HEIDELBERG, Germany - Growing up in Houston, Sgt. 1st Class Estela Delgado wanted to be an elementary school teacher. So much so that she even had her own set of schoolbooks she dreamed would one day fill the shelves of her classroom.
Today instead of text books, she reaches for regulations and field manuals to teach and train Soldiers.
Delgado is a human resources sergeant at USA North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or USANATO Brigade, on Tompkins Barracks in Schwetzingen.
She is also the first person in her family to join the Army.
"I knew I wanted to succeed and do something with my life," Delgado said. "As well as be a good example to my family."
The nine-year Army vet has indeed set a good example to not just her family but also to her Soldiers and peers.
Her long list of achievements and military education includes everything from airborne school to the Army's Battle Staff Course. That's in addition to her duties as a unit prevention leader and combat life saver.
Now Delgado is hoping to add another accomplishment to the list. She's currently studying full-time to become a member of the Army's highly prestigious Sergeant Morales Club. She's scheduled to attend the membership board sometime in February.
"I am ready for the challenge," she said. "I wanted to do it so that I could stand in front of my Soldiers and tell them that they can do it, too."
Delgado also remembers what it was like when she first pinned on her chevrons. "It was definitely a new experience," she said. "I had to learn how to separate myself from being a Soldier to being an NCO ... You're now telling your peers that you talk to every day what they had to do to accomplish the mission, and sometimes they didn't want to listen."
Now with seven years of experience as an NCO under her belt, Delgado sums up her feelings on 2009 being designated as the Year of the NCO.
"I feel that it's very important ... because we train and mentor our Soldiers and help them to understand and be better; that's what it's all about," she said.
Delgado also offers some advice to those hoping to one day join the NCO Corps.
"Don't cut yourself short," she said. "Sometimes the Soldiers think that they are not ready. I think everybody is ready to be an NCO, they just have to accept the challenge."
Spc. Jovanne Montanez, a military policemen with the 529th Military Police Company's honor guard in Heidelberg is one who's ready for the challenge.
The 21-year-old always knew he wanted to be in law enforcement, but he never imagined the route he chose to get there would take him so far from the streets of his Bronx, N.Y., neighborhood.
"I always knew that I wanted to do something with my life. I always knew I wanted to achieve something," Montanez said.
"My focus was to complete high school and then after that go on to college and just keep going and not allow other people to keep me down or tell me what I couldn't do," he said.
Montanez is quick to credit the NCOs in his unit for helping him progress during his two years in the military.
"Since they've been training me and I've seen how they work ... I've learned so much from them," the Soldier said. "I figured that I can actually pass that down to other Soldiers who are coming into the Army, so that they can also have good leadership and they can learn the best. NCOs always lead the way."
Montanez has served as an escort for World War II veterans at the 65th D-Day anniversary celebration in Normandy, France, and he's participated in several salute batteries to include the U.S. Army Europe change of command.
His most recent accomplishment - going before a promotion board to become an NCO. Montanez admits at first he was reluctant, until his NCOs got involved.
"To me I didn't believe I was ready," he said. "They were the ones who helped me and pushed me ... if it wasn't for my first sergeant or my platoon sergeant and my squad leader, I would have never went to the board."
Now that it's over, the soon-to-be sergeant is thankful and once again credits his leaders for not allowing him to underestimate himself or his ability to help lead the next generation of Soldiers.
"When I become an NCO, I can do the same thing for my Soldiers, make sure they're ready and actually push them even if they think they can't," Montanez said.
Army officials designated 2009 as the Year of the NCO to recognize these professionals and leaders of Soldiers serving throughout the U.S. Army and their 200 plus years of service to the nation.
Throughout the year, the world has seen their stories, and as 2009 draws to a close, the Army Family thanks all the NCOs on the frontlines of today's military who are excelling and leading the way.
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