Photo By Sgt. Edwin Gray | Sgt. 1st Class Rhonda Lawson, a public affairs officer with the 3rd Sustainment...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — In the U.S. Army, the non-commissioned officer is known as the core and the drive of the soldiers.
To accomplish the mission, the NCO leads the way in and out, and is referred to as the backbone of the army. The NCO maintains and teaches the standards of professionalism and leadership in the Army. He/she not only leads by example but it also teaches it’s soldiers how to lead.
No one in the Army’s history has achieved more or exceeded these standards like Sgt. Audie Murphy, who was said to have earned every medal that the U.S. military had to offer during his time in service.
By exceeding the initial NCO standards, Murphy set new ones that only the most professional, dedicated, determined, and disciplined leaders of the NCO Corps could achieve. Because of the level of commitment it takes to reach Murphy’s standards, this prestige’s achievement is only for the elite and is honored by an induction into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club.
Just as Murphy did, through hard work, professionalism, courage and never giving up, three soldiers exceeded the normal standards and were inducted in the club at the SAMC Induction Ceremony at the East Morale and Welfare and Recreation facility March 7 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
All three inductees, Sgt. 1st Class Rhonda Lawson, a public affairs officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, and a New Orleans native; Staff Sgt. Danyeal Thomas, the battalion S1 non-commissioned officer-in-charge with the 240th Combat Sustainment Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, and a Chabourn N.C., native; and Staff Sgt. Shaniqua Stokley, a military justice paralegal NCO with the HHC, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, and a Brooklyn, N.Y., native, are with the 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and were inducted for leading and demonstrating what it takes to be an exceptional NCO.
The SAMC, led by Lt. Gen. Crosbie Saint and his Command Sgt. Maj. George Horvath, started out small at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1986. Now the club has matured into an Army-wide goal that many soldiers strive to achieve.
“This club is awesome and I’m glad to be a part of it now,” said Thomas. To get into this club, it takes hunger, drive, determination and never giving up. Also, I was surrounded by people [who were] going to take care of me and show me the things that I needed to know in order to take care of other people.”
It takes a great NCO to teach soldiers how to become one of the elite. The inductees all have had outstanding leaders and Soldiers to help them along the way to becoming better leaders.
“It takes a lot of support from those around you,” said Stokley. “My soldiers supported me through times that I couldn’t be the battalion paralegal I needed to be so my NCOs stepped up and filled in the slack. And at times I couldn’t fill in as the platoon sergeant, so my soldiers came in and filled in the slack. So I think it takes a big support group, as well as dedication and your leadership abilities to get you to where I am today.” Lawson agreed with Stokley.
“I had so many people who supported me on the way,” said Lawson. “It really showed me how much our unit cares about us.”
To be considered to be a candidate for the SAMC, all three inductees presented dedication and leadership abilities throughout their entire military careers. They were leading soldiers prior to their induction, and will continue to do so for the rest of their career.
“If you are already leading your soldiers, getting into the regulations to make sure that you are telling them the right things while being an example to them by doing the right things, then you are already halfway there,” said Lawson. “The rest of it takes some dedication, and this was something that I really wanted and it paid off.”
The Army recognizes and honors its soldiers for their exceptional duties. While accepting the honors of being inducted, all three soldiers did not forget recognizing everyone who led them and taught them how to lead others.
“To have my leadership abilities recognized by people that have been in the military longer than I have been alive is truly a humbling honor,” said Stokley. “This is the proudest moment of my Army career.”
After placing all of the hard work and effort toward leading soldiers and committing themselves to achieve, beyond the standards, all three candidates agreed that this was the highlight to their military career.
“This is something that I wanted to accomplish since I became a sergeant, but because of things like deployments, I never had the opportunity to do it,” said Lawson.
“So when the opportunity was presented to me, I jumped on it, so today I can honestly say this is the proudest moment in my Army career.”
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2011 05:55 |
| Story ID: | 66961 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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