Fort Myer, Va., NCO Spotlight:NCO goes for challenge, competence

Name: Staff Sgt. Juliet Taylor Title: Facility Manager and Contracting Officer Representative for Fort Myer, Va., Memorial Chapel Length of Service: 5 years Q: Describe your job. A: As the facility manager, I have to make sure the building is functioning, making sure the bathroom and floors are clean, the grass and bushes outside are trimmed. We've got to be ready for anything. I work a lot with DPW (Directorate of Public Works) and DOIM (Directorate of Information Management). They're my favorite groups on post, they help keep us moving. Q: What's the most challenging and rewarding part of your job' A: Trying to be everywhere at once is the most challenging. Also, telling people who aren't eligible that they can't get married here. That's not very fun. I love the teamwork at the chapel. We're able to rely on each other, the junior Soldiers and the NCOs. We are constantly working on becoming a better team. Chap. [(Lt. Col.) Barry] White wouldn't have it any other way. The NCOs at the chapel handle the big stuff, like making sure the calendar is up to date, while the junior Soldiers help with the little things. Q: What is your philosophy as an NCO' A: I try to live by the second paragraph of the NCO Creed. Competency. I make sure I and my Soldiers are competent. I adopted that part of the NCO Creed within the first six months of being in the Army. If you're competent, everything else falls into place. Whether we're cleaning the oven in the kitchen, or preparing a memorial service for a four-star general, it's always a team effort, and I always make sure we're following that second paragraph. Q: What are some other places you've been assigned' A: My first assignment was at Fort Lewis [Wash.], I was the patient administration specialist for the 62nd Medical Battalion. I was in charge of making sure records were up to date, things like that, it was very rewarding. It was my first real responsibility as a specialist, I was the only junior Soldier, I was pretty nervous every day, but it pushed me to become the Soldier I am today. I learned a lot from the NCOs and officers there, they treated me as a part of the team. They made me feel like the office would stop working if I wasn't there, which wasn't true, but it made me feel like I was very important in what I do. I was also deployed to Iraq as a movement control specialist. I made sure Soldiers going on R and R had a flight home on time, and made sure the VIPs were all taken care of. Q: How do you view the role of education in a Soldier's life' A: It's very important. In this economy, once you get out of the military, and you don't have the education to back up the experience, you go to the bottom of the list. In 2004, I wanted to make money, be able to go back to school, or find a job where I wouldn't need to go to school. The Army offered me all three, and now I'm three classes away from a degree in business administration. Q: What is your next step' A: I just got a new MOS, for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology contract specialist. I'll go through an eight-week course at Lackland Air Force Base, then move to Army Logistics Management College in Huntsville, Ala. I like working as a chaplain assistant, but I also fell in love with contracting. I have a drive to make sure things get done. As a chaplain assistant, my main mission is to take care of hearts, and with contracting I'm still doing that, only now I'm also making sure that people are getting paid, and that they're happy with the work done. It's a continuation of my vision, which is to always be taking care of Soldiers. It will be hard, it will be a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it. I think I'm a people person, and I take what I do seriously. But at the same time, if I can't smile and enjoy what I'm doing, then it's time to move on.