MSG(R) Sydney Niels Jensen
After my first quarter at the UofM, I, like most students, walked over to the Armory to check our grades. Standing at the top of the stairs ogling the students was SFC Jensen and soon to retire SGM Zabitosky (yeah,
that Zabitosky). Wearing a OG field jacket with an SF patch and all my badgefinder bling - I was pretty easy to clock. Long story short - I signed up for accelerated ROTC with only one arm twisted behind my back.
Syd became another of so many known (and unknown) mentors. He shepherded me through the difficult task of transitioning from an SF soldier to an Army officer.
I got to know sweet Blanche and the rowdy boys. Syd even trusted me to throw his boys off the front of the Armory 'on rappel'. We always got together whenever I found myself back at Bragg. Sigh. His lessons remain with me to this day.