FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club inducted two new members during a ceremony Dec. 11, 2025, in Grant Auditorium at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Sgt. Jessica Gonzalez, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility Battalion (Corrections), and Sgt. Janelis Otero, HHC, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Battalion (Corrections), are the latest to earn membership into the NCO service organization.
Guest speaker Sgt. Maj. Daniel Dodds, USDB Battalion operations sergeant major and senior enlisted advisor to SAMC, said gaining membership into the prestigious club is no small feat.
“It took me three times to get inducted into the club,” he told the full auditorium before his formal remarks. “I got inducted back in 2013 on my third attempt, and it was because I had great NCOs that inspired me when I didn't make it my first time and I didn't make it my second time to keep pushing through.”
He encouraged anyone who is currently an NCO or wants to be an NCO to volunteer with SAMC and aspire to be a member.
Dodds said SAMC’s high standards are inspired by the club’s eponym, Lt. Audie Murphy, who enlisted to serve in World War II and is the highest decorated soldier in U.S. history,
“A warrior who earned the Medal of Honor for acts of courage on the battlefield and a leader, even after the battle was done, (Murphy) continued to serve his fellow veterans, community, with humility and strength,” Dodds said. “But what makes the club special is not simply the memory of past heroes, it's the idea that greatness in the noncommissioned officer profession lives on — and that greatness is not defined by rank or prestige, but by action.”
During their candidacy, the inductees volunteered more than 30 hours in the Fort Leavenworth and Leavenworth communities, assisting with SAMC study sessions, helping maintain the Veterans Affairs hiking trail, visiting the VA domiciliary, participating in Leavenworth High School Junior ROTC events, and helping distribute food and hygiene items to local families.
Dodds said Gonzalez and Otero — both natives of Puerto Rico who joined the Army Corrections Brigade fresh from basic training and advanced individual training, and who have earned their stripes in ACB’s correctional facilities — lead from the front.
“These NCOs are standing here today because they have demonstrated what right looks like. They work tirelessly to study, recite, learn new information and regulations, inspire, push further, achieve more, and do all of it while believing in themselves. They have placed the needs of others above themselves, not because they were required to, but because it was right,” he said. “They have embraced the mantle of responsibility that comes with the stripes on their uniform, and they've done so with pride and discipline… These sergeants have endured a rigorous assessment that tested their knowledge on various military regulations, their leadership in various scenarios — how they would react, and their commitment to soldiers in their care, all while adhering to the Army values.”
Dodds said the inductees also wrote essays on methods to improve the military, and they defended their decisions to a board and shared experiences to prove they embody the SAMC ideals.
He called their induction a milestone in their careers, not a finish line.
“Wearing the medallion is not a symbol that you have arrived, it's a reminder that the work must continue. The expectation placed on you from this point forward will only grow,” Dodds said. “Soldiers will look to you as a symbol of what noncommissioned officers should be, know and do. They will expect fairness, competence, discipline, and your heart. Today, you accept not just this honor, but the responsibility. Our Army depends on NCOs to uphold readiness, discipline and trust within the formations.”
Dodds charged them with instilling the Army ethic in every soldier they encounter; guiding daily operations with clarity, discipline and competence; training soldiers not only in their occupational specialty, but also soldiering basics; demanding excellence in fitness, appearance and professionalism; and teaching the heritage, custom and traditions of the Army. He also charged them with caring deeply for the welfare of their soldiers and families; preparing their soldiers for the mission; safeguarding the equipment and tools they rely on to do their jobs to fight, win and survive; and developing their soldiers to become the leaders that they ought to be.
“You do this with your mentorship, your guidance, and your patience, and you do all of these things with… courage, candor, competence, commitment and compassion.”
Dodds thanked all of the NCOs who helped Gonzalez and Otero obtain the SAMC recognition, reminding them that no one succeeds by themselves. He told the latest inductees to wear their medallions with pride.
“As we look to the future of the Army and the challenges we face, the threats we will deter and the missions we must execute, it will be sergeants like you who ensure our formations are ready and trained. You must build cohesive teams. You must train the next generation to become sergeants. You are the backbone of the greatest NCO Corps in the world — don't forget that.”
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