LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Twenty U.S. Army noncommissioned officers of the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were inducted into the NCO Corps during a ceremony held Oct. 1, 2013, on Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan.
The NCO induction ceremony is a rite of passage to the professional NCO Corps, honoring the memory of those men and women of the NCO Corps who have served with pride and distinction. It allows fellow NCOs of a unit to build and develop a cohesive bond, support team development and serves as a legacy for future NCO induction ceremonies.
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Mosier, the senior enlisted adviser for the 703rd BSB, from Richmond Hill, Ga., wanted to take a moment to recognize the Soldiers who have been promoted during the deployment in keeping with the Army's honored traditions.
The ceremony began with the promotion to sergeant of U.S. Army Sgt. Monzell Woolridge, a motor transport operator with Company A, 703rd BSB, and native of Petersburg, Va., and U.S. Army Sgt. Alicia Lyman, a paralegal clerk, from Naples, N.Y. "It was truly an honor to be inducted the day I was promoted," Lyman said. "Not many NCOs can say that, and I will never forget it."
The ceremony continued with a reading of the NCO Corps history as Soldiers read different passages describing how the Corps has developed over the years. U.S. Army Cpl. Justin Corley, an ammunition stock control and accounting specialist with Company A, 703rd BSB, arrived in Afghanistan as a private first class and promoted to specialist. After demonstrating his potential to serve as a NCO, he was laterally promoted to corporal. "Being inducted meant a lot to me because now I am officially a member of one of the most professional corps in the military," said the Swainsboro, Ga., native.
U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Kelvin Tomlinson, the guest speaker and senior enlisted adviser for Task Force Lifeliners, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), welcomed the NCOs into the Corps. "As a young NCO it meant that I was finally being accepted into the NCO Corps, and it meant a great deal to be part of one of the Army's traditions within the NCO Corps," said the Washington, D.C. native. Tomlinson encouraged the soldiers to lead by example and continue to grow professionally as an NCO in the Army.
The ceremony signified the new inductees' transition into the NCO Corps and readiness to train and lead soldiers.
"Being an NCO to me means setting examples and paving the way," added Corley.
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