FORT SILL, Okla. (April 14, 2016) -- The Fort Sill Chapter of the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) added three Soldiers to its ranks during an induction ceremony at Snow Hall, April 7, 2016.
Family, friends, colleague Soldiers, SAMC members and post leaders gathered at Kerwin Auditorium for the quarterly ceremony.
The new members are: Drill Sergeants (Sgt 1st Class) Jared Job, A Company, 1st Battalion, 31st Field Artillery; (Staff Sgt.) Lenise Rodriguez, C Battery, 1st Battalion, 19th FA; and (Staff Sgt.) Marie Rubin, D Battery, 1-19th FA.
"Being approached by a SAMC member and getting recommended to become an inductee is the first step," said Rodriguez. "Getting invited to the first meeting was a great honor."
Job said he worked extra hard to achieve membership.
"It's a goal I set, and I finally achieved it -- I feel fantastic," said Job, who kept trying until he got in.
A video presentation rolled as four SAMC members narrated the life of Sgt. Audie Murphy depicting his heroic efforts during his time in service.
Guest speaker, Fort Sill Command Sgt. Maj. Taylor Poindexter, spoke about the formation of the original club.
"It was created in 1986, at Fort Hood, Texas, by several people including enlisted Soldiers, officers, civil service employees and a Killeen community member. In the late 1990s, club membership was over 3,000 and steadily increasing," he said.
During the ceremony, Poindexter explained, "The highly selective process for club membership that included hours of study and practical tasks the inductees began months ago at their battalions. Then they worked their way up to their respective brigades to the post-level SAMC boards."
Fort Sill has the second oldest SAMC chapter, having started in 1998 with the first induction ceremony in 1999.
Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Johnson, SAMC president, presented Poindexter a coin and plaque for his "kind words" at this ceremony. Poindexter accepted the award followed by a short call of encouragement: "Lead from the front."
"Membership in the SAMC is extremely difficult yet extremely rewarding," said Johnson.
He went on to explain how the organization volunteers with Lawton/Fort Sill non-profit groups to help give back to the community. Johnson said the club also works with outside organizations in helping homeless veterans and that the club has plans to create a scholarship fund to be used for local area high-school students participating in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
The SAMC is dedicated to recognizing outstanding noncommissioned officers who are passionate about taking care of their Soldiers and accomplishing the mission. Furthermore, the members of this club are dedicated to making a difference in the Lawton-Fort Sill community. The prestigious club has participated in numerous community activities ranging from painting dog kennels to spending time with veterans at the Lawton Vet Center to combing neighborhoods helping homeless veterans.
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