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Phoenix Battalion Station Commander's Leadership Shines

By Ms. Deborah M Smith (USAREC)February 15, 2011

Sergeant 1st Class Xavier Versie, Viscount Recruiting Station in El Paso, Texas, is the Phoenix Recruiting Battalion's January Station Commander of the Month. During January, the Viscount Recruiting Station enlisted 300 percent of their monthly mission and had no Future Soldier losses. This was accomplished with only two Recruiters instead of the four Recruiters the station is authorized. "This is an incredible achievement," said Phoenix Battalion Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Williams. "However, Versie does not stop at excellence in recruiting; he excels at being a Soldier and leader too." Versie humbly describes his leadership style as aggressive but fair. "I believe in old-school, back to the basics leadership - directing, participating and delegating," he said. El Paso Company 1st Sgt. Juan Vasquez describes Versie's leadership as "exceptional." "He knows how to motivate his Soldiers personally and professionally and was an instrumental part in encouraging a former Recruiter (Sgt. Joel Rivera) to become a warrant officer," Vasquez said. Versie claims his success at being a Soldier and Station Commander is partially due to his mother, his inspiration, who raised him on her own. Versie grew up in Southern California. He lived in an impoverished neighborhood inundated with gang violence, drugs and race wars. "Simply by the color of my skin, I was viewed as a gang member," he said. "Even though I was never gang affiliated, it was assumed because of the neighborhood I grew up in." Even though Versie endured some tough times in the hood, and was surrounded by negative influencers, he managed to stay out of trouble, graduate from high school and find his way into the U.S. Army. "I really wanted to serve my country and to be part of a team that did not have racial boundaries," Versie said. "I went through some tough times growing up in the hood, but those tough times gave me the stamina to achieve my goals and become the Soldier I am today."

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