“I Want To Be Part Of A Team Serving The Nation”: A Prior Service 13F Branches Artillery Through West Point

Marshall Krebs grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, with his parents and his brother and sister. He felt that high school was an “interesting” time, but he wanted to move on to bigger and better things. Jumping at the chance to graduate in three years so he could join the Army was a decision that led to complications later. He attended a semester of community college to appease his mother who did not want him rushing off to the Army at 17 and became inspired to learn there. He was finally able to convince his mother to sign the paperwork allowing him to join the Army and he enlisted, initially as a 13M MLRS/HIMARS Crewmember (Multiple Launch Rocket System / High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), but that is not what he really wanted, and at the MEPS (Military Entry Processing Station), he was able to reclass to a 13F Joint Fire Support Specialist. He describes the “shark attack” he experienced at the beginning of Basic Training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, when the Drill Sergeants descended on the unsuspecting privates, but notes that the professionalism of a Drill Sergeant in his dress uniform inspired him, and he felt that the NCO was a role model. Basic Training “sucked,” but it was “the best time” because Marshall was learning new skills and conducting exciting training. He enjoyed the pressure and stress of Basic but understood that the nature of the stress changed when he got to AIT (Advanced Individual Training), where the stress was less externally induced and more internal as he worked to learn the technical aspects of his job. He describes a “really cool” moment during live fire training, when he felt well-drilled in adjusting the artillery rounds. After AIT, he reported to his first duty station, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery of the 75th Field Artillery Brigade, also located at Ft. Sill. Adjusting to the freedom of being a Private in the Army was a new sensation for Marshall, but he soon made friends and was treated well by his NCOs. He describes some of the training he conducted and becoming a driver for Command Sergeant Major Masters. Later, he served as the driver for COL Ryan McCormack, USMA ’97. Marshall provides a detailed perspective on the Sergeant Major’s leadership style, noting how he took the time to get to know his Soldiers and help them further their careers. Just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning, the 75th Field Artillery Brigade deployed to Kuwait and Syria, and Marshall found himself on the ADVON. Following a two-week quarantine in what he describes as a “prison camp in the desert” at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, he deployed to Camp Conoco, Syria, as part of a Q53 radar team. He describes his flight across Iraq and into Syria on a Marine Osprey. He enjoyed his time in Syria, learning a lot and even getting to fire two artillery missions as a “show of force.” Returning to the United States at the end of his nine-month deployment was challenging because, due to the pandemic, they were unable to leave the plane for the entire 24 hour return trip. COL McCormack began suggesting that Marshall apply to West Point, having seen potential in him. Marshall was unconvinced until COL McCormack essentially told him to apply. Throughout the process, Marshall was rejected by Admissions three times. COL McCormack called, and learned that Marshall’s file indicated that he had not completed high school. A few quick phone calls settled the issue, and Marshall was offered a slot at the Prep School. He loved his experiences at USMAPS and tried to be a good peer leader, using the skills he had developed in the Army to help his classmates (as he later did during Beast as well). At some points he was bored at USMAPS and considered returning to the Army, but the walking tour of West Point convinced him that the Academy was worth it. He did “surprisingly well” academically, placing 5th in his USMAPS class, and was surprised when his TAC told him that he had been ranked dead last upon entering the Prep School. He also met his fiancée, Rylie, at USMAPS, and their first date was ice skating. Reporting to West Point for R-Day marked the start of his third opportunity for “initial entry” training, and he found Beast to be physically the easiest but mentally the hardest. However, helping to motivate his classmates kept him motivated too. He did well academically (geospatial science major) and militarily at West Point but found the physical pillar the most challenging. Over the summers, he completed Air Assault and multiple internships, and served as a Beast Squad Leader, which he really enjoyed. He was on the Pistol Team and was part of the Tank Crew at the football games, enjoying firing the t-shirt cannon. One of his memorable experiences was beating Navy at the national pistol meet. He branched Field Artillery (COL McCormack “encouraged” him to go combat arms) and is looking forward to getting married later in June. He advises future Cadets to commit, and to take advantage of the opportunities offered at the Academy, noting that he was able to spend a semester abroad in Brazil. He also emphasized that it is important to get to know your Soldiers and their stories. He is glad that the Army allowed him to meet people from around the country and exposed him to their different ways of life.