Two Fort McCoy senior noncommissioned officers (NCO) were recognized for their contributions during the Black History Month observance Feb. 19 at Fort McCoy.
Garrison Command Sergeant Major Command Sgt. Maj. M. Kevin Dubois said Fort McCoy will honor the courage and commitment of prominent NCOs during events throughout the year. The recognition is part of the Secretary of the Army's designation of 2009 as "The Year of the NCO."
Sgt. Maj. Melvin Tucker, the chief of operations for the Regional Training Site-Maintenance, and Sgt. 1st Class (Promotable) Claudia Simpson of the Equal Opportunity (EO) program were the first NCOS to be recognized for their contributions at Fort McCoy.
Dubois noted that with every officer at Fort McCoy there is an NCO who makes things happen.
Tucker, who attended his basic training at the same installation Dubois did - Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. - has 20 years of service in the Army.
Tucker is among the 1 percent of enlisted personnel in the Army who have made it to the rank of sergeant major, and that is evident while he has served as a professional role model throughout his career, Dubois said.
Simpson has been the EO adviser at Fort McCoy since last September.
Dubois said he is proud to have her as the Fort McCoy Garrison Equal Opportunity Adviser. She has ably filled the "big shoes" left behind by her predecessor and "hasn't missed a beat" for her responsibilities and duties.
Simpson recently was selected for promotion to be a master sergeant. Out of the 780 Soldiers in her rank and in her military occupational specialty, only 30 were selected to be promoted - a percentage of about 3-4 percent.
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