Athletic NCO pushes Soldier care

Photo By Sgt. Keith Anderson | Sgt. Erica Rinard, Charlie Co., 1st Battalion, 185th Armor, California Army National Guard, assigned at the time to the 391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, greets Maj. Gen. William H. Wade II, California Adjutant General, at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Feb. 19. Rinard said Soldier care is an important facet of leading Soldiers. "Soldier care is the key to a good NCO; gain the respect of your enlisted personnel and, only if they show you the same respect, in turn, you have succeeded as a good NCO," said Rinard. "I look to all my leaders and mentors, even the ones that fail, so in turn I know what makes and breaks the 'Backbone of the Army.'"  

TIKRIT, IRAQ

06.17.2009

Story by Sgt. Keith Anderson 

16th Sustainment Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq — Sgt. Erica Rinard, Charlie Co., 1st Battalion, 185th Armor, 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, said Soldier care is an important facet of leading Soldiers.

"Soldier care is the key to a good NCO; gain the respect of your enlisted personnel and, only if they show you the same respect, in turn, you have succeeded as a good NCO," said Rinard. "I look to all my leaders and mentors, even the ones that fail, so in turn I know what makes and breaks the 'Backbone of the Army.'"

Sgt. 1st Class John Lee, Rinard's supervisor and motor sergeant, Charlie Co., 1-185 AR, said she is always there for other Soldiers.

"Sergeant Rinard helps others in the section by being a sounding board for the Soldiers," Lee said. "She is always willing to lend an ear or shoulder. She takes the time to be a leader, mentor, and friend. Her dedication to work inspires others to do their best and strive for excellence."

Rinard, a Victorville, Calif., native who works as a tank mechanic at Ft. Irwin, Calif., as active Guard, and whose husband is also active Guard, said many NCOs have shaped her career and made her who she is today, but she credits her grandfather.

"I've met a number of extraordinary NCO's that have made an impact on my life, but hands-down it would have to be my adoptive Grandfather Lynch, a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, who served in World War II was a member of a bomber crew that was shot down behind enemy lines and held captive as POW," Richardson said. "Till his passing in 2007 he remained an active retired member of the Air Force. To have served and continued to serve after retirement to me justifies honor and valor to one's country." The athletic NCO said she brought her competitive drive with her into the military.

"Physically I have always been competitive, attending Southern Oregon University on a track and field scholarship," Rinard said. "I broke a number of meet records, and at one point broke the college 200-meter dash record, becoming ranked sixth in the nation, which landed me a ticket to the college nationals, which was short-lived due to an injury, thus ending my running and college career."

Rinard accomplished a personal goal when she won "best overall" in a bodybuilding contest judged by Billy Blanks, creator of Tae Bo, held at Speicher, April 25.

"It was a personal accomplishment, I was out to beat myself and no one else," said Rinard, during an earlier interview, after the contest.

Rinard said the Army's Year of the NCO was about living up to NCO Creed.

"It is my duty to know and recite the NCO Creed, word for word, either from memory or read," said Rinard. "It is a requirement of an NCO, and to be honest with you, I don't remember it line for line, but I do know how to live it. And that there is what it takes to be a leader. If an NCO can live and abide by that simple task then every year is an NCO Year."

She said she has also learned to be flexible in her Army National Guard career.

Rinard entered the Army as a unit supply specialist, but worked as an assistant retention NCO at her first duty assignment. She volunteered for a deployment and crossed trained to work as a motor transport operator, then took a job as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic when she returned from the deployment. She now works as a Standard Army Maintenance System — Enhanced clerk.

"I've been able to adapt to the constant change of learning new work-related traits not pertaining to my MOS," said Rinard.

Rinard said not to worry about things, but to enjoy life.

"You can plan life to the fullest and stress over your shortcomings when those goals are never met," said Rinard. "I'm a firm believer that you never know what's going to happen in life, and that the best thing to do is live life to the fullest and embrace all negative and positive impacts that may come. Even though the negative seems to outweigh the positive in most cases, 'What else are you going to do?'"

• Date Taken: 06.17.2009
• Date Posted: 06.17.2009 09:49
• Story ID: 35226
• Location: TIKRIT, IQ