Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. David Nakasone (left), a Ranger School graduate from the Fort Riley,...... read more read more
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FORT RILEY, Kan. - An Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician from Fort Riley earned his Ranger tab.
Staff Sgt. David Nakasone from the 162nd EOD Company graduated from the Ranger School on Fort Benning, Georgia, Jan. 23.
The 61-day Ranger School, which only has a 50 percent graduation rate, takes places in three phases in Georgia and Florida.
Nakasone is part of the 162nd EOD Company, 84th EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group, 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives), the U.S. Army's only command that combats global CBRNE threats.
Nakasone was also the 1st Infantry Division Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and a U.S. Army Combatives champion.
Nakasone, who became an EOD technician because he was drawn to its mission of protecting lives and property, defeated 78 explosive devices in Afghanistan.
According to Nakasone, the Ranger School is a crucible that forges stronger Army leaders.
"It will improve my ability to lead because I was able to lead in strenuous simulated environments," said Nakasone, a native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. "I can directly use this knowledge to make my job as an EOD tech much easier."
"Being a good example is particularly critical in an environment with adversity," said Nakasone. "No one likes adversity and the simple idea of choosing the hard right over the easy wrong must be practiced and preached."
Nakasone said inspiring his Soldiers to stay motivated is the key to leadership success.
"Combat has no rules, many hardships and no matter how bad things get, every leader needs to be able to provide the purpose, direction and motivation necessary to complete the mission," said Nakasone. "Motivation is mighty. It will determine if a task or mission is accomplished more than ability, training or anything."
Command Sgt. Maj. Harold E. Dunn IV, the senior enlisted leader of the 20th CBRNE Command, said Nakasone sets the pace for Soldiers across his one-of-a-kind responsibility.
"He is a great example of what an American Soldier can achieve," said Dunn, a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia. "We have the greatest Army in world because we have noncommissioned officers like him in it."
| Date Taken: | 02.06.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2015 17:32 |
| Story ID: | 153854 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 256 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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