The 9th Annual Conference of European Armies for Noncommissioned Officers

By Staff Sgt. Antwaun J. ParrishApril 24, 2015

The 9th Annual Conference of European Armies for Noncommissioned Officers
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Sheryl Lyon assists a foreign senior leader with his weapon during a range at Bled, Slovenia April 21, 2015. Thirty-three senior enlisted leaders from European armies and the U.S. Army Europe came together to build relationships and... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
The 9th Annual Conference of European Armies for Noncommissioned Officers
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Senior enlisted leaders from across from across Europe visit a Slovenian barracks located near Bled, Slovenia, April 21, 2015. Thirty-three senior enlisted leaders from European armies and the U.S. Army Europe came together to build relationships an... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
The 9th Annual Conference of European Armies for Noncommissioned Officers
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Senior enlisted leaders receive a briefing at a range in Bled, Slovenia, April 21, 2015. Thirty-three senior enlisted leaders from European armies and the U.S. Army Europe came together to build relationships and improve their Army's NCO Corps during... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BLED, Slovenia --Thirty-three senior enlisted leaders from European armies and U.S. Army Europe met together at the 9th Annual Conference of European Armies for Noncommissioned Officers held April 20-23.

This year's conference, co-hosted by the Slovenian Armed Forces and U.S. Army in Europe, focused on the theme of "Opportunities for NCOs in a Strong Europe." The event also encouraged attendees to share ideas and experiences with each other, to build multinational relationships and find ways to improve their own armies' NCO corps.

"The purpose of the conference is to develop relationships that are valuable to us and to help develop a Strong Europe," said Command Sgt. Major Sheryl D. Lyon, incoming USAREUR command sergeant major.

"[the conference] has been very successful in that. With all the nations represented here it has been a great opportunity to meet and learn a lot about all the participants and how they conduct business, so we can move forward in the future."

Lyon, who will become the USAREUR senior NCO in May, explained that by attending this conference it gives her a better insight into what's ahead.

"It makes me feel very optimistic," said Lyon. "It's been a very good climate and everyone has been welcoming. It's critical and essential to the position knowing that I can work with the individuals in this room and they're willing to work with me also."

During the conference, attendees discussed U.S. Army programs, NATO programs, pre-deployment programs, and the senior NCO board. They also observed Slovenian training methods and shot weapons on a Slovenian range. Building stronger training methods was a focus throughout the event.

"We have to give each other every opportunity we can to share our knowledge and skills," said Command Sgt. Major Istok Racman, 132nd Regimental Sergeant Major, Slovenian Armed Forces.

"We have so much to learn from each other. Through our experiences from training and missions from around the world, we have a lot to share with our partners in the alliance."

Although many senior leaders wore different uniforms, and spoke many different languages, their goal was the same: improve their NCO corps.

"It has been said all day that the NCOs are the backbone of the Army, and that's across the board with our NATO allies," said Sgt. Maj. Cheryl Betonio, USAREUR Surgeon Sergeant Major.

"The senior enlisted leaders are faced with the challenge of carrying out missions that are given by our senior officers. So this conference gives us a chance to discuss those challenges that we encounter and come up with a resolution."

Betonio stated that getting these senior enlisted leaders together to develop programs that help each other succeed, signifies that the conference is a significant factor to Strong Europe.

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