Through the NCO arches

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea - The 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and 51st Fighter Wing hosted a joint noncommissioned officer induction ceremony Feb 16 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea.

The Eighth Army Command Sgt. Maj., Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Merritt, served as the guest speaker and shared personal stories with leadership tips for the group of proud NCOs.

Merritt painted a vignette of himself as a junior Soldier, meticulously preparing his combat helmet over a weekend for a Monday morning inspection. Submitting to the audience that if his leadership didn't inspect his helmet, he would've been disappointed, he acknowledged he took a great deal of pride and satisfaction in preparing his equipment.

"Expect what you inspect," said Merritt. A duty he charged each NCO to uphold. A mission of holding Soldiers and Airmen accountable.

Thirty-five Soldiers, 19 Airmen, and 15 Korean Augmentees to the United States Army were recognized during the ceremony, with each one passing through the NCO arch, signifying their entry into the storied noncommissioned officer corps.

Service members packed the enlisted club to support their fellow Soldiers, Airmen and KATUSAs. It didn't take long for the auditorium to reach standing room only, and groups of onlookers stood three to four waves deep beyond the railing that lines the tiered floor.

For some in the group, the event was extra special.

"Being inducted means I truly am a Sergeant now," said Sgt. Choi, Min Gyu, 6-52 ADA Battalion. "By going through that gate, I was officially recognized as a leader, and I learned I have higher standards to live up to."

The idea for the ceremony spawned from Command Sgt. Maj. Eric McCray, 35th ADA Brigade Command Sgt. Maj.

Upon assuming his duty as the senior enlisted advisor to the Dragon Brigade, hosting an NCO induction ceremony was something McCray wanted to do for the Soldiers. However, the high operational tempo of the brigade made white space sparse, said Sgt. Maj. Gene Harding, 35th ADA Brigade.

According to Harding, senior noncommissioned officer in charge of the ceremony, they picked a date on the calendar, and after multiple discussions with McCray, it went from an Army centric event to a joint ceremony.

While there is no set date for the next ceremony, the success and positive feedback suggests there will be more in the future.

"At the end of the day, it's all about recognizing the Soldiers, Airmen and KATUSAs," said Harding. "That's what we did today, we recognized a group of very deserving noncommissioned officers, and we welcomed them into our corps."