing Computer to illustrate the point. It looks good but performs no useful function, other than as a mascot for our SAC course. Therefore it qualifies as art.
My last tour was as an IG. That was a very interesting job, and highly recommended for anyone who likes to learn new things, can write well, and can control their emotions.
I am now performing in an Army computer job in North Carolina.
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