HEIDELBERG, Germany - Despite rain and cold weather, about 550 Soldiers participated in a Heidelberg community run Friday morning to celebrate 2009 as the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer.
The Soldiers formed up outside the Patrick Henry Village Pavilion before setting off on the 3.1-mile route through the streets of PHV at 6:30 a.m.
"The purpose of today's run was to foster unit cohesion and esprit de corps," said U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg Command Sgt. Maj. Annette R. Weber. "Additionally, the community run goes along with Sgt. Maj. of the Army (Kenneth) Preston's initiative for March -'Focus on Physical Fitness'- and what better way to show our physical fitness than by completing a 3.1-mile run in the drizzling rain and sounding off to Army cadence."
U.S. Army Europe Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph R. Beam led the run and spoke to the Soldiers afterward. He reminded them of the importance of not only being an NCO but celebrating the Year of the NCO.
"You should get up every morning and say 'today's the day I'm going to earn my stripes,'" he said. "You should do that every morning.
"You should reaffirm every day that you are a sergeant ... wearing stripes doesn't mean that you tell other people what to do. It means you take care of Soldiers, and you accomplish the mission. You serve the Soldiers now, not yourself. If you don't think that, you need to take the stripes off. Everybody that brings dishonor to one set of stripes brings dishonor to us all. That's what this year is about."
Weber said coming together as a community to support NCOs provides a daily reminder of their importance.
"Events that honor our NCOs are very important to our community because it shows our community what NCOs do daily and how we do it," she said. "Honoring our NCOs lets our NCOs know we are extremely proud of their hard work and their commitment to service."
Beam pointed out that in 1989 the Army last celebrated the Year of the NCO, and from that year came the NCO Creed. "The number one initiative that came out of that was they formalized the creed of the NCO - the document that tells the world exactly what we are supposed to be able to do and what they expect from us," he said.
Noncommissioned officers don't replace officers, they supplement them and help make their reach go farther, Beam said.
"The first thing you put on in the morning is your attitude," he said during the formation. "Not your running shoes, but you put your attitude on, that 'today I'm going to push myself hard.' That's what it takes to wear sergeant stripes."
Although the weather may have kept many community members from attending and participating, Weber said she was still happy with the turnout.
"I would just like to thank all the units that participated in today's run," she said. "Without their participation, the Garrison Heidelberg would not be a success. We are extremely proud of all Soldiers, family members and civilian professionals that continue to do a great job every day to make Heidelberg the best (overseas) community in the world."
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