Fort Huachuca, AZ. - The U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca Chapter of the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club, or SAMC, celebrated the 238th Army birthday in its own way, by inducting six new Soldiers into its elite organization of non-commissioned officers. The ceremony took place June 14 in Fitch Auditorium, Alvarado Hall.
SAMC inductees are said to have displayed the highest qualities of loyalty, professionalism, discipline and the highest level of care for the welfare of Soldiers. Sgt. 1st Class Michael Dawley, Company A, 309th Military Intelligence Battalion; Staff Sgt. Tyler Lipford, Company F, 309th MI Bn.; Staff Sgt. Randy Roscoe, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison; Staff Sgt. Charles Sheffield, Company B, 309th MI Bn.; Staff Sgt. Matthew Tolbert, Company A, 344th MI Bn.; and Sgt. 1st Class Rachel Watkins, Company A, 344th MI Bn., are the newest SAMC members.
"I think [the ceremony] went very well to demonstrate the non-commissioned officers and the professionalism they bring in," said Sgt. 1st Class Shane Pennington, SAMC president.
The Soldiers were individually introduced on stage by their supervisors and received the Army Commendation Medal, SAMC medallion, SAMC certificate of membership and membership card from Maj. Gen. Robert Ashley, commanding general, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca and USAICoE Command Sgt. Maj. Todd Holiday.
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Richardson and 25th ID Audie Murphy honorary inductee, served as keynote speaker. He described SAMC's importance in the community and on the installation but also issued a challenge to the six Soldiers.
"New inductees, I challenge you to remain involved in the program. There is much work to be done. Your contribution and commitment are essential to the success of building strong Families and strong communities," Richardson said. "There are Soldiers to be trained, there are Soldiers to be led, and we have to be a positive influence on everybody that we lead and everybody that we train."
Richardson described the SAMC process an NCO must go through as "grueling." A Soldier must be recognized as an NCO of the highest quality, demonstrating both leadership and performance.
The Soldier then goes to a unit-level selection board, where he or she does hands-on tasks with their battalions. The process is repeated at the brigade level and again at the installation level. SAMC candidates go through scenarios, leadership situations and interviews. If selected, the recommendation goes to Training and Doctrine Command's command sergeant major and commanding general for the induction.
Inductions take place twice a year. There are about 23 active-duty members of SAMC on Fort Huachuca. Army-wide, SAMC membership is between one and two percent.
SAMC is named after the legendary World War II veteran, Audie Leon Murphy, the most highly decorated Soldier in American history. The original SAMC started in 1986 at Fort Hood, Texas. By 1994, the clubs had spread throughout the Army. The Fort Huachuca SAMC was established in 1998.
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