FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence NCO Academy held a change-of-commandant ceremony March 30 in Nutter Field House, where Command Sgt. Maj. Paul DeSanto relinquished responsibility to Command Sgt. Maj. John Caprio.
Hosting the ceremony was MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Arzabala, who said the leadership of the academy is instrumental in the Army’s success and the building of noncommissioned officers. And for the past 36 months, Sgt. Maj. Paul DeSanto has served with unwavering distinction as the commandant of this academy.
Arzabala said DeSanto served with “unwavering distinction” as the commandant of the MSCoE NCO Academy.
“As the commandant, he didn’t just lead the NCO academy,” he said. “He improved it at every level. His primary focus was always stewarding the profession.”
DeSanto, who is retiring after nearly 30 years of service, said it is the combined knowledge and experience of the people within the organization who made it so successful.
“As I reflected on my time here,” DeSanto said. “I kept coming back to a quote by Simon Sinek that I live by as a leader — ‘It’s not the genius at the top giving directions that makes the people great. It’s the great people, doing the work, that makes the guy at the top look like a genius.’”
He explained, “that quote reminds me of one thing I know for sure, is that it’s you, the people of the NCOA, who made this organization successful prior to my arrival and it’s you who will make it successful well into the future.”
DeSanto welcomed Caprio to the NCO Academy family and said, “I hope you find, as I did, that this is the hidden gem on Fort Leonard Wood, and perhaps the entire Army.”
In welcoming Caprio, Arzabala said, “every time a leader moves on, the Army selects the right leader to serve behind them.”
“We are very excited for the tremendous leadership you will bring to the team,” he said.
Caprio thanked everyone for welcoming him to the team and said, “it is a great honor to serve as the next Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Noncommissioned Officer Academy commandant. I look forward to working with all of you.”
More photos from the ceremony are available on the Fort Leonard Wood Flickr page, at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCPwRe.
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