GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - In a room filled with many senior and junior noncommissioned officers, seven Joint Multinational Training Command NCOs became lifetime members of the United States Army Europe's prestigious Sergeant Morales Club at the 7th Army NCO Academy chapel here April 13.
The Sergeant Morales Club holds a tradition of honoring the highest ideals of integrity, professionalism and leadership for the enlisted force serving in Europe.
"I challenge you to carry on the tradition ... as you get inducted in the Sgt. Morales Club," said Command Sgt. Major Frank Graham, Joint Multinational Readiness Center command sergeant major.
Sgt. Morales was a squad leader of Puerto Rican descent who strove for and achieved the highest caliber of leadership while assigned to an engineer battalion in Germany. He showed genuine concern for the needs, training, development and welfare of his squad and their family members.
"To train others to be what Sgt. Morales was, and what you are today," Graham said. "That is what every NCO strives to be and strives to do."
In recognition of exemplifying this special kind of leadership, the following seven NCOs were inducted into the SMC and received an Army Commendation Medal for their meritorious achievement:
Staff Sgt. Alicia Anderson (Freeman) from Queens, N.Y., and Instructor, Charlie Company, 7th Army NCOA
Staff Sgt. Michael L. Anderson, from Gallup, N.M., and Instructor, Bravo Co., 7th Army NCOA
Staff Sgt. Nicolas J. Gauthier, assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Joint Multinational Readiness Center at Hohenfels, Germany
Staff Sgt. Jimmy L. Martin, from Fayetteville, N.C., and Instructor, C Co., 7th Army NCOA
Staff Sgt. Caleb J. McFall, from Edmond, Okla., and Instructor, C Co., 7th Army NCOA
Staff Sgt. Jesus Serrano, from Santa Ana, Calif., and Instructor, B Co., 7th Army NCOA
Staff Sgt. Derrick Smullen, from Washington, District of Columbia, and Instructor, B Co., 7th Army NCOA
"These NCOs consistently lead by example and demonstrate the highest qualities of leadership," said Miami, Fl., native, Sgt. 1st Class Luis Perez, vice president of SMC and assigned to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.
While both the NCOA and Joint Multinational Training Command are committed to developing core leadership skills among U.S. and multinational partners, one NCOA chief instructor describes his Soldier, M. Anderson, as giving consistent and constant efforts to make the nations Army the best it can be, one Soldier at a time.
"I feel honored to be part of the club. It embodies values like taking care of soldiers, leadership and being the best NCO that we can possibly be," said A. Anderson of her accomplishment.
First Sergeant Dana J. Greenley from Kankakee, Ill. and C Co., First Sergeant, describes A. Anderson as someone who has set herself apart from her peers and "embodies every fiber of a Be, Know, Do NCO."
Greenley explains that A. Anderson spends extra time in the classroom with her students to ensure they understand the course materials, studying for a board, doing extra PT while the students were at chow, or having a meticulous grasp of the materials she instructs.
Upon induction, the inductees received the SMC Medallion, a certificate of lifetime membership; the USAREUR SMC was established in 1973 by Lt. Gen. George S. Blanchard.
Like many SMC inductees before, these seven NCOs had to compete in various selection boards at the company, battalion and brigade level or higher.
"I love being an instructor here. I like the physical training, I like being around Soldiers. I like the esprit de corps, and the motivation," said A. Anderson. "It's a great place to be to get back to the fundamentals and standards."
Like A. Anderson, each inductee shares a special kind of leadership that values their profession and their unit, while exercising leadership principles, and displaying exemplary Army ethics.
They strive to strengthen and develop the seven Army values in Soldiers, while displaying the warrior ethos as well as exemplary physical fitness and marksmanship skills.
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