Interview of William Lybrand by William Sexton

November 11, 2014

Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) William Harleston Lybrand Jr., of Georgetown, South Carolina, has a long family history of military service, stretching from the Revolutionary War to the current conflict in the Middle East. His father, one of Darby’s Rangers, inspired Lybrand to continue the family legacy. After graduating from Wofford College, he enlisted as an infantryman in the U.S. Army. He continued to Jump School and was then assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he completed Ranger School and received the prestigious Ranger Tab.

After a routine enlistment with the Rangers, Lybrand decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. He joined the South Carolina National Guard, with which he had eight deployments. In this interview, Mr. Lybrand discusses his first deployment during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and describes what it was like to be one of the first 35 men on the ground in Afghanistan. He reflections range from how he and his fellow soldiers entertained themselves during their down-time to how his experience in the military changed as he advanced from the rank of Private to Command Sergeant Major. Mr. Lybrand’s story relives comical experiences with his buddies, offers wisdom from valuable lessons he learned in leadership, and honors a friend and fellow service member with the sharing of his story.

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