Top first sergeant and command team honored at Waller Hall

By Spc. Adeline WitherspoonAugust 2, 2016

Best First Sergeant Competition
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Command team of the year
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Andrew Miraldi and 1st Sgt. Aaron Mang, assigned to the 571st Sapper Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, are honored with a commemorative plaque at Waller Hall, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., July 29. Miraldi and Mang w... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Every Soldier is entitled to outstanding leadership, and some of the most basic leadership lessons are taught at the company level, where first sergeants and company commanders are responsible for ensuring Soldiers are mentally and physically prepared for the missions ahead. It is a great deal of responsibility, but when done especially well, it shows.

The winners of I Corps' First Sergeant of the Year and Command Team of the Year competitions were commemorated with an honorary plaque at Waller Hall, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash., July 29.

The winner of this year's competition, 1st Sgt. Carl Joseph Moranski, first sergeant of the 666th Military Police Company, 42nd Military Police Brigade, looked to his father when asked what it means to be a good leader.

"When I first enlisted, my father was retired 37 years from the Army as a chief warrant officer five," said Moranski. "I grew up a military brat, so I looked up to him, and always tried my best to make him proud."

The first sergeants participated in an Army Physical Fitness Test, ruck march, an obstacle course and weapons qualification as well as other warrior tasks.

"The most difficult thing about the competition was the rapid succession of events, and the fact that we did a long ruck march, a large break, and then did the obstacle course and had to go all the way back," said Moranski.

As for the Command Team of the Year Competition, Capt. Andrew Miraldi and 1st Sgt. Aaron Mang, assigned to the 571st Sapper Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, the members of the winning command team, experienced more mental challenges.

"This year's competition was mostly about administrative work and what you have accomplished over the year as far as training and your APFT scores," said Mang. "That was all submitted I Corps, who decided on which command team did the best. It's important that a command team can match what they do in garrison with what they do in the field."

The command teams must learn to work together to accomplish a common goal, which involves planning and communication.

"When I came in, I sat down with first sergeant, and we had an open dialogue and a very robust counseling session where I talked to him about what I wanted to see out of the company," said Miraldi. "You need to understand your unit and work towards a common goal."

This competition was the first of its kind and allowed the first sergeants and command teams to demonstrate they had what it takes to lead from the front.

"Being a good leader is about caring for the Soldiers, and showing the Soldiers that you're always trying to improve the organization," said Moranski. "Whether it's individually or collectively, taking care of Soldiers is a first sergeant's priority."

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