LIVORNO, Italy Aca,!" The Army has designated 2009 as the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer, highlighting and recognizing the roles and responsibilities of Soldiers who Army leadership credits as being the Aca,!A"back bone of the Army.Aca,!A?
Another way that NCOs are recognized around the service: NCO of the Quarter and Year programs.
For example, Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Lemire was recently named the noncommissioned officer of the quarter for Camp Darby, Italy.
Lemire, hailing from Danielson, Conn.., serves as the 511th Military Police Platoon operations sergeant.
During his nine-year Army career, Lemire has come to recognize the importance, duties and responsibilities of a noncommissioned officer. Accordingly, to set a good example to his Soldiers, he entered the installationAca,!a,,cs NCO of the Quarter competition, where a board of senior NCOs fired a barrage of questions to test participantsAca,!a,,c knowledge and composure.
According to Camp Darby's senior enlisted Soldier, Command Sgt. Major Felix Rodriguez, the board is a great chance to highlight the hard work of NCOs.
"The competition showed us that Staff Sgt. Lemire is an accomplished military professional, who has combined challenges and hard work Aca,!A| to become an exemplary model of Aca,!EoeArmy-strongAca,!a,,c, said Rodriguez.
Lemire serves on Camp DarbyAca,!a,,cs Color Guard squad, performing in many change-of command ceremonies, award presentations, Italian-American events that honor veterans and, when called upon, nearby funerals for former U.S. servicemembers. He also volunteers with the Better Opportunities for Single Soldier program and annual Child Youth and School Services activities.
"Everyday I tell my Soldiers there is always some way we can give back to our community," said Lemire. "To me, being a NCO means being a leader, a mentor, a coach, a good example for others to follow Aca,!" and being strong even when its hard, because even when things get tough your Soldiers are always there looking up to you."
By winning the most NCO of the Quarter competition, Lemire now is eligible to compete for Camp Darby NCO of the Year honors.
"It's my goal of one day being Army NCO of the year," said Lemire.
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