Photo By Christopher Wilson | Capt. Eric Seitz, Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery commander, left,...... read more read more
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Retired Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel Dailey welcomed Fort Sill basic trainees to the Army during a graduation ceremony March 18.
Famous for his reintroduction of the “pinks and greens” as well as his tackling of the tattoo issue during his tenure, the 15th SMA dressed in a business suit, left those subjects in the past and instead talked about what it means to be a Soldier and serve.
“These Soldiers are so important to the future of our Army,” Dailey said. “I tell people all the time that this generation of Soldiers is better than the previous generation. Our Soldiers keep getting better and better from one generation to the next.”
Dailey addressed the Army’s newest Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery; telling them whether they’re a Soldier for one enlistment or 30 years, they are a Soldier for life. He went on to talk about the Army’s diversity as the service’s greatest tool in defending the country.
“The uniqueness of the Soldiers before you that come from every walk of life,” Dailey said. “They are extraordinary, yet ordinary in the fact that they represent the diverse fabric of this great nation. They're both elite and common. They are famous and rich, they are poor, and they come from every ethnicity and background. They're black. They're white, they're Asian, they're Hispanic. They're Catholic. They're Protestants and Jews and even Muslim. They are citizens. They are immigrants, and even foreigners to this great nation. And despite their differences, these men and women who we work so hard to recruit and train all believe… that what they stand for is most important. These men and women believe in that idea, an idea that has often been challenged and I promise you ladies gentlemen will continue to be challenged. We will never fully repay these Soldiers for their service and sacrifice. But we should thank and recognize that because of that we have the greatest gift bestowed upon us — our freedom.”
A native of Palmerton, Pennsylvania, Dailey enlisted in the Army in 1989 and attended basic training and advanced individual training as an infantryman at Fort Benning, Georgia. Dailey was sworn in as the 15th sergeant major of the Army Jan. 30, 2015 and relinquished the position Aug. 9, 2019.
If asked to put on the uniform and do it all over again, Dailey said he would, “in a heartbeat.” He said he is proud to have been a part of the Army and all its traditions but even more proud of the fact “that you all are here today to carry on that tradition.”
He went on to praise the Army as the most trusted organization in America because of past, present and future Soldiers. He used the example of children at play to drive the point home with the graduates while sending a bit of good-natured humor toward the Marine Corps.
Dailey opined children all across America, rather than playing Air Force or Navy, would instead choose to play Army.
“I'll be honest, a few weird ones will play Marines,” Dailey joked. “Don't let your kids hang out with those kids. But most of them will play Army and that's the truth. And you know why? Because kids want to be the best. They want to win. And they want to be like you.”
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2022 17:16 |
| Story ID: | 416877 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 224 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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