Soldiers Give High School Football Team An Army Experience

Drill sergeants and noncommissioned officers from Delta, Echo and Foxtrot companies of 3rd/323rd Infantry Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 98th Training Division (IET) welcomed 57 players and six coaches from the James F. Byrnes Football Team to Fort Jackson for an Army Experience in June.

The 98th Training Division cadre welcomed the high school team to Fort Jackson for this first-timein-history event, and immediately assigned them to barracks, where they distributed some Army Basic Training style motivation.

Over the weekend, the cadre pushed the football team through the Fit to Win Course, the Team Development Course and an Army Combat Fitness Test. The students were also given a chance to eat Meals Ready to Eat, and interact with drill sergeants and other cadre who shared their Army stories. For many, this opportunity was their only real exposure to Soldiers and Army life.

The unique event was spearheaded by Coach Reggie Shaw and 1st Sgt. Walter Snow of Echo Company.

For Snow, who is James F. Byrnes High School graduate, it was a way to give back and help students who may not know what they want to do after high school. “When I graduated high school, there was nothing at the other end of the stage for me that night. I don’t want anyone else to feel that.”

So, whether it’s the Army, or another branch of service, I wanted these kids to know there are options out there for them, explained Snow.