Photo By Lance Cpl. Kris Daberkoe | Sgt. Cynthia Philip, training non-commissioned officer, Company E, 1st Squadron, 5th...... read more read more
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Spc. Andrew Ingram
U.S. Division-North Public Affairs
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Sgt. Cynthia Philip says she loves mentoring soldiers.
Philip, on her third deployment with Company E, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, serves as a mentor by ensuring all soldiers in her company complete their mission supporting Operation New Dawn.
“I care about my soldiers,” said Philip, training non-commissioned officer, who hails from Albuquerque, N.M. “Looking out for them is my number one priority. I do my best to do the right thing every day so I can be a good example for them.”
Philip, originally one of the battalion’s signal support specialists, assumed the role of training NCO to maintain up-to-date training and awards records for Company E soldiers.
“When I first started working in the training room, things were very disorganized,” she said. “A lot of our soldiers’ paperwork was outdated or wrong, so right now we are just trying to get everything organized and corrected.”
Capt. John Mohundro, commander, Company E, said he has come to trust and rely on Philip as an NCO to consistently get the job done.
“Sgt. Philip is probably the best junior NCO in our company,” said Mohundro, who hails from College Station, Texas. “She is very intuitive and is able to solve a lot of issues before (we) even realize there is a problem.”
Philip stands out as a soldier who strives to go the extra mile and figure out new ways to assist the mission, in addition to her assigned tasks, said Mohundro.
“Even as a junior NCO, Sgt. Philip took the role of the headquarters platoon sergeant,” said Mohundro. “Then she assumed the role of training NCO because she wanted to make sure the soldiers were properly taken care of, and she keeps adding jobs to her repertoire, without giving any up.”
Mohundro said he does not know how Philip handles it all, but it is impressive.
“She really loves soldiers,” he said. “She has been able to guide and mentor a few soldiers who were displaying some problems and, thanks to her, they are out in other units and doing very well.”
Philip stands out as a role model and mentor for the junior enlisted soldiers of the company, many on their first deployment, said Pfc. Maria Teresa Alvarez, chemical operations specialist, Company E.
“It is very important for us to have female mentorship,” said Alvarez, who calls Maui, Hawaii, home. “It makes this deployment a little bit easier because we know that she has been through all of this before. Sometimes females need mentors that can understand their unique problems and I’m glad we have Sgt. Philip.”
Philip said she looks forward to seeing her soldiers grow and succeed as the deployment continues.
“I have a great group of soldiers,” she said. “No matter what mission they give us, no matter how impossible it seems, somehow we always get it done. The soldiers in this company surprise me every day, and I am proud to be a part of this unit.”
| Date Taken: | 07.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2011 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 73646 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 136 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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