SEATTLE — A U.S. Army recruiter with the Seattle Army Recruiting Battalion was inducted into the prestigious Sergeant Audie Murphy Club during a virtual ceremony March 2.
Staff Sgt. Dasean Person officially joined the ranks of some of the best leaders in the Army when the club’s medallion was draped around his neck.
U.S. Army Recruiting Command leadership, Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen and Command Sgt. Major John Foley, hosted the ceremony, which honored 12 recruiters from around the country.
“They are the NCOs who embody the NCO creed. They are extremely competent and committed to our Army, our values and our way of life,” said Foley. “They are intelligent and articulate. And I will tell you that they worked very, very hard. And they embody everything we are as a profession in our Army.”
SAMC, established in 1986, is a service-based leadership organization created to “develop, inspire and motivate the best leaders” in the Army, according to its website. Members must exemplify leadership characterized by personal concern for the needs, training, development and welfare of Soldiers and concern for their families. Only 2 percent of noncommissioned officers can claim membership, which is accomplished through a series of rigorous board appearances before senior enlisted members.
Person completed a series of tasks when competing for selection at both the battalion and brigade level. The selection process culminated in an oral board testing his knowledge of various subjects in front of nine command sergeants major and sergeants major.
“I am thankful to have been chosen to be inducted into the club and I will make sure I live up to the expectations that come along with it,” said Person. “I would like to thank those who helped me get to this point. … Getting me ready took a handful of people and experiences that span over the course of 10 years.”
“I believe my drive to succeed and to accept challenges head on helped me to get to this point,” he added. “I knew that going through this process was going to be tough, but I also believed in myself and my own capabilities. Having this and people in my corner to push me really got me to this point.”
Person, a native of Richmond, Virginia, currently works at the Lynnwood U.S. Army Recruiting Station in Washington. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2010 as a petroleum supply specialist, and began working as a recruiter in 2019.
“I joined [the Army] back in 2010 in order to travel, be challenged and experience different cultures,” said Person. “Before I joined I was going to school and working three jobs, and I was very stressed out and had a bad outlook on life. The Army really helped to change that and gave me a sense of purpose. Before I leave the Army I want to obtain my bachelors in Supply Chain Management, but most importantly I want to be an inspiration to others.”
As a recruiter, Person works toward inspiring others every day and strives to make a difference both in and out of his Army profession.
“The Army is challenging yet very rewarding,” he said. “It will push you to think outside the box and help you to develop into the best version of yourself. The Army is a profession that is geared toward taking care of you and your families, and being a part of this team is something that [people] should take advantage of.”
Person is an ideal role model for future Soldiers because of three attributes: expertise, discipline and resilience, said Capt. Andrew Harvey, Everett Recruiting Company Commander and Person’s leadership.
“Person’s drive for excellence has the amazing side effect of making him an expert in his craft. His passion for success ensures that he masters every task set before him no matter the difficulty,” he added. “Every day Staff Sgt. Person focuses himself on the tasks that he has yet to master and trains himself, and others, on how to best accomplish it. … In his pursuit for excellence, Staff Sgt. Person has overcome setbacks and struggles that would cause many to quit but his commitment to becoming the best has forged him into a resilient leader capable of conquering any obstacle.”
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View the virtual induction ceremony at https://www.facebook.com/USAREC/videos/893657301425942.
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