Top Sergeant

Book excerpt: In a military career spanning more than three decades, Bill Bainbridge saw service in three wars, fought in two of them, and was captured in one. He received ten Good Conduct Medals, two awards of the Combat Infantry Badge, three Army Commendation Medals, and the Distinguished Service Medal, among others. But the greatest moment in his career came when he was selected to be Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army, its highest NCO position, an office he was the first to hold for four years. But Bainbridge's most important job in his illustrious career was tending to the welfare of his soldiers. Top Sergeant is all about doing what a good sergeant does best -- attending to the needs of his men -- and what it takes to be a great noncommissioned officer in an army that officers are proud to command but NCOs really run.