A noncommissioned officer lights a blue candle symbolizing the future and a loyalty to the country.

A sergeant passes the threshold into the Noncommissioned Officer Corps during an induction ceremony. May 30, where eight Soldiers were welcomed into the Corps.

Command Sgt. Maj. William P. Clancy III, senior enlisted leader for the 193rd Infantry Brigade, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Reggie Fox, and Command Sgt. Maj. Janio Cespedes, from 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, watch as senior NCOs light candles during the NCO Induction Ceremony, held May 30 at the 1917 Club.

First Sgt. Justin Montoya, senior enlisted leader for Company C, 3rd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, lights a red candle that symbolizes the past and blood shed for the country. The candle lighting was part of Fort Jackson's Noncommissioned Officer Induction Ceremony held May 30, 2025.

Cpl. Mya Brown, with Medical Activity - Fort Jackson leads a group of noncommissioned officers in reciting the NCO Creed during an induction ceremony held May 30, 2025 at the 1917 Club on post.

Command Sgt. Maj. Janio Cespedes, senior enlisted leader for the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, leads a group of noncommissioned officers in the Charge of the NCO.

The tradition of passing on a Soldier into the ranks of the noncommissioned officer can be traced to the army of Frederick the Great and brought to America by Baron Frederick Wilhelm von Steuben in 1778.

Steuben arrived while the Continental Army was in its winter quarters. He would so effectively drill them and teach them that the army was transformed when it broke camp.

He instilled in the Soldiers the need for tactical leadership at a lower level so they could fill in for officers if needed. They became the first corporals and sergeants.

Those early NCOs would go on to become the backbone of the service by providing order and discipline.

One of those NCOs was Cpl. Freddie Stowers, whom the single Soldier complex is named after.

Stowers would give his life fighting off a German attack during World War I.

On May 29, eight Soldiers were inducted into the Noncommissioned Officer Corps in a ceremony held at the 1917 Club on post.

During the ceremony first sergeants from different units lit red, white, blue and gold candles to honor parts of the NCO Corps.

The gold candle symbolizes the color of the chevrons on the uniform.

Red represents the past and the blood shed in the wars for the country.

Blue means the future and loyalty to the nation.

White represents the present and purity.

The NCOs were charged to take care of their Soldiers and to accomplish the mission.

“Never forget where you came from, or that you must lead by example and always take care of your Soldiers,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Janio Cespedes, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment’s senior enlisted leader.

“The NCOs within your unit also stand behind you as you learn how to grow,” he added. “Stay within the circle of noncommissioned officers and solicit their wealth of knowledge, accept their guidance, because they have been where you are about to go.”

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Reggie Fox, former senior enlisted leader for 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment, spoke to the Soldiers about what it means to be an NCO.

“Let’s talk bout that title, sergeant,” Fox said. “What does it mean? Sure, may of you can rattle off the textbook definition from the board, but to me, a sergeant is a leader of Soldiers, a builder of warriors and a winner of wars.

“As a father of a specialist serving in the airborne infantry, I’ll tell you this – When I look at a sergeant, I see someone I’m trusting my son’s life with. I don’t take that lightly,” he said. “As an infantryman, I’ll always picture a sergeant as a fire team leader.”

He spoke about his fire team during a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq and how important sergeants are to the Army.

He shared the information to highlight “how young we were and how serious the responsibility of leadership is. I didn’t take it lightly. I made sure they were physically fit. I personally checked every piece of gear. I preached weapons maintenance. I enforced the standards … but I also knew my Soldiers.”

He added that being a sergeant in about “knowing your Soldiers as people.”

“You’re the sergeants of the U.S. Army,” he said. “You’re the standard bearers. Your officers and Soldiers are counting on you to lead with purpose and professionalism.”

Those Soldiers would ceremonially pass through an arch and crossed sabers to cross the threshold into the NCO Corps.