Cadre in Focus: Sgt. 1st Class Jordany Urbano

Sgt. 1st Class Jordany Urbano

By Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hamilton

108th Training Command (IET) Public Affairs

FORT JACKSON, S.C. — Being a drill sergeant isn’t tough. Being a drill sergeant leader is tough!

But Army Reserve Drill Sergeant Leader, Sgt. 1st Class Jordany Urbano, is up to the challenge.

“Training a noncommissioned officer to become a drill sergeant is harder than training a civilian to become a Soldier. A lot of these NCOs have been doing things a certain way for a long time and they feel their way of doing things is the absolute right way. They really are set in their ways,” Urbano said.

“It’s up to us as Drill Sgt. Leaders here at the academy to say ‘hey, you’ve got to get back to basics.’ You’ve got to teach the fundamentals first and when these Soldiers get to the 82nd or 101st or wherever they’re going they can learn other things.”

Urbano, a Dominican Republic native who grew up in Brooklyn, and power generator mechanic with the Army Reserve, became a drill sergeant in July 2007. He became a Drill Sergeant Leader in Oct. 2012. He’s been attending Shoreline Community College in Washington State off and on for five years now. He is currently on active duty orders with the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

“In the civilian world I’m studying to be a sports therapist. I usually go to school for six or eight months and then a mission will come up and I’m off playing the drill sergeant role for a while. It’s toughest for me to transition from active duty to the civilian world. In the Army it’s very simple. You wake up, do physical training, eat breakfast and start your day. There’s always a mission. It’s very structured. In the civilian world, life doesn’t always seem to work out perfectly. It’s a lot of figuring out how to fit things into the schedule.”

As for his plans for the future, Urbano has ambitions of becoming a pilot on active duty.

“I am currently trying to get into active duty as a warrant officer. When I was a lot younger I wanted to go into Special Forces. That changed when my son was born. I’ve always wanted to fly something but it just wasn’t something I could fit into my life. Now situations have changed and I feel like I need to do it before it’s too late. Every little kid dreams of being a pilot when they are young.”

But for now, Urbano is content pushing NCOs at the academy into becoming the trainers of tomorrow’s force.

“I love the Army and I love being a drill sergeant. If I could do it the rest of my life I would. But I think it’s about time to let go of the reins and let some of these younger guys take over.”

Army Reserve Drill Sergeant Leader, Sgt. 1st Class Jordany Urbano, U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy, Fort Jackson, S.C., teaches prospective Drill Sergeant Candidates in the Army, Army Reserve and National Guard at the academy, the art of negotiating the obstacles at Victory Tower. Urbano has been a drill sergeant since 2007 and became a drill sergeant leader in 2012. A Dominican Republic native who grew up in Brooklyn, Urbano is working towards becoming a pilot on active duty. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hamilton, 108th Training Command (IET), Public Affairs

Army Reserve Drill Sergeant Leader, Sgt. 1st Class Jordany Urbano, U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy, Fort Jackson, S.C., has been a drill sergeant since 2007 and became a drill sergeant leader in 2012. A Dominican Republic native who grew up in Brooklyn, Urbano is working towards becoming a pilot on active duty. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hamilton, 108th Training Command (IET), Public Affairs