Fort Jackson welcomed 15 Soldiers into the Noncommissioned Officer Corps during a ceremony held Nov. 21 at the Post Theater.
The NCO Corps is backbone of the Army and provides direct leadership and mentorship to the lowest ranking Soldiers. It also helped sustain the Continental Army through severe hardships during the Revolutionary War.
The 15 Soldiers had demonstrated a desire to lead and the potential for greater service to the mission and earned recommendations from their leaders to become NCOs.
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Charles S. Cook, who the Moncrief Army Health Clinic’s Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Wall said had “a deep commitment to the Soldiers under his charge,” spoke to the NCOs about what it means to be a part of the Corps.
“Now you are becoming a leader, a supervisor, an NCO in the U.S. Army,” said Cook, who retired in 2015 with 33 years of service.
He called on them to remain fixed on being the best leaders possible and not following the traits of bad leaders.
“If you made a pact that you would never do that – don’t break it,” he said. “Things are different now and you are entering the most difficult … duty position in the Army and in the military – the first line leader.”
It will be difficult because the NCO is charged to “uphold the standards and get the mission accomplished.”
The Soldiers inducted into the Corps were:
Medical Activity -Fort Jackson
Sgt. Christian Helm
Sgt. Alyssa Jasinowski
Sgt. Heloysa Pordeus-Toole
Sgt. Marshall Scott
Cpl. Angelina LaPlante
165th Infantry Brigade
Sgt. Thomas Naugle
Cpl. Fenji Francois
Cpl. Zyanna Jones
Cpl. Londieu Pierre Louis
193rd Infantry Brigade
Sgt. Kevin Harley
Cpl. Christopher Cespedes
Cpl. Ebony Cooper-Murray
Cpl. Xzaviera Robinson
Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion
Sgt. Dylan Goodson
Sgt. Nicholas Phillips
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