Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Allysa Turner crosses the finish line during the 2010 Army 10-Miler held at...... read more read more
Subscribe
VILSECK, Germany – Every now and then, a soldier who embodies the true meaning of the word professional steps forward. Someone to whom the Army values are not just words but rather a guide to live their life.
Sgt. Allysa Turner, a young paralegal in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, is one of those individuals. After joining the regimental legal team as a private, this motivated soldier worked her way through the enlisted ranks and became a non-commissioned officer in less than 12 months. Not only was that an amazing accomplishment, but Turner was also named the distinguished honor graduate of her Warrior Leadership class, the non-commissioned officer development school.
Joining the Army was like carrying on a family tradition for this 24-year-old Augusta, Ga., native. Turner’s mother and father both served in the military and her older sister is currently stationed in Europe. While she admits the idea of being a soldier was instilled in her at a young age, it wasn’t until after two years of college that she decided to signed up.
“I was just managing a restaurant,” she said, “and I decided I wanted to do more.”
“I wanted to have something I could be proud of doing,” she added. “That is what helped me make the decision.”
According to Turner, it’s the discipline and structure instilled by the military she enjoys the most. To her it cultivates a type of honor not found in many civilian jobs.
“It’s more than just putting on the uniform and going through the motions,” she said. “It is something I can truly be proud of everyday.”
Since joining Regimental Headquarters, Headquarters Troop, Turner has continued to impress her supervisors and coworkers.
“Her attitude as a soldier and now as a young sergeant inspires me to be a better example and mentor for soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Alejandra Robinson, non-commissioned officer in charge of the Vilseck Legal Center. “Many young soldiers and NCOs work for themselves, but she truly epitomizes what it is to be a leader.”
“She takes her role as a leader very seriously,” Robinson said. “She is giving back to the lower enlisted, molding them to be great soldiers and eventual NCOs.”
Turner’s dedication to the regiment extended well beyond the normal duty day while deployed to Afghanistan. An amateur artist in her spare time, she applied her talents to creating designs for the regimental coin, t-shirts and several inspiring murals including a memorial honoring the Dragoon’s fallen heroes. While her efforts have brought her accolades from her superiors, Turner admits she never did it for the recognition.
“It gave people something to look at around the FOB [Forward Operating Base] that wasn’t dull and drab,” she said. “It was more of a morale thing.”
“I never signed any of my work because I didn’t need the recognition,” she continued. “Seeing other people taking pictures in front of it to send home, made me happy.”
It is this type of pride in a job well done without the pursuit of recognition that epitomizes the Army value of selfless service. It is this type of dedication that most leaders try to instill in their young recruits.
Though Turner has left the regiment and is headed back to Georgia to join the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, she has left behind one last mural of the regimental crest which will adorn the Dragoon’s home on Rose Barracks for many years to come.
| Date Taken: | 10.05.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 10.05.2011 03:34 |
| Story ID: | 78022 |
| Location: | VILSECK, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 184 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Sgt. Allysa Turner: Portrait of a leader, by SGT Gerald Wilson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
