Photo By Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Pena | Spc. Kaleigh Filson, an intelligence analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters...... read more read more
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At one point in most Soldiers’ careers, they will recite the Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer before their friends, families and peers during the Basic Leaders’ Course graduation ceremony as the next step to earning their stripes.
An even smaller group of Soldiers are able to earn the coveted Distinguished Honor Graduate title and pass the course at the top of their class.
Such is the case for Spc. Kaleigh Filson, an intelligence analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division as she graduated from BLC as the Distinguished Honor Graduate Aug. 27 at Fort Carson, Colo.
Filson’s accomplishment of graduating top of her class out of 224 Soldiers also marked Fort Carson’s first in person course since the beginning of COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s surreal, it was always the goal (to be the distinguished honor graduate),” said Filson, a Lexington, Ky. native. “To actually have achieved it is so much better.”
The road to becoming a sergeant in the U.S. Army recently changed with promotable specialists being laterally promoted to the rank of corporal once they have successfully graduated from BLC. This allows the Soldier to have time understanding the role of being a leader while receiving the appropriate mentorship from their leaders.
BLC is one of the first places where soldiers and junior non commissioned officers receive formal training on the art of leadership. However, many start learning from day one thanks to the example their leaders set for them.
“They gave me a good foundation to build on,” said Filson. “They have always taught me to do the right thing and how to do it and go by the book which really helped me with completing BLC.”
Filson credits her success at BLC to her hard work and leaders, highlighting her leadership’s ability to make sure she is successful.
“Anytime I needed my noncommissioned officers they were there,” said Filson.
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2021 19:01 |
| Story ID: | 404090 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 289 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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