Fort Huachuca, Arizona - The Soldiers and staff of Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center bid farewell to their senior enlisted leader, Sgt. Maj. Douglas Noetzleman, in a retirement and change of responsibility ceremony here May 15.
After 32 years of service, Noetzleman handed senior enlisted responsibilities to Sgt. Maj. Arnold Hill, now sergeant major of the health center, and formally retired.
"It has been truly a wonderful and sometimes challenging experience, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else," said Noetzleman of his tenure in the Army.
Noetzleman came to the health center following a career that spanned the globe, from Texas, where he earned his basic specialty training as a biomedical equipment technician, to time on the drill field and assignments around the nation, Middle East and Korea.
"Over the past two years, Sergeant Major has done a great job at solving problems," said Col. Lance Raney, the commanding officer of the health center. "He always met the challenges with a positive attitude. He was always professional and he always set the standard."
Noetzleman's outgoing advice for young Soldiers was to seek out higher education.
"I always thought that you don't need a degree and that my experience would be enough," he said. "At my 24-year mark … I realized I had very limited options available to me in medical maintenance."
Upon this realization, Noetzleman went on to complete first a bachelor's degree in 2009, followed by a Master of Business Administration. He now describes his civilian job opportunities as almost too much to choose from.
For his part, Hill is eager to take on his new role and called the health center and Fort Huachuca "one of the best kept secrets in the Army."
The ceremony marked the beginning of several significant leadership changes coming this summer to the health center. Raney is set to leave his command in June, among other major leadership roles expected to change hands over the coming months.
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