Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland -- The Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) chapter of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) inducted three new members in a ceremony here on Friday, September 9, 2016. The ceremony, held in APG's Myer Auditorium, was at the invitation of U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Sergeant Major Matthew D. McCoy and featured 1st Sgt. (retired) Jonce Hamm as the keynote speaker.
This year's inductees are Sgt. 1st Class Joseph M. Scalies, CECOM Command Group here on APG North; and Staff Sgts. Mercedes N. Smith and Nickolas S. Gordon, both of the 20th CBRNE Command, stationed at APG South.
"This is an extremely hard selection process,"" said McCoy in opening the event and introducing Hamm. "This starts from the day you pin on your stripes as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) and the overall process is an affirmation of leadership skills over time."
"This brings things back full circle for me," Hamm said in addressing the crowd. "I am often asked, 'just what is a Sergeant Audie Murphy Club member?' Think of it this way, only 5% of the people in the United States join the military, and those populate three branches besides the Army. Only 1% of those get to a high NCO rank and only another 1% of that group get this honor we bestow today. That's rare air.
"I asked myself 'why me?' How am I different?" Hamm continued. "When I earned this award, it took me another seven years to figure out that answer and I got it in a pre-marriage counseling session with my wife-to-be. When asked if she knew what she was getting into in our marriage she said 'his first love is being a Soldier and the Army and if he brings that love into this marriage, I know we will be fine.' "
Hamm went on to explain that concept includes not only a love of the Army but also the love to take care of Soldiers. He said "the SAMC is a group of men and women that love Soldiers so that they want to ensure that expert leadership is there to carry on when they are gone."
"That is the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club."
Hamm said that despite the march of time, challenges remain. He stated that making the club was the easy part; now, as a representative of that highest 1%, you are the standard bearer. And beyond that, a bigger challenge, is to remain active in the SAMC and be available to help the Army continue to move forward.
CECOM Commanding General and APG Senior Commander Maj. Gen. Bruce T. Crawford also echoed his congratulations to the newly-inducted three.
"I always want to recognize and laud our NCOs; the men and women I see as the real leaders of our Army," Crawford said.
"When I talk to our partners in the field, we are the envy of the world when it comes to being an Army," Crawford said. "And I'm talking people, not systems. Our NCOs are not only the backbone but also the heart and soul of our Army. I am not standing here at any grade without them. As a Soldier, as a taxpayer, as a parent of a Soldier, I am never more proud then I am when discussing the quality of our NCOs.
"Today, this is acknowledging the elite of the elite as they enter the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club," Crawford continued. "You can't buy this. This is about pride and it recognizes being a part of something that is greater than the individuals it is comprised of."
"As we move into recognition of the 15th Anniversary of the events of 9/11 this Sunday, think about how our first responders who rushed into the fray without concern for their own well-
being that day, about how their families felt on their losses that day, and think about the families who lost people that day. All made significant contributions and sacrifices to the nation. What is most important is to remember what it means to be an American and what that day meant to the United States. And then realize this group would accept similar situations and react the same way if called upon today. Never forget.
"As we move to building that next greatest generation, we pass on the gift of knowledge, experience and never forget that day as we move forward," Crawford said. "Thank you for your service."
The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club is a private U.S. Army organization for enlisted NCOs whose leadership achievements and performance merit special recognition and the reward of membership. Members must exemplify leadership characterized by personal concern for the needs, training, development and welfare of Soldiers and concern for the families of Soldiers.
Audie Murphy was born in Texas, and left school after the fifth grade. He later left home at the age of 15, eventually enlisting in the Army just shy of his 18th birthday. Over time, he became the most decorated soldier of World War II. Among many of his legendary accomplishments, Murphy earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for standing down a German attack in France in January of 1945.
After the war in Europe ended in the spring of 1945, Murphy returned home a national celebrity, his bright freckled face on the cover of Life magazine and eventually an acting career. The film version of Murphy's autobiography, "To Hell and Back" was released in 1955.
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