Army Europe NCO selected as 2015 'IG of the Year'

By U.S. Army Europe Office of the Inspector GeneralMay 7, 2015

USAREUR NCO selected as 2015 'IG of the Year'
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Army Europe NCO selected as 2015 'IG of the Year'
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Since March 1778 when Friedrich von Steuben was appointed as the Inspector General (IG) of the Continental Army, IGs have maintained a brilliant legacy of helping to keep our Army strong and ready by serving as the Commander's eyes and ears.

SFC Eric Gamboa, an Assistant IG serving in USAREUR's Baumholder IG Office, is now permanently part of this great legacy, having been named the IG Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the United States Army.

LTG David E. Quantock, The Inspector General of the Army, made the announcement on 30 April 2015. Among other things, LTG Quantock said that SFC Gamboa "exhibited exceptional professionalism, military bearing and expertise."

The road to this major win for USAREUR was a tough one. SFC Gamboa competed against dozens of Senior Non-commissioned Officers nominated from each of the Army's Major Commands, Army Service Component Commands, and Army Direct Reporting Units.

The nominees underwent a competitive process where they were evaluated and graded on three categories: an essay, prior military achievement, and performance at a Department of the Army-wide board conducted at the Pentagon. When all the scores were tallied, SFC Gamboa stood at the top of a long and distinguished list.

Sergeant Major Capacetti, USAREUR IG Sergeant Major, remarked, "We were confident that SFC Gamboa would give it his best as he does every day as an IG, helping Soldiers, Civilians and Family members. While some of the Army's finest Non-Commissioned Officers competed for this honor, SFC Gamboa was equipped with the knowledge of our profession that he needed to win … and he did!"

SFC Gamboa is a Senior Human Resource NCO (42A40) who capitalized on his vast experience in this field to help Soldiers as an IG. During his 16 years of Service in the Army, he held multiple assignments to include Senior Human Resources NCO at the battalion level and as a leader at every level up to Platoon Sergeant. SFC Gamboa served as a NATO Instructor and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is currently completing his Bachelor's of Science in Human Resources.

Related Links:

Department of the Army Office of the Inspector General

U.S. Army Europe