Photo By Spc. Joshua Zayas-Sabogal | U.S. Army Sgt. Zachery Gould, a RQ-7 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Operator assigned...... read more read more
FORT CARSON, Colo. – In a recent incident in the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, U.S. Army Sergeants Zachery Gould, a RQ-7 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Operator assigned to the 4th Attack Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and Sgt. Dustin Adams also an RQ-7 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Operator assigned to the 4th AB, 4th CAB, 4th Inf. Div., are two seasoned non-commissioned officers within the brigade who responded to a car collision on Jan 5, 2024 when they learned about their Soldier’s situation.
“A couple of weeks ago, we had a soldier call us during one of the heavy winter storms. Their spouse unfortunately lost control of their vehicle and got off the road," said Adams. “The Soldier was able to pull the vehicle out of the ditch, but it was in too much disrepair to actually get it to go anywhere. They were discussing how they were going to try to move the vehicle. There was mention that there would be a sketchy towing situation, so I offered my flatbed trailer, myself and a counterpart loaded up the car and was able to take it down back to his house where it was safely transported.”
Gould and Adams worked together to extract the car from the ditch. This simple yet meaningful action underscores the importance of NCOs serving their soldiers beyond their official duties.
“Well, I think it all goes back to people first,” said Gould. “Those guys, you rely on them, and they rely on you, and that’s every Soldier. Whether it’s your subordinate or peer, you all have to rely on each other to have that unit be cohesive and to have everyone operate together functionally.”
Servant leadership is fundamental to the NCO ethos. It emphasizes putting the needs of Soldiers before personal interests and rank. In this instance, their willingness to assist their Soldiers exemplifies the essence of servant leadership.
“It’s like having siblings,” said Gould. “It can be a love-hate relationship growing up and can be butting heads one day and best friends and next, and I think that translates pretty close to having soldiers, subordinates, or peers really, you have to fine-tune that working relationship and you’re going to have good days, and you’re going to have not so good days, but at the end of them, you still gotta make it work. You’re all here for each other, one family, one team, one fight.”
In today’s dynamic military environment, the role of NCOs as servant leaders is pivotal. They are not only leaders but also mentors and guides dedicated to the welfare and development of their soldiers.
“You go through your entire career trying to sculpt your leaders on how you want them to be for you,” said Adams. “But in that process, you’re really sculpting yourself. The biggest thing that I was able to realize when I became a sergeant was that to be that leader that I had always wanted; you need to take a step back and figure out what you should actually be doing to care for your Soldier. Once you have that, it’s just caring for the Soldier’s safety and their environment and understanding their hardships and their problems because every Soldier is different, and ensuring that whatever job that they’re assigned to do or whatever MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) they’re deployed with, they’re doing it to the best of their ability, due to the best training that you can give them.”
The simple action of these two NCOs highlights the importance of servant leadership principles within the army. By demonstrating these principles and assisting a Soldier in an unfortunate predicament their actions highlight the commitment of non-commissioned officers and how they support their Soldiers in good and challenging situations, embodying the core values of the NCO corps.
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| Date Taken: | 02.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.08.2024 20:31 |
| Story ID: | 463526 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 205 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ivy Eagles on Duty: NCO’s Showcase Servant Leadership, by SPC Joshua Zayas-Sabogal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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