6-52nd ADA Battalion welcomes six new NCOs

By Capt. Jeremy Tennent, 6-52nd Air Defense Artillery, 35th ADA Brigade Public AffairsAugust 4, 2011

6-52nd ADA Battalion welcomes six new NCOs
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OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea - Leaders from the 6-52nd Air Defense Artillery Battalion met at Osan Air Base under the Baseball Field Pavilion to celebrate the achievements of the unit and its noncommissioned officer corps July 29.

The noncommissioned officers of the Iron Horse Battalion took on the responsibility of planning the latest hail and farewell.

Around 200 Soldiers and family members attended the festivities, featuring a baseball jersey theme.

The evening began with the promotions of six NCOs.

Raniel Nebrida from A Battery and Jesse Ervin from B Battery pinned on the rank of staff Sergeant. The 6-52nd ADA also welcomed four new sergeants into the NCO Corps: Regina Leroy from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Joshua Law from B Battery, Brian Ikeda of C Battery, and Curtis Cunningham of D Battery.

“Promotion to the rank of NCO is a great moment in a Soldier’s career,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Hockenberry, command sergeant major for the 6-52nd Air Defense Artillery Battalion.

The promotions were the source of raucous cheering as the Iron Horse Battalion welcomed the newest leaders into the fold.

Hailed at the occasion were cadets from the Reserve Officer Training Corp and West Point officer programs, who are on a brief three week tour to Active Duty units to gain experience and get an idea of how the Army operates on a daily basis.

Although each person represents a loss to the battalion, highlighted in the farewells was the Public Affairs Officer Capt. Austin Liu, who is moving on to serve in the Civil Affairs branch.

“Remember, it’s about telling the Soldier’s story,” said, Liu. “What I do isn’t as important as the job you Soldiers do every day.”

Also parting the battalion was 1st Sgt. Michael Heyward, conducting a change of responsibility with 1st Sgt. Thurman Booth.

“I don’t always like the Soldiers, but I love each and every one of them … if you are a real leader, you will know what I am saying,” said Heyward.

Following the promotions and hails and farewells, each battery presented a skit spoofing the occasional missteps that beset even the best of units. Capt. Shameka Wade won the coveted “Golden Screw” in a tightly contested vote based on audience applause.

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