NCO inducted in the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club

By Ms. Maria Esther Garcia (Army Medicine)November 23, 2015

NCO inducted in the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club
Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Rhoades, command sergeant major, US Army Medical Department Center and School, US Army Health Readiness Center of Excellence, presents the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club medallion to Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Mollett, at the Sergea... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Friends, noncommissioned officers, military leaders, members of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club and family members gathered in Bldg. 902, 32nd Medical Brigade on Nov. 6, to witness Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Mollett, Headquarters, 264th Medical Battalion, 32nd Medical Brigade, US Army Medical Department Center and School, Army Health Readiness Center of Excellence, become the newest member of the prestigious US Army Medical Command Sergeant Audie Murphy Club.

Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Rhoades, CSM, AMEDDC&S, HRCoE and host for the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club Induction Ceremony, presented Mollett the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club Medallion. When a Soldier is inducted in the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club he is given the medallion which is 2 inches in diameter and suspended on a powder blue ribbon representing the traditional color of the infantry. Mollett also received the Army Commendation Medal for his selection into the club. Cindy Crowe with 1st Financial presented Mollett with a coin, and Shelley Lawson, president of the Alamo Chapter of Association presented Mollett with a few tokens of appreciation from her organization.

Rhoades praised the members of the Fort Sam Houston Sergeant Audie Murphy Club for their constant involvement with the community and supporting the command.

Command Sgt. Major Darlene Taylor, CSM, 264th Medical Battalion, 32nd Medical Brigade, a Sergeant Audie Murphy Club member, and keynote speaker for the ceremony spoke about what it takes to get inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club.

Taylor said you must earn a 270 or higher on the Army Physical Fitness Test, be recommended by your chain of command, supervise at least two Soldiers and appear before a fast-paced, dynamic and confrontational board of senior leaders who ask very tough questions. Taylor talked about the valuable lesson she learned when she challenged a board.

"Being a Sergeant Audie Murphy Club member and a professional NCO is about focusing on the basics necessary to take care of the Army's most valuable asset -- the Soldier, Taylor said. It's about having the knowledge, skill, and motivation to guide them through personal and professional challenges. Today, with our Army in transition, these skills are more valuable than ever before."

The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club was started in 1986 by Lt. Gen. Crosbie Saint at Fort Hood to recognize outstanding noncommissioned officers who showed exemplary leadership traits and attributes. In 2000, the Fort Sam Houston Sergeant Audie Murphy Club was established by Command Sgt. Maj. Adolph Arista who at that time was the installation Command Sergeant Major. In 2002 it was redesignated the Sergeant Major of the Army Van Autreve Chapter, named after the 4th Sergeant Major of the Army, Leon Van Autreve.

Sgt. Audie Murphy was the highest decorated Soldier during World War II. He is known as a war hero, writer, writer of country and western songs, and a poet. He was 18 years old when he joined the US Army. After basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas and advanced training at Fort Meade, Md., he was assigned to the 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division and fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. After he helped his company fight its way out of an ambush during the invasion of Salerno, Italy, he earned a promotion to Sergeant. Missing the initial invasion of Anzio in Italy due to malaria, he rejoined his unit in time for the heaviest fighting. He immediately helped his company get out of trouble. He stormed several positions and when the smoke cleared, his company was saved. These actions earned him the Distinguished Service Cross. Murphy spent some 400 days on the front lines, earning a battlefield commission and more than 33 military awards, citations and decorations, including three French and one Belgian medal. Murphy was also awarded this nation's highest decoration for gallantry and bravery, the Medal of Honor. After he left the Army, Murphy joined the 35th Infantry Division, the T-Patchers, of the Texas National Guard and served with them until 1966. He wrote and published several poems and starred in several films such as "Gunsmoke", "The Red Badge of Courage", and his biological work, "To Hell and Back." He earned a star on the famous Hollywood walk of fame. Murphy was killed in a plane crash on a mountain top near Roanoke, Virginia, on May 28, 1971. Fittingly, his body was recovered two days later on Memorial Day. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Murphy only lived for 46 years, but he made a lasting imprint on American History.

When asked how he felt now that he is a member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, Mollett said, "CSM Taylor hit the nail on the head. It is a very humbling experience, but it is not the accolades and the medallion after the fact, it is the experience itself that is rewarding. As long as you place the Soldier first, the mission will be complete."

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