WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 13, 2014) -- Soldiers by their nature are competitive.
"We all work hard to be the best, whether for promotions, awards or decorations," said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III.
Earning that recognition for being the best takes hard work, discipline and determination. Encouraging Soldiers to be competitive is what it takes to be a great leader, Chandler said, speaking at the Sergeant Major of the Army, NCO and Soldier Forum at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army, Oct. 13.
He called the competitive spirit "the will to win, no matter what it takes," a hallmark of the Army, since its founding in 1775.
But while being competitive is important, equally so is upholding the Army Profession, which is character, commitment and competence, something he said he's been speaking about every time he's visited Soldiers for the past three years as the sergeant major of the Army.
Two of the big challenges facing the Army today are sexual assaults and suicides. The character or ethics part of the Army profession "drives the behavior of our force," he said, and is the key to solving those problems. "Those two issues are easily solved if you understand the importance of ethics and duty and how it's tied to our profession."
The Army is making strides in overcoming these challenges, he added. "This is an awesome Army. It's you, the NCOs, who've been the key to our success. At the end of day, it's the NCO who makes it happen.
Chandler then introduced Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins, Medal of Honor recipient, who he said epitomizes the ideals of the Army profession, ideals that include not leaving a fallen Soldier on the battlefield.
When the last helicopter left Adkins' isolated post in a remote area of South Vietnam, after 38 hours of grueling fighting, Adkins remained behind, carrying the wounded and carrying out escape and evasion tactics, Chandler said.
Today, Adkins is still on duty, telling the Army story and encouraging young Soldiers to strive for excellence, Chandler said. He recently asked the president and the Army secretary and chief when he can re-enlist -- and he's 80 years old. That's how dedicated he is.
Former Army Chief of Staff Retired Gen. Gordon Sullivan also spoke at the event. He said his leadership mentors in his early and mid-level career as an officer were not officers. They were NCOs.
A number of Soldiers were then recognized by Chandler for various contributions to the Army, including outstanding leadership.
The 2014 recipients of the Sgt. Maj. Larry L. Strickland Educational Leadership Award were:
Senior NCO award: Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis L. Bellinger, 157th Infantry Brigade, Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
Mid-grade NCO award: Sgt. 1st Class Brian D. McClanahan, B Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Bde. Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia.
The award is given in honor of the memory of Strickland, who was the G-1 sergeant major killed in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.
Strickland was an outstanding NCO, Sullivan said, who cared deeply about Soldiers and professional development. The annual award is bestowed on senior and mid-grade NCOs who exemplify the Army's vision of life-long learning and motivates others to continue their professional development to shape future leaders.
Also honored, was Master Sgt. Terrence Hayes, of the Public Affairs Adviser Office of the Senior Enlisted Adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Chandler presented him with a Sgt. Maj. Dawn Kilpatrick Memorial AUSA Scholarship.
The award is given in honor of the memory of Kilpatrick, who served in a variety of challenging public affairs assignments, beginning in 1979. She was the first-ever personal public affairs officer for the secretary of the Army. She was also a master parachutist, with more than 650 jumps. Kilpatrick served two years with the Golden Knights, the Army's parachute demonstration team.
Other Soldiers were also recognized, including NCO of the Year for 2014, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Carpenter, an engineer with 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colorado; and, Soldier of the Year for 2014, Spc. Thomas Boyd, a cryptologic linguist with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
(For more ARNEWS stories, visit www.army.mil/ARNEWS, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArmyNewsService, or Twitter @ArmyNewsService)
Related Links:
Center for the Army Profession and Ethic
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III on Twitter
SMA stresses importance of character, commitment, competence to Fort Leonard Wood Soldiers
SecArmy opens AUSA with call for budget resolve
Soldiers tell their story during AUSA opening
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III
Medal of Honor: Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins
Army.mil: Professional Development toolkit
STAND-TO!: America's Army - Our Profession "Stand Strong"
Learn what L.D.R.S.H.I.P. stands for
Social Sharing