KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Becoming a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army is a huge milestone in the career of an enlisted Soldier. To recognize the scale of this achievement, a ceremony was held at the Fest Tent on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Oct. 10, 2014, to induct 13 new "Red Warrior" sergeants into the NCO Corps.
The ceremony was sponsored by 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Inf. Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Division, who go by the name Red Warriors, and included the promotion of nine of the inductees as part of the ritual.
Command Sgt. Maj. Isaia Vimoto, the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command senior enlisted advisor, presided over the ceremony as a distinguished guest and speaker.
In his speech, Vimoto stressed the importance of the NCO to the Army.
"NCOs are not just the backbone of the Army, they are also the life-blood," he said. "We don't just hold things together, we make things happen in our Army."
He also emphasized that leading by example and building trust with Soldiers are the two most important ingredients for leadership success.
"As leaders we set the standard, lead by example, and do the right thing. We can't ask a Soldier to do something that we cannot do ourselves," he said. "Trust is the basic foundation and the bedrock of everything we do in the Army. Trust is so important that when you tell a Soldier to do something, if he trusts you, he will go the extra mile. It's a mutual respect and understanding between Soldiers and their leaders," he added.
The ceremony also included a lighting of three colored candles, known as the NCO Spirits, by three Soldiers who recited what the different colors represented. Red symbolizes the courage of the NCO and the blood that has been shed in defense of our country. White symbolizes the purity and commitment of the NCO and their dedication to honor and integrity in word and deed. Blue symbolizes the valor and pride of the NCO and their participation in the many battles fought across the waters of the world.
To formally induct the sergeants into the NCO Corps, Sgt. Maj. Marcos Hernandez, of the 1-12th, called each one down from the stage where they signed a copy of both the NCO Charge and the NCO Creed. After all had signed the certificates, the inductees and the audience recited the NCO Creed in unison and sang the 4th Inf. Div. and Army songs.
"Today I feel fantastic. It's not something many people can say they've done," said Sgt. Pedrito Alipio, an infantryman with the 1-12th and a native of Vallejo, California, about becoming an NCO. He also said he comes from a military family who have all been sergeants and he feels good about achieving the same accomplishment.
Sgt. Chance Hansen, a team leader with the 1-12th and native of West Palm Beach, Florida, is looking forward to his future of leading Soldiers. He said his squad leader taught him to lead by example and as you go up in rank, you still have to be there for your Soldiers and place their needs above your own.
"I earn their trust that way, and respect," he said.
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