Sgt. 1st Class Strate Flessas, the Army's 2008 Career Counselor of the Year, salutes Lt. Col. Robert Forte, the 1st Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard) commander, and commander of troops for the Department of Army Retirement Ceremon...

Sgt. 1st Class Strate Flessas accepts a Meritorious Service Medal from Maj. Gen. Richard J. Rowe Jr., the commander of the Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and Military District of Washington for winning the Career Counselor of the Ye...

Sgt. 1st Class Strate Flessas, a career counselor in the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) accepted an award as the 2008 Army's Career Counseler of the Year at a Department of Army Retirement Ceremony rehearsal on Fort Myer, Va. Fle...

Sgt. 1st Class Strate Flessas and his wife salute the troops with Maj. Gen. Richard J. Rowe Jr. and Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond P. Houston, the commander and command sergeant major respectively of the Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region an...

Sgt. 1st Class Strate Flessas, a career counselor in the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), accepted an award as the 2008 Army's Career Counselor of the Year at a Department of Army Retirement Ceremony rehearsal on Fort Myer, Va.

Maj. Gen. Richard J. Rowe Jr. and Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond P. Houston, the commander and command sergeant major respectively of the Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and Military District of Washington presented Flessas with the award and a Meritorious Service Medal.

Flessas also was the reviewing official for the rehearsal, which included an inspection of the troops and an Army review. Flessas was chosen to represent MDW based on his outstanding record as a Soldier, noncommissioned officer, and career counselor, said Master Sgt. James Warner, the noncommissioned officer in charge of retention at The Old Guard. Flessas has a record physical training score of 292 and is an expert marksman.

After being chosen by Warner to represent MDW, Flessas went to a board, where his knowledge of Army policies, Soldier skills, and career counselor skills were tested for over three hours. The competition was designed to find the best career counselor in the Army. Army career counselors are seasoned Soldiers who are trained to advise Soldiers on their career opportunities in the Army. Not only are they in charge of Soldier re-enlistments, but they also help Soldiers explore their opportunities for military schools and assignments to Army units around the world.