Passing between two raised sabers crossed at the tips to form an apex in the likeness of an inverted "V," the shape of the chevrons they will now don as members of a time-honored corps known as "The Backbone of the Army," nearly 50 Soldiers were inducted into the Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) Corps during a ceremony Friday at Walter Reed Bethesda.
During the induction ceremony, Command Sgt. Maj. Benjamin Scott encouraged the new NCOs to set the standards for those they will lead.
"Your walk talks, your talk talks, but your walk talks more than your talk talks," said Scott, guest speaker at the ceremony and command sergeant major (CSM) for the U.S. Army Northern Regional Medical Command (NRMC).
"Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built," added Scott. He said lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure. "Don't ever let a fail become a failure," he continued. "Just because you make a mistake doesn't mean it is the end of the world."
Scott said discipline calls for leaders to take care of their service members. "Discipline means being a leader and enforcing the standards, whether you agree with them or not. Leaders enforce standards. We are the standard-bearers. The most valuable form of discipline is the one that you impose upon yourself first. We must set the example, enforce the standards and lead from the front. The lack of discipline in any area of your life reflects on all areas of your life."
"Discipline means getting to meetings on time and reports in when they are due," Scott explained. "It's making your bunk in the morning and putting on your seat belt when you get into a vehicle," he added. "It's not cutting corners in any aspect of your life, which could also impact the lives of those around you," he continued.
"Discipline is creating an environment that has open and honest communications within all of our sessions," the CSM said. "Our service members are our credentials. How they behave reflects on our leadership. We have an obligation to take care of America's most precious asset, and that is the service member, and that means instilling and enforcing discipline."
Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Williams, Troop Command - U.S. Army Element CSM at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, said the new NCOs will have many challenges in the future, but they have already surpassed several just to be welcomed into the ranks of the NCO Corps. "Let the NCO Creed be your guide," he added.
Following his comments, all NCOs at the ceremony recited the NCO Creed, which states, "No one is more professional than I. I am a Non-commissioned Officer, a leader of Soldiers."
The creed also obligates NCOs to be competent with two basic responsibilities -- "accomplishment of the mission and the welfare of Soldiers." NCOs are to be "technically and tactically proficient," and provide "outstanding leadership" to all Soldiers, the creed states.
"I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Non-commissioned Officers, leaders," it concludes.
Sgt. Ana Tan, one of the new inductees into the NCO Corps said, "It was such a great feeling knowing that all of those who attended were there to celebrate with us. I am just so grateful for all of those people who have supported and guided me to be the Soldier that I am today.
"Now that I am an NCO, I need to set an example not only to my junior Soldiers and Sailors, but also to my fellow leaders," Tan added. "Just because I'm now a sergeant doesn't mean that I'll stop growing. There are still a lot of things I need to learn and absorb from other leaders and from my experiences," she concluded.
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