HEIDELBERG, Germany - Sgt. Juan Carreon believes living by the Army's values and maintaining personal integrity are two hallmarks of good noncommissioned officer.
"As an NCO, one of the things I will not give up are my personal values," said Carreon, a human resources specialist with V Corps' Headquarters and Headquarters Company.
"We all have family values, but each individual has personal values that we have to stand by and stick by," he said.
Carreon enlisted in 2006 in San Antonio, Texas and has been with HHC V Corps since March 2008. He has been an NCO since April.
During the V Corps Special Troops Battalion NCO induction ceremony here Feb. 27, Carreon said his primary goal as an NCO is to mentor other Soldiers.
Caring is the first step in that process, he said.
"I mentor Soldiers by showing them I care," he explained. "I show them everything I have learned, and encourage them to come to me for anything. I always ask how they are doing."
Those conversations can take place on the personal and professional level, he said.
Carreon said HHC V Corps 1st Sgt. Renee Baldwin is his mentor and the example he follows in establishing his own leadership style as an NCO.
"She carries herself with the utmost professionalism," he said. "She cares about Soldiers and their families. She has helped me become an NCO by motivating me and being a mentor."
For her part, Baldwin called Carreon a true professional.
"He is mature and you can see that in his customer service skills," the first sergeant said. "He treats everybody with dignity and respect."
The HHC orderly room staff is constantly busy helping Soldiers take care of personnel matters, and Carreon gives those Soldiers service that is above and beyond, she added.
"He treats every action like the Soldier is standing in front of him," Baldwin said. "He follows up on every action, making sure it is complete."
Carreon has set a high mark for his ultimate career goal. He says he hopes to earn the Army's top enlisted rank - command sergeant major -- while continuing to be "a mentor that has a positive effect on peoples' lives."
However, the foundation of any NCO's career is the Army's values, he said.
"We have integrity," he added. "There's courage and always doing the right thing (even) when no one is around."
Social Sharing