Photo By Sgt. Tyrone Williams | District of Columbia National Guard, 74th Troop Command soldiers, hold Assumption of...... read more read more
WASHINGTON—The 74th Troop Command, District of Columbia Army National Guard conducted a change of responsibility ceremony on September 14 at the D.C. Armory. During the ceremony, Command Sgt. Maj. Scott McKennon accepted responsibility for the 74th Troop Command, which is the largest direct reporting unit in the DCARNG.
The historical ceremony symbolizes the Command Sergeant Major's role as the keeper of the colors, a significant duty that belongs to the unit's senior enlisted members. The colors represent an Army's command, unit, or brigade-specific flag assigned to their unit. The exchange of responsibility is also important for the unit as it adds to the significant milestones in the unit's history.
"Soldiers should expect me to be an approachable senior leader,” said Mckennon. "I truly enjoy talking with soldiers and getting to know them.”
The role of a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) is to advise the commander on issues within a command. The role also involves deploying senior enlisted leaders to influence, assess morale, and assist during critical events, to promote cohesive and efficient operation. Mckennon is looking forward to new experiences during his tenure in the D.C. Guard and expresses his vision for his new assignment in the organization.
"I want soldiers to know that I expect them to hold themselves to the highest standards. I want our formation to look like a professional organization of soldiers, not civilians who put on a uniform. I expect the Noncommission Corps to set the example of this and enforce the Army standards regarding good order and discipline, including grooming standards.”
McKennon served in several leadership positions, both reserve and active, with his previous assignment being Command Sergeant Major of the 429th Brigade Support Battalion in the Virginia National Guard. Mckennon described where his inspiration for his leadership style came from.
"1st Sgt. McKenzie, who was the best first sergeant I have ever worked with, taught us lessons learned from a career in special operations. This prepared me for my first deployment to Afghanistan and gave me an example of the leader I wanted to be."
Mckennon acknowledged the significance of good leadership.
"The most important aspect of leadership to me is, if my leader says,"Follow me up this hill," I willingly, without a question, run up the hill," said McKennon. "The leaders who have best resembled what I want to be have all been highly technically and tactically proficient in their combat craft. They all had a mental toughness that pushed them through difficult situations, inspiring others to push through."
In addition to the leadership guidance he inherited from previous leaders, McKennon said he plans to preserve the legacy of what it means to be a good leader.
"There have also been too many experiences that have shaped me to remember. I do not pretend to love the uncomfortable moments or outright failures when they happen," said McKennon, "I have a reverence and deep appreciation for those hard moments. The moments and how we react to them and learn from them define our character. In order to know what we are capable of achieving, I believe we have to experience hardships. Then we have to change our methodology and mindset to be better the next time."
McKennon believes in the tenets of servant leadership and always setting the example to be the most effective leader.
"Be the leader that you would like to follow into battle said McKennon. "Be the Soldier that 10-year-old you would look up to and want to emulate."
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2024 11:16 |
| Story ID: | 481133 |
| Location: | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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