Fort Myer hosts Year of NCO tribute

By Alex McVeighFebruary 24, 2009

Year of NCO Cake
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT MYER, Va. (Army News Service, Feb. 24, 2009) -- Fort Myer's Spates Community Club was packed Monday afternoon, with leaders from around the Military District of Washington showing up for a Year of the Noncommissioned Officer event.

"Throughout the Army's history, the NCO has been a pivotal figure, but never more so than today," said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston. "As NCOs embrace their ever-growing responsibilities in the 21st century, this [year] will help them remember how they came to be the 'backbone of the Army.'"

Soldiers of The Old Guard's Alpha Company lent a special air to the occasion, dressed in period uniforms of major conflicts from the Revolutionary War all the way to the current conflict in the Middle East. They flanked the audience, along with the flags of all 56 U.S. states and territories. More than 200 Soldiers from around the area were in attendance, as well as several guests from the Armed Forces Retirement Home, Buffalo Soldiers and the Tuskegee Airmen Association.

Maj. Gen. Richard J. Rowe Jr., commanding general, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and Military District of Washington, was joined by Brig. Gen. Dennis E. Rogers, commanding general, Installation Management Command - National Capital Region; and Col. Laura J. Richardson, Fort Myer Military Community garrison commander.

Staff Sgt. Jesse Neace from the U.S. Army Band opened the ceremony by singing the national anthem. This was followed by a brief history of the NCO Corps throughout American history. Then an eight-minute video titled, "I Am the Sergeant" featured images of the NCO Corps in various conflicts, ranging from Valley Forge in 1777 all the way to the Global War on Terror.

The featured speakers for the afternoon were Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond P. Houston of Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and the Military District of Washington; and Command Sgt. Maj. Jefferson Varner III, Fort Myer Military Community command sergeant major.

Houston spoke of the challenges and transformations the NCO Corps has undergone since his early days in the military, as well as the challenges they face today.

"We must ensure that people understand what an NCO is and what we do," Houston said. "This year, we will."

He mentioned several of the initiatives being taken by the Army to further the NCO Education System, including Warrior University, an online portal designed to help the NCO receive the same educational benefits they would get if in the civilian world.

He concluded by thanking NCOs and their families, saying that "you all have made this year possible."

Varner took the podium next, and he spoke of what the year meant when it comes to the command's view of the NCO.

"This year speaks to our lineage, and provides a glimpse of our future," Varner said. "It's a clear commitment to recognizing the importance of the NCO."

A second video was then shown, with footage of NCOs around the world in action, whether it was airlifting equipment to the front lines, or coordinating attacks against enemy emplacements.

After the video, the ceremony concluded with a rendition of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." sung by Neace, followed by the Army Song. There was a cake cutting afterward, but many guests stayed to shake the hands of the retired NCOs and Buffalo Soldiers seated near the front of the room.

NCOs in attendance were inspired by the message given at the day's events. "I'm hoping to accomplish a lot this year," said Sgt. 1st Class Billy Jones. "It brings a lot of heritage and history back to the NCO Corps and the military in general."

"From the Minutemen to today's warriors, the NCO Corps has been and is the essential ingredient that binds our Constitution," Varner said in closing. "The NCO Corps is the common thread sewn within our flag. The NCO Corps are the notes of our national anthem and the tear shed for a fallen comrade. The NCO Corps is the blister upon our worn feet; it is the sweat we wipe from the desert heat, most importantly it is in knowing that we are truly brothers and sisters in arms, regardless of color, ethnic group, or religion, we are truly one.

"We are all Americans, and we are and will always be Soldiers and members of a most hallowed group known as the United States Army NCO Corps."

(Alex McVeigh writes for the Pentagram newspaper at Fort Myer, Va.)