ESS Perspectives: We are honored to introduce Army Command Sergeant Major John Wayne Troxell.

John served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the senior noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, from Dec. 11, 2015, until his retirement on Dec. 13, 2019. In this role, he served as the principal military advisor to the Chairman and the Secretary of Defense on all matters involving joint and combined total force integration, utilization, health of the force and joint development for enlisted personnel. CSM Troxell has served in the Army over 30 years in numerous units throughout his career. His five combat tours of duty include making the combat parachute jump and service in Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. CSM Troxell has been married to his wife Sandra for 39 years. They have three adult sons and two grandchildren.

CSM John Wayne Troxell joined the ESS Team as a Brand Ambassador and Military Advisor in January, 2020. His insight and leadership has proven to be invaluable in assisting ESS in our commitment to making the toughest, most reliable eye pro on the planet.

 

In September, 2022, a team of ESS employees led by General Manager Mike Vigueria talked with SEAC Ret. Troxell about a wide range of topics ranging from his military career, mentors, and specific moments that stuck with him during his career, to the value of good equipment and how he is spending time in “retirement.” In print form you cannot truly appreciate the cadence and confident manner in which John speaks. In speaking with John, you can feel almost an electricity coming off him. He is energetic and charismatic. He is direct in his delivery and maintains a slight southern accent picked up from his time in Texas. It is a voice that commands attention as well as captures authenticity. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

 

ESS

John, thank you very much for taking time to talk with us today. I know you have an extremely busy travel schedule, so we’ll dive right in. Let’s start the beginning. Can you share with us how you got your start in the military?

 

John Wayne Troxell 

I grew up in Davenport, Iowa in a broken home. My mom divorced when I was a young kid, and my birth father ended up in prison. I didn't have a lot of purpose, motivation, or direction. I was a mediocre athlete. I was good at school, but more focused on chasing girls and drinking cheap beer. Some of the guys in my neighborhood would leave and join the military, and when they came back, they had this air of confidence, this new muscular build, and they walked with their heads held high. They spoke boisterously. They were spewing confidence. So I said to myself, “I don't know what happened to them. But I want some of that.”

 

And so I made a decision to join the army. Once I got into the army, it just felt like I fit in. I just fit into the military like a round peg, like I was made for it.

 

ESS

Do you recall any specific mentors that influenced you during that period of your life?

 

John Wayne Troxell 

My first true mentor was a First Sergeant — God rest his soul — Charles B. DeRosa. My first tour duty was in Fort Bliss, Texas. The best thing to happen to me there was that I met my wife Sandra. We've been married for 39 years now. I only spent a year at Bliss and we were expecting our first son when I ended up going to Germany. I was a little disillusioned because I wanted to be challenged in the military and it wasn't happening at Fort Bliss. 

 

So I got to Germany, and Sergeant DeRosa calls me into his office one day after I'd been there about six months. He said, “You're going to compete for the Soldier of the Month. I think you're a good soldier. And I think you've got potential.” That was the first leader who ever talked to me like that. And it had a profound impact on me. 

 

And so I made a promise to myself that I would do whatever I needed to do to impress leaders like him. I was going to go win the darn thing. And I did. I ended up winning soldier of the month, then soldier of the quarter and ultimately, I was the Third Armored Division Soldier of the Year. 

 

ESS

You make it sounds so easy. I imagine that setting out to win against your peers is probably a little more difficult than simply setting your mind to it? How do you become a Soldier of the Month or Soldier of the Year?

 

John Wayne Troxell 

DeRosa was a Korean War veteran and a Vietnam veteran and he walked with this air of presence and respect around the unit. When he put this vote of confidence in me, I said to myself, “I am not going to let this man down. I am going to do what is ever is necessary to continue to be worthy.” And I started to trust in my potential. I focused on practicing battle tasks. I concentrated on my fitness. I studied the manuals and regulations. I wanted to make sure I was best prepared because the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint him. I would have felt worse, disappointing him, instead of disappointing myself. That's how much of a mentor and how much of an impact that guy had on me. And that's why I focused on making sure that I did the things necessary that would give me a good chance of winning the whole darn thing.

 

ESS

In the military, physical prowess is obviously extremely important. Can you talk more about the mental toughness aspect of the military?

 

John Wayne Troxell 

The physical aspect is the foundation of being a member of this warrior class. Because physically, we have to be able to endure the brutality and unforgiveness of combat. But I think the mental and emotional aspect is as important — the ability to bounce back. Being a resilient warrior, based on your mental and emotional health, is important because we all know that bad things are going to happen in combat. 

 

For me, it started in 1989, when I parachuted into combat in Operation Just Cause. An hour into the operation, one of the guys in the unit I was supporting was killed in action. That had a big impact on me. Seven months later, I went into Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and I fought in Desert Storm where we lost over 100 troops across the battlespace. I realized then, that there was a connection between how physically fit I was, and how mentally and emotionally fit I was, as well. 

 

When you lose somebody, the next day you have to get back on your horse — and go back out and do the same mission. Without that mental and emotional readiness and preparedness, it can weigh on — not only the individual — but the whole unit as well. Mental and emotional wellness and fitness are as important as the physical aspect, knowing that the physical aspect is the foundation you start from.

 

During the first week of my combat deployment, my commander and I made eight trips to the morgue in seven days to identify the remains of our soldiers. And over the course of 15 months, we lost 54 and had over 500 severely wounded. You may have a significant emotional event that directly affects you as a leader, but you have to be able to process that, understand it, and drive on. Bad things are going to happen to people who serve in the military. It's just the nature of the business we're in. And although we want to continue to honor and reflect and remember and grieve about the bad stuff, we've got to compartmentalize it, and we have to push on to the next mission. Because the minute we start succumbing, it can erode the readiness and capability of the unit and more importantly, can give the enemy a competitive advantage over us. 

 

I can't say it any plainer than that. And when I talk like that to members of the mainstream media, some of them look at me like I am glorifying combat. I'm not doing that at all. This is the reality of being a member of this warrior class. And whether you're in the United States military, the Ukraine military, or any other military around the world, this is the life you live. Ultimately, it's about fighting and winning your nation's wars. And that's why that physical, mental, and emotional preparedness is paramount to every man or woman that serves in military uniform.

 

ESS

As a leader, how do you motivate troops in times of crisis?

 

John Wayne Troxell 

In Iraq, when we had our first casualty, I could see the look on the faces of our troops, it was almost a look of defeat. Anytime a unit goes into combat, they don't want to lose anybody. All of a sudden, the enemy gets a vote. I had to make sure I was the guy who got in front of them, along with other leaders to say, hey, the enemy gets a vote and they got us today. Today they bloodied our nose. Okay? We were prepared. We were moving in a disciplined formation. It just so happened that we missed the two machine guns that were on the high ground overwatching. Tomorrow we will prevail.

 

Of course, over time, the toll of loss, and the number of wounded will have an effect on leaders as well. Every good leader becomes good at providing that necessary comfort and perspective. But leaders need support too. They also need an inner circle that will share the same kind of hardships. And you can do that openly and be vulnerable while you do.

 

The other thing we have to remember is the families. My wife Sandra went on USO tour into Iraq and Afghanistan with me twice. During those hard ones, during the surge in Iraq, while I was experiencing these losses in combat, she went to every funeral, she went to every memorial service, and she visited our wounded warriors in Walter Reed, and in San Antonio. And, you know, after that combat tour, she and I had to take an extended kind of leave, because it had taken a toll on both of us. Not only does this take a toll on the men and women who are in uniform, and especially in leadership positions, it also has a tremendous toll on their families. 

 

ESS

We have talked about physical and mental strength. Let’s talk about the equipment that you bring into the field of battle. Are there any insights you can give us about the importance of that equipment.

 

John Wayne Troxell 

The most important thing for a warfighter in combat is the helmet on their head and the body armor they wear. But as important is the eye protection and ear protection. I was a huge advocate to make sure that I didn't have any men or women coming home missing an eye. This is where I first got exposed to ESS eyewear and learned the differences. When I got hit by an EFP, (explosively formed penetrator, an advanced anti-armor roadside bomb), my PPE and eye pro saved me. When I would go to the hospital, I would see kids that had been in an explosion. They had shrapnel wounds to their face. But there was nothing wrong around their eyes because they were wearing their ballistic eye protection. 

 

I'm biased here, but the eye protection of choice is ESS ballistic eyewear. I’ve seen it work on the battlefield and it’s why I'm such a fan. If you ask anybody that served with me in Afghanistan, I was the biggest hard ass on the planet about personal protective equipment. Whether that was the body armor, the helmet, eye pro, or ear pro, wearing the flame retardant shirt in the way it's supposed to be done, wearing flame retardant gloves, and also using things like our handheld counter IED devices. I was just the biggest hard ass on the planet, to make sure we get that right. Because I didn't want these kids to love me. I wanted them to love themselves so much that they would wear their equipment the way it was supposed to be worn. And they may be back home on leave after the deployment in a bar talking smack about me being a hard ass. But at least they're home and they have both their eyes, they have all 10 fingers. They wore their stuff properly, and it saved their lives in battle.

 

For leaders, there has to be a balance between empathy and accountability, between compassion and discipline. And as much as a combat deployment will wear on troops—especially over 15 months—the minute you start lowering standards, and you allow complacency to set it, you're just giving the enemy a competitive advantage. It’s about maintaining those standards, disciplines, and practices that make you successful against an armed threat.

 

ESS

Do you have a favorite ESS product? It there a specific pair of eye pro that you would recommend?

 

John Wayne Troxell 

Oh, by far, the Crossbow, because of the comfort it has, but more importantly, how it protects the orbital socket. The ESS Crossbow in my opinion provides you the maximum protection. In terms of being in 100-degree heat, the breathability that it provides to me is also superior. As a matter of fact, I still wear mine all the time right now! I have never seen a troop wearing this eye protection have an eye injury. We have one picture of the crossbow that's got shrapnel in it. It was being used in Afghanistan by our brigade-level combat teams. 

 

Also, when you wear a Peltor headset, the Crossbow just has a comfortable fit to it. You talk about patrolling for two or three hours and all of a sudden you have tank ditches in the side of your head if you don’t have the right fit. With a Crossbow, it would just fit perfectly and comfortably and that meant that you could continue to wear it for longer out on patrol. 

 

ESS 

There seems to be an overarching theme to this interview that I’m curious about. We’ve talked a lot about leadership so far. Do you think leaders are born or are they made? Basically, the classic “Nature or Nurture” argument?

 

John Wayne Troxell 

I don't think leaders are born. But I think there is an attribute about some people who just want to have an impact on other people. And they want to be a valued teammate. And they want to be somebody that accepts and yearns for responsibility. I wanted people to be able to count on me ever since my first sergeant pointed me out in 1984. I wanted to have an impact wherever I went — on subordinates, my peers, and my superiors. It comes through your example, through your presence, by being persistent at building a cohesive organization and getting people to strive for excellence in every one of their tasks. 

 

I wanted my troops to reach their untapped potential. The greatest accomplishment I felt is when I would see one of my subordinates do something that they didn't think they could do. In the end, it's about how do I build better soldiers. How do I build better teams? How do I build a better organization, and I think that comes from sets and reps starting early, as a leader with a smaller audience. And growing to the point as the SEAC responsible for 3 million active Guard, Reserve soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and guardians — of saying, “I'm going to do what is necessary to make sure that I deliver the pulse of the force to the chairman SecDef, and the administration — but more importantly, deliver the why to the troops wherever they're at. And again, that is in the Middle East, South America, Africa, the Pacific, wherever they were at, I wanted to be able to do that. 

 

And I think that goes back to those “three P's.” Being a leader of presence, being a leader that performs the same kind of work that you expect your subordinates to do. And then being persistent. And of course, striving for excellence, instilling discipline, building cohesion — all the things necessary to build a world-class organization.

 

ESS 

It's such a tornado of positivity and motivation. As a leader, when you see people who struggle, and you push them to succeed, it helps you become a better leader as well. And, it just continues to have a snowball effect of just going in the right direction.

 

John Wayne Troxell 

Absolutely. Leadership is an art. It's not a science. So there are different methods of effectiveness. I'm about enthusiasm and energy. Firing people up and getting people fired up about coming to work, and then being part of the team. Some people aren't that boisterous or outgoing. And there's nothing wrong with that. As long as they're having the desired effect necessary to make the organization successful.

 

ESS

John, can you talk more about your post-military career and just how you're spending your time these days?

 

John Wayne Troxell 

So how much time do we have? [laughter] So when I got ready to transition, I knew a couple of things. I didn't want to just retire and do nothing, because I knew it would drive me crazy. Second of all, I wanted to be able to give back in a different way, I didn't want to be lost in my museum and still think I was the S.E.A.C and run around and try to portray that. So I thought how can I give back the most? 

 

First, I wanted to be able to give back by being a part of an industry that gets after the lethality, readiness, and fitness of the force. And second of all, I wanted to make sure that I was doing things that would take care of our transitioning service members, our veterans, and their families, — all families, both active and post-military. So I'm doing a lot of things across the spectrum in the fitness arena, in the military hiring arena, and the lethality arena with ESS and other brands I truly believe in. Others like the US Chamber nonprofit, Hiring Our Heroes, that get after post-military employment for veterans and military spouses, and others like Beaver Fit workout equipment, Defend compression gear, and military activation techniques that get after neuromuscular health and education. So the physical and material aspects of lethality readiness, and fitness is what I've been focused on. 

 

And then the other part of that is post-military employment or employment for military spouses. So I'm advising or consulting for 12 different organizations. And sometimes I get stretched thin, but it's all for a good cause. I'm also the National Ambassador for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a 1 million-strong veteran organization. I also sell apparel and every dime I get from that I donate to charity, whether it's the Lighthouse for the Blind, a Soldier's Child Foundation, or others. And in between all of that, I still plan time to vacation with my wife, my children, and my grandchildren. I also take care of my own health by working out every day exercising, and trying to eat right, but still having that occasional burger, fries, and apple pies when I want to. 

 

Also, Hollywood came calling and I have signed a contract with A&E Entertainment, to serve as a military expert analyst for an upcoming show called “Mysteries of War.” That should be coming out in the near future on the History Channel, probably in the winter. So that's kind of what I got going on. And I'm loving life!

 

ESS 

Does your wife ever say, “Hey, honey, you know, it's time to slow down and lie on the beach?”

 

John Wayne Troxell 

Oh no, she’s loving it. I'm also providing for my grandchildren's future so that when the time comes after high school, they can even go to college or they can earn learn a trade. This is our way of giving back. I was on the road, 270 days out of the year as SEAC, delivering the pulse of the force. Sandra might have been with me at times, but a lot of times she was alone. So when we retired, we said, hey, look, let's keep going, let's keep doing this. And as long as people will have me on their team, they're gonna get 110% out of it. As long as Sandra is all in, which he is, then we're going to keep doing this because we are having a blast.  

 

ESS

Your energy is infectious. Thank you for your service and all you continue to do and for sharing your story. It’s inspiring to listen to. You are a valued teammate!

 

John Wayne Troxell 

Thank you so much. This has been an honor today.