Photo By Sgt. Jon Heinrich | The 8th Special Troops Battalion, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, hosted a...... read more read more
FORT DERUSSY, Hawaii – Fort Shafter-based troops from the 8th Special Troops Battalion honored veterans who built the Army’s world-renowned Noncommissioned Officer Corps and also welcomed the next generation of NCOs into that Corps during a public NCO Induction ceremony Nov. 7, in front of the Army Museum here.
The induction ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the Army that recognizes the critical step from Soldier to NCO, a step that was symbolized for the new NCOs by passing under the crossed NCO swords and reciting the NCO Charge together.
With Veterans Day approaching, the event also provided an opportunity for the crowd of troops, retirees, local civilians and tourists to reflect on the important sacrifice that our veterans have made, past and present, as they witnessed the unit induct 12 new NCOs and honorarily induct four retired veterans.
The retirees honored included: Judith Bowman, a former Navy NCO who still serves her country as the director of the Army Museum here; Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Leighton Siu who now serves as the chief protocol officer for the 8th Theater Sustainment Command; Retired Master Sgt. John H. Rogers Jr., a Vietnam War veteran and lifelong advocate of veterans’ rights, who was posthumously honored with retired Sgt. Calvin Griffith accepting on his behalf; and Mr. Pierre Moulin, an author of six books about World War II who has raised more than $80,000 in support of the Army Museum and other veterans organizations here.
Griffith said, “Even when you take the uniform off, there are certain standards you still live by, and creeds you have to govern your life, because there’s no ‘ex’-Soldiers, there’s just ‘former’-Soldiers, and you’ve just transitioned to a different part of life, but you still inspire other people to live by those same standards.”
Command Sgt. Maj. James Shuman, the 8th STB’s senior enlisted advisor, said “We are by far the most professionalized NCO Corps on the planet,” and our veterans and current NCOs helped make the Corps what it is today, but it’s these newly inducted NCOs and the ones that will follow them who will continue to strengthen our Army in the future.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.07.2014 20:52 |
| Story ID: | 147413 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 121 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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