ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- Maj. Gen. John Wharton, commanding general of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command, formally inducted Staff Sgt. Andrew Gregory into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club Aug. 28.
The induction ceremony took place at Heritage Hall in Building 60.
Gregory, a 13-year veteran in the Army, serves on the Installation Logistics Directorate staff where he supervises unit movement guidance and deployment operations throughout the ASC global footprint.
Gregory was also recently named the ASC and Army Materiel Command NCO of the Year during both units' annual Best Warrior Competitions. He will represent the AMC at the 2013 U.S. Army Best Warrior Competition at Fort Lee, Va., in October.
ASC Distribution Management Center Sergeant Major, Sgt. Maj. Brian Marone -- the senior SAMC member on Rock Island -- provided remarks about what it means to be inducted and lauded Gregory's professional, can-do attitude.
"Staff Sergeant Gregory is now the second noncommissioned officer from Rock Island Arsenal to be inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club from the United States Army Sustainment Command," Marone said. "I am absolutely positive that Staff Sergeant Gregory will continue to set the example."
During a speech to the assembled Soldiers and civilians, Marone discussed what it means to be inducted into the SAMC.
"These noncommissioned officers have demonstrated -- through their performance -- the leadership ability and standards emulated by Sergeant Audie Murphy," Marone said. "The Sergeant Audi Murphy Club represents honor, courage and leadership."
The SAMC was established in 1986 at Fort Hood, Texas. It has since grown and in 1994, spread to encompass the entire Army.
It is a private Army organization for NCOs only. Only those NCOs selected based on their leadership achievements and performance that merit special recognition may earn membership. Selectees must be recommended by their NCO chain-of-command to participate in its rigorous board examination process.
"Once you're an Audie Murphy member, you have to stay relevant," said Command Sgt. Maj. James Spencer, ASC command sergeant major. "People come in the Army, they come in enlisted, they become a noncommissioned officer, get inducted into this program and then they go onto different and better things. They become warrant officers, they become commissioned officers; they're still a member. When you retire, you're still a member. And you still give back to the community."
The Rock Island Arsenal Sergeant Audie Murphy Association includes members from the entire installation and is active in programs, schools and outreach across the Quad City area.
When RIA SAMA President, Sgt. 1st Class Darrick Dupree, and ASC's first inducted SAMC member, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Favory, approached Gregory to consider joining the SAMC they asked Gregory what would joining the club do for him and why would he want to be part of it, Gregory said.
"I really didn't have an answer at the time," Gregory said. "But, volunteering and giving back to the community you live in and being surrounded by top-level NCOs from the NCO Corps came up over and over again. My answer was there, it was simple; why would I not want to do it and become part of an organization as such. I'm very humbled to receive this and to be recognized at this level."
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