Photo By Tammy Reed | FORT LEE, VA - West African native Staff Sgt. Koku Adzoble was the first candidate to...... read more read more
The 2020 Quartermaster School Instructor of the Year competition kicked off Monday. Seven candidates reported individually to an evaluation board that peppered them with questions to gauge their knowledge of leadership policies, wearing the uniform, total force fitness and why America needs an Army.
“You all know that giving them part of the answer is a no-go,” instructed Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Vidal, QM School CSM, while speaking to fellow senior NCO evaluators prior to the board appearances getting underway.
“I don’t want you to feel restricted in how you help them, but you know how to do that without giving them the answers.”
His comments also reflected the world of initial entry training instructors in general. “You know when coaching is needed, like when they might not understand the direction you are trying to move them to, … or if they wear out the box, and you might have to tell them, ‘Look you might need to bring it back a bit,’ like you would at the squad level. That’s OK.”
The first candidate to step before the panel in a Logistics Training Department conference room was Staff Sgt. Koku Adzoble. He was loud and proud when it came to reciting the Noncommissioned Officers’ Creed and singing the Army Song. His tone softened and became more intense, though, when answering why America needs an Army.
“America needs an Army not to fight other countries, but to make sure that we are able to defend ourselves,” said Adzoble, originally from West Africa. “Even if we do not want war, there are people out there who are trying to hurt us, or trying to compromise our interests. So, to prepare for peace, you need to prepare for war.”
Enthralled board members scribbled notes. Among them was Sgt. Maj. Delonica Boyce, 23rd QM Brigade operations SGM, who later described what she was looking for in Adzoble and the others.
“The instructor of the year should be someone who reflects all of the Army core values and competencies,” she said. “Additionally, they should be able to speak professionally with impact, and have the ability to teach and mentor without trying, as they have a natural flow.”
That “natural flow” was evident to Sgt. 1st Class Jimmie Simmons, last year’s Instructor of the Year, when she graded Staff Sgt. Terrence Reid’s performance in front a class on subsistence Tuesday during the competition’s Instructor Classroom Evaluation event.
“Overall, I think he did really well because he chose a topic that everyone could relate to,” she observed. “Everyone needs food, and he made it an awesome class.”
Reid’s classroom pitch was made lively with jokes, call-and-response sayings, snippets of little-known facts, and the promise of Halloween candy for correct answers. He showed them a Kosher/Halal meal, and they wanted to try it. He laughed while explaining the purpose of the religious diet accommodation.
“I’m not doing this for myself,” Reid said of his participation in the five-part competition. “I wanted to do it for all the Soldiers I’ve trained in the past, and for all the ones I will have in the future. I hope it inspires them to never stop or get complacent. I want them to always push and try to strive for greatness.
“Yesterday, the knowledge board was very intense,” he continued, “but being able to sit and talk with all the sergeants major, particularly CSM Vidal, was among the highlights of my career. Whether I did well or not, having the CSM tell me he was impressed with me was great. … Just hearing the affirmation from the CSM saying I did a good job was the ultimate success for me whether I win or not.”
Other competition events included the Army Combat Fitness Test on Wednesday and a six-mile ruck march and written essay today. Winners will be named tomorrow at an award ceremony in the Lee Club. A follow-up article will appear in next week’s Traveller.
Offering a final thought about the competition, Sgt. Maj. Eduardo Carranza, Petroleum and Water Department SGM and an evaluation board member, said those who vie for Instructor of the Year represent the “higher standard” of professional trainers.
“As a good leader, you have to understand who you lead. The same leadership styles will not be effective in all organizations. You have to learn what motivates the team and focus on taking charge of the team to accomplish a common goal. In the Army, you are not just serving out of loyalty to your country, but also to your unit. Instructors of the Year are what an NCO should be, know and do.”
| Date Taken: | 10.28.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.28.2020 11:02 |
| Story ID: | 381897 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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