Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center welcomed its newest non-commissioned officers into the Medical Enlisted Corps ranks during a formal induction ceremony, held Feb. 16 at the Fort Hood hospital.
Guest speaker for the event was Sgt. Maj. Kristy Swofford, who reminded the 27 inductees they are the backbone of the Army.
"You hold it all together -- the organization and the mission, and you are what makes it work," she said, adding that the noncommissioned officer (NCO) also is the advisor to the officer, the foundation for the Soldier and the confident to their peers.
Swofford, who currently serves as deputy commandant for III Corps and the Fort Hood Noncommissioned Officer Academy, stressed that no matter how unpopular an NCO might be, they are a Soldier's "safe place."
"You are the one officers want by their side, and the ones Soldiers try to avoid until they realize, like the officer did, that nothing is possible without the NCO," she said.
Besides the guest speaker, the ceremony included the lighting of the four candles representing the NCO spirit: A red candle for courage and blood; a white candle representing purity and commitment; and a blue candle for valor and pride. The Missing Man Table candle honored America's fallen service members.
Following a series of recitations and presentations, the Soldiers recited the NCO creed, which originated in 1973 and serves as a guiding document for NCOs.
"The creed serves as a compass to guide us on the right path and to affirm our commitment to the professionalism of our corps," said Master Sgt. Christopher Hunter, who presided over the ceremony.
The induction ceremony, he said, builds and emphasizes the pride the NCO has they become a member of an elite corps. The ceremony concluded with new inductees reciting the NCO charge, which was led CRDAMC Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Williams.
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