Photo By Jon Connor | Lt. Col. Anthony Stoeger, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, receives the Legion of Merit...... read more read more
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – A retirement ceremony honoring five Soldiers with a combined 115 years of military service was held here at Heritage Hall, June 9.
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Jurasek, deputy commanding general (Support), First U.S. Army, hosted the ceremony which recognized the service of Lt. Col. Anthony Stoeger, chief of Operations, G3 (Operations), U.S. Army Sustainment Command (27 years); 1st Sgt. Gregory Werthmann, battery first sergeant, Delta 1st Battalion-40th Field Artillery Regiment (20 years); Sgt. 1st Class Corinna Baltos, ASC public affairs non-commissioned officer in charge (20 years); Sgt. 1st Class Joel Ramirez, Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) program manager and senior adviser, First U.S. Army, (28 years); and Staff Sgt. Anthony Clifford, senior quartermaster and chemical equipment repairer, 101st Airborne Division (20 years).
During his remarks, Jurasek addressed the military’s recruiting struggle and how the inspirational careers of the retirees are not only a testament to the service and sacrifices they and their families have made, but also serve as shining examples of what an Army career can provide to individuals.
“I can’t help but think that if every high school or college-aged kid could see the incredible things these five retirees have gotten to do during their time in the Army, they might be moved to embark on their own Army career,” said Jurasek.
In addressing each retiree and their accomplishments, Jurasek highlighted the wide variety of fulfilling Army careers.
To Stoeger, a Two Rivers, Wisconsin native, Jurasek said: “Anthony, when you were a young Soldier at Airborne school, your career was just getting underway. Looking back, jumping out of those airplanes may have actually been the easy part as you went on to higher levels of leadership and responsibility at places like the First Armored Division, National Training Center and the 10th Mountain Division. Thank you for all you have done for 27 years. We hope that these decades have been only the start of the adventure for you and your family – and may the next part of your adventure be just as fulfilling.”
To Werthmann, a Beaufort, South Carolina native, Jurasek said: “No characteristic is more linked to the rank of a first sergeant and the job of drill sergeant than the task of holding people accountable to rigorous, exacting standards that carry life-and-death consequences. This historically has come with some yelling and more than a little colorful language, much of which is utterly unquotable here today. But the truth is that leaders like you have literally shaped and influenced the troops who will follow you. Many people can spend entire careers not making even a fraction of the impact on an organization as you have had on our Total Force.”
To Baltos, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, Jurasek said: “I see in your career one of the key things that employers say our modern youth need to master: expert communication skills. As a public affairs Soldier, you have been tasked with telling the Army story … how many careers allow a girl from Wisconsin to live and travel all over the nation, not to mention Korea, Romania, and Lithuania? You’ve said the theme of your career in uniform has been that old Frank Sinatra song, ‘My Way,’ but the reality is that all of these great opportunities truly are the Army way. Thank you for your service, and I hope your experiences will inspire others to follow the same extraordinary path.”
To Ramirez, a Chicago, Illinois native, Jurasek said: “I want to use your career to illustrate something truly awesome about our modern American Army and something that I hope all those considering service know. We are the most diverse, people-focused fighting force on Earth. Your career, which has culminated in being an equal opportunity program manager, highlights that today’s Army seeks Soldiers from every background, every walk of life. We know that we are stronger when we have a fighting force as diverse as the great nation. We seek Soldiers who may have a hundred differences on the outside but who, inside, have one thing in common: hearts for service. Thank you for doing this important work for our force, and best of luck to you going forward.”
To Clifford, a Brooklyn, New York native, Jurasek said: “Your takeaway from two decades of Army service could be distilled into four absolutely beautiful and truly powerful words: ‘Always lead by example.’ You are a master logistician, a skillset that will make you very valuable to many American companies today… But I love that you walk away from your time in uniform believing that the greatest way we can make an impact on our world is by setting an example. Soldiers with that mindset are truly the backbone of our force – and citizens like that are the backbone of our nation.”
Jurasek also thanked the spouses and children of the retirees during his remarks.
“The Army has an axiom that our Soldiers write the checks, but our families pay the bills,” said Jurasek. “I don’t have to tell that to any of you here today. You intimately know each birthday, anniversary, childbirth or holiday your retiree missed. You, too, served all these years.”
Out of the five retirees, four are pursuing or have secured positions with the Army as Civilians, showing their dedication to the nation does not end once they step out of uniform.
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2023 14:42 |
| Story ID: | 447061 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, RIA honors five Soldiers in quarterly retirement ceremony, by Elizabeth Glenn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
