FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – Noncommissioned officers (NCOs) serve as the backbone of a unit. Their two main responsibilities are accomplishing the mission and looking out for the wellbeing of the Soldiers below them.
To promote the development of professional, competent, and confident NCO leaders here, Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse Townsend, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (ICoE), hosted an installation-wide NCO Week June 8-12, culminating with the NCO Induction Ceremony of 18 Soldiers on Friday, June 12, at Fitch Auditorium.
“The tradition of the induction ceremony is a passage used by senior NCOs to convey today’s inductees who have transitioned from being led to becoming leaders,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Summers, ICoE G3. “The ceremony gives them their first experience of the pride and respect that goes along with being a member of the NCO Corps.”
During the ceremony, three candles were placed at the front of the stage spelling out NCO. The red candle with the letter N represents the past and the blood that was shed. The white candle with the letter C represents the present and purity. The blue candle with the letter O represents the future and loyalty to our country.
Next, Townsend took to the podium and began by thanking everyone for attending and said it was an “absolute honor” to be the host and guest speaker for his final NCO Induction Ceremony before his upcoming retirement.
Townsend said he earned the rank of sergeant 26 years and 12 days ago, and that it was the day that “truly changed the trajectory of my life.
“I profoundly and proudly accepted that I was part of leading something that dated back to winning our independence as a nation,” Townsend said. “Every time I think back to that promotion, seven simple words come to mind […] no one is more professional than I.”
Those seven words are the opening lines to the NCO Creed. Townsend said it was a “bold yet simple statement that serves as a contract to a commitment.”
The commitment Townsend was talking about was to put everyone around him before himself. Whether they were seniors, peers, or subordinates, he knew he had to make the commitment to do the “hard right over the easy wrong.” It was also a commitment to taking initiative and taking appropriate action even when there was no order to do so, and it was a commitment to the principles that “enable us to be part of the most powerful Army on Earth.
“While the Army has continued to transform its technology, formations, kit, and modernizes in the ways of warfare, not a single word in that creed has changed since I learned it 26 years ago,” Townsend said. “The NCO Creed’s impact has resonated across our Corps for nearly half a century, and I have no doubt that it will drive these inductees to lead America’s sons and daughters for many years to come.”
Before concluding his speech, Townsend asked the inductees to do three things. One: to think deeply about what the NCO Creed means to them. Two: meet the responsibilities of an NCO “head on” and wear the rank with pride. Three: pay close attention to the words of the Soldier’s Request that was read after the NCOs were inducted.
“At the end of the day, you exist to serve [the Soldiers]. You exist to lead [the Soldiers]. You exist to train [the Soldiers],” Townsend said. “Do those three things. I’ll see you on the high ground. No one is more professional than I. This We’ll Defend.”
Following the speech from Townsend, the NCOs being inducted were asked to stand at attention and raise their right hand to repeat the NCO Charge delivered by Townsend before being inducted into the NCO Corps.
The 18 Soldiers inducted represented four units across the installation.
U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command: Staff Sgt. Telvin Beauregard, Sgt. Tristan May, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Perez, Sgt. Matthew Rodrigs, and Staff Sgt. Veronica Zepeda.
Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center: Sgt. Phillip Lawlis, Sgt. Drew Lillestol, Sgt. Akela Morrison, Sgt. Deonna Shogren, Sgt. Alexis Williams.
111th Military Intelligence Brigade: Sgt. Krystyn Burrow, Sgt. Zakeree Chapa, Sgt. Yancy Foster, Staff Sgt. Kevin Froehler, Sgt. Kimberly Johnson, and Sgt. Tony Morman.
Headquarters & Headquarters Company U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence: Staff Sgt. Russell Hoover, and Cpl. Preston Grimstad.
The ceremony concluded with the Soldier's Request, the reading of the NCO Creed, and the singing of the Army Song.
Following the ceremony, family, friends and colleagues congratulated the Soldiers and welcomed them to the NCO Corps.
(Editor’s note: See the complete photo album at https://www.flickr.com/photos/us_army_fort_huachuca/albums/72177720334401797/.)
# # #
Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, 2-13th Aviation Regiment, Electronic Proving Ground, Joint Interoperability Test Command and more than 48 supported tenants representing a diverse, multiservice population. Our unique environment encompasses 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected electronic ranges, key components to the national defense mission.
Located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about 15 miles north of the border with Mexico, Fort Huachuca is an Army installation with a rich frontier history. Established in 1877, the Fort was declared a national landmark in 1976.
We are the Army’s Home. Learn more at https://home.army.mil/huachuca/
Social Sharing