USASMA celebrates, bids farewell to Class 65

By Mr. David B Crozier (TRADOC)June 16, 2015

SMA haands out diplomas to Sergeants Major Course Class 65
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey joined Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Defreese, U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy commandant, in handing out diplomas during ceremonies held June 12 at the Abundant Living Faith Center in El Paso. Dailey was the keynote ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Class 65 graduates from Sergeants Major Course
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The graduates of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy take their seats in preparation for their receiving their diplomas as graduates of the Sergeants Major Course Class 65. The USASMA held their graduation June 12 at the Abundant Living Faith Cente... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
USASMA graduates Class 65
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Defreese, commandant of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, welcomes everyone to the graduation ceremony for Sergeants Major Course Class 65, June 12 held at the Abundant Living Faith Center in El Paso. The Academ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
USASMA celebrates, bids farewell to Class 65
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey addresses the graduating class of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Sergeants Major Course Class 65 during ceremonies held June 12 at the Abundant Living Faith Center in El Paso. Dailey gave a lighthearted addr... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
USASMA celebrates, bids farewell to Class 65
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey addresses the graduating class of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Sergeants Major Course Class 65 during ceremonies held June 12 at the Abundant Living Faith Center in El Paso. Dailey encouraged the graduates... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

It was a week to beat all weeks as the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy celebrated the accomplishments of the 454 students of Sergeants Major Course Class 65 -- a class that had within its ranks 37 international students from 30 different countries as well as members of the Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. The academy assisted in handing out 110 degrees during a Black and Gold Ceremony on June 8, followed by the International Military Student Badging and Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 11.

On June 12, the graduates, accompanied by their family members filled the Abundant Living Faith Center in El Paso to complete their 10-month educational experience at USASMA. Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Defreese, commandant of the Academy, welcomed all of the special guests and thanked all for attending.

"Thank you all for coming and helping us to honor and recognize these senior NCOs as they graduate from the Unites States Army Sergeants Major Academy," he said. "The sergeants major sitting here getting ready to graduate are a special crew. Their list of accomplishments while here are long and I won't list them all, but I want to highlight a few."

Defreese then listed those accomplishment which include more than 4,500 hours of volunteer service by the students and their family members, 188 degrees earned, and the renovation of the NCO heritage and Education Center -- a Class 65 Legacy Gift.

"I challenge you all to go make a difference and make a positive impact in your next assignment as you have done here," Defreese said.

Upon concluding his remarks, Defreese introduced Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey as the keynote speaker who after thanking all for their attendance and allowing him to speak, turned his thoughts to the prominence of the day.

"Today is a great day to be a Soldier. As a matter of fact, every day is a great day to be a Soldier," he said. "There are a lot of things going on in the DC area, it is Army Birthday this week, but I told the Chief of Staff of the Army (General Raymond Odierno) that this is the most important place for me to be."

After some lighthearted remarks, Dailey told the graduate that he wanted to leave them with a few things he has learned from his career.

"First and foremost congratulations. You have reached the most senior enlisted rank in the United States Army," he said. "Think about that for a second. You should be extremely proud of your accomplishments. Part of the fact that Soldiers and officers alike, will call you sergeants major. Sounds great doesn't it? You made it to the top. Well stop basking in your glory, there's work to be done sergeants major and your careers do depend on it. But more importantly our Army and your Soldiers, our Soldiers, depend on you. They are depending on the fact that you are our most senior stewards of the Army profession. And when those Soldiers and officers see you there will be an immediate expectation of what right looks like."

Dailey then proceeded to give him his "Top Ten list" of things to know and do.

"One - yelling doesn't make you skinny, PT does. If you are not out there every morning a 6:30 saluting the flag, you can automatically assume your Soldiers are not. You have to lead from the front. … This is a team sport. PT may not be the most important thing you do that day, but it is the most important thing you do every day in the United States Army. Wars are one between 6:30 and 9:00. It is absolutely critical that you get that right."

Dailey then outlined the rest of his list which included: Don't talk just to be heard, listen and learn from others and know the right things to say; if you have to remind folks that you are in charge, you're probably not; be informed and less emotional; have fun; don't be a person who is feared; don't do anything negative over email, do it in person; it's okay to be nervous, that only makes you try harder, care more; if your justification for you being the expert on everything is due to your years in service, it may be time to get out.

"Last but not least, if you take anything away remember this, never forget that you are just a Soldier. That's all you are. No better than any other, but just one of them," Dailey said. "You may get paid a little more, but when the time comes your job is to treat them all fair, take care of them as if they were your own children and expect no more from them than that from which you expect from yourself."

He added that it is their job is to lead Soldiers; to ensure that they are trained and ready to fight our nation's wars, and bring them home again and get them ready for the next adventure. Everything you do from the moment that we hand you this diploma should be focused on that and you will be okay.

In closing Dailey returned his attention to back top his number one in his top ten list.

"It starts at 6:30 tomorrow morning. Where will you be? There's a place in front of that flagpole for you. It's your choice, take it, you've earned it," Dailey said. "Good luck, Godspeed, God bless each and every one of you and your families. We are Army strong, therefore this we'll defend."

The Army's culminating enlisted Professional Military Education (PME) institution is the Sergeants Major Course. This course provides tools to develop critical reasoning, creative thinking and decision-making skills. Soldiers are provided an education that teaches them to enhance their character, self-expression, and strengthen teamwork abilities. The course assists in the development of logical, practical and original reasoning abilities necessary for problem solving. Students analyze problems based on available information, arrive at logical solutions and decisions with reasonable speed, communicate reasoning and decisions orally and in writing, and supervise to ensure proper execution. Intellectual honesty, integrity, and professional values and standards are highly stressed. The SMC contains a total of 1,484.7 instructional hours, and is also offered as a nonresident course which culminates with two weeks of resident instruction at the academy. The Sergeants Major Course is a ten-month resident program of instruction conducted once a year at the Academy.

More stories and photos of the week's cer?emonies can be found on the Academy's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USASMA#!/USASMA. An archive of Class 65's year at USASMA can be found on our flickr site at https://www.flickr.com/photos/133821783@N02/albums.