CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq " Senior leaders from U.S. Division-North and 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, welcomed recently promoted sergeants into the Noncommissioned Officer Corps during an induction ceremony at Contingency Operating Site Marez, June 3.
“Head Hunter” NCOs from 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th AAB, crossed the threshold from junior enlisted to becoming leaders, signifying their progression and place among the senior enlisted Soldiers who joined them during the ceremony.
Command Sergeant Major Daniel A. Dailey, senior enlisted advisor to U.S. Division-North and 4th Infantry Division, offered wisdom about the tenets of leadership to the new NCOs.
“Leadership doesn’t just happen,” Dailey said. “Leadership is an art. You can’t buy it, you can’t find it, you can’t take it from someone else. You have to learn it.”
Sergeant Miriam Buck, a supply specialist assigned to Troop D, 1st Sqdn., 9th Cav. Regt., 4th AAB, said she was inspired by having senior leadership on hand to welcome her and 19 other Soldiers into the NCO Corps.
“They’re acknowledging all the hard work we put in to get here, and they’re recognizing us as new leaders that will grow to follow in their footsteps,” said Buck.
Promoted to sergeant in January, the Los Angeles native is responsible for managing and overseeing logistical operations for Troop D.
“It’s good to see the young Soldiers that are coming up through the ranks and beginning their journey as noncommissioned officers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Odoms, a native of Killeen, Texas, and operations NCO assigned to Head Hunter Squadron.
A veteran of 18 years, Odoms said he enjoys mentoring the new inductees from Head Hunter Squadron.
“I look back on my years as a newly promoted sergeant and all the gumption that I had,” said Odoms. “I now see it all in their eyes.”
Dailey left the sergeants with a challenge for their coming years as leaders.
“You newly promoted noncommissioned officers are our nation’s credentials now,” said Dailey. “We have invested in you, and you now are entrusted with our future.”
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