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NCO of the Year The man in the mirror

Winning the competition, page 4 How life changed for the better, page 28

‘Million-dollar shot’ From NCO to CEO

Could you do the impossible? Army jump-starts NCO’s career, page 36
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Sgt. Robert Newman, Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, leads his fire team on an early-morning dismounted patrol
near Forward Operating Base Baylough, Zabul, Afghanistan, March 19, 2009. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini)

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[ On the Cover ] [ Coming Next Month ]

NCO of the Year The man in the mirror 2009 has been designated by the July 2009 - Golden Knights 50th
Anniversary
Winning the competition, page 4

Army as the "Year of the NCO."

How life changed for the better, page 28

‘Million-dollar shot’ From NCO to CEO

Could you do the impossible? Army jump-starts NCO’s career, page 36

Cover montage by Peggy Frierson.

Contents June
2009

NCO of the Year

04 Staff Sgt. Michael Noyce Merino said
winning the 2009 competition was an
emotional high point.

NCO history 31 NCO ranks

10 NCOs have taken the lead from the Revo- Army NCO ranks and duties from corpo-
lutionary War to today's operations. ral through sergeant major.
i>ÌÕÀiÊ-̜ÀˆiÃ

18 NCO museum 36 From NCO to CEO

The museum at Fort Bliss, Texas, docu- The Army jump-starts a career for a man
ments the daily life and legacy of NCOs. living out of his car.

20 'Million-dollar shot'
The insurgent was nearly a mile away. 39
A family of sergeants major
Few Soldiers ever attain the ranks of ser-
Could sniper Sgt. 1st Class Brandon geant major or command sergeant major,
McGuire accomplish the impossible? much less three members of one family.

The man in the mirror A "Yes" that changed my life

28 Sgt. Robert Bartlett recounts how life 42 Just back from Vietnam, former Soldier
changed for the better after an explosion Larry Chambers got a break that changed
took his face. his life.

i«>À̓i˜ÌÃ
(Top) A bonfire lights the sky of Babil Prov-
ince, Iraq, as NCOs from the 172nd Infantry
Brigade welcome 22 graduates into the
ranks of leadership at the first in-theater
Blackhawk Warrior Leader Course. The
weeklong accelerated training program
focuses on 20 hands-on, performance-
24 On Point based skills, ranging from Iraqi security
to lifesaving skills. (Photo by Pfc. Bethany
L. Little)
26 Army News

24 Safety (Left) Mark "Ranger" Jones shows off a

rifle from the set of "Glory" at his office.
44 Photo Contest Contestants Jones served as an extra in the movie and
as an on-set liaison for the Army, training
cast members to shoot and march like real
Soldiers. (Photo by Jacqueline M. Hames)
See related story, page 36.

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 DEFENSE The Official
U.S. Army Magazine

MEDIA ACTIVITY
Secretary of the Army: Hon. Pete Geren

Chief of Staff: Gen. George W. Casey Jr.

ARMY Chief of Public Affairs: Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner

Defense Media Activity-Army

Commander: Col. MaryAnn Cummings
Print Communications Staff
Editor in Chief: Carrie McLeroy

We Want Your Story Managing Editor: David Vergun

NCOIC/Senior Editor: Master Sgt. Nancy Morrison
Soldiers Magazine Writer/Editor: Elizabeth M. Collins
Soldiers Magazine Writer/Editor: Jacqueline M. Hames
ARNEWS Editor: Gary Sheftick
ARNEWS Writer: J. D. Leipold
The Army is our nation’s greatest resource in defense of our homeland. ARNEWS Writer: C. Todd Lopez
Every day Soldiers and civilians perform acts of valor. The heroic
Visual Information Staff
acts performed on the battlefield and the acts of kindness from
Art Director: Peggy Frierson
humanitarian efforts demonstrate the strength of the Army. We want Graphic Designer: LeRoy Jewell
to tell your story. To find out how the Defense Media Activity-Army
can tell your story, contact your unit public affairs officer or send Army Publishing Directorate
your submissions via e-mail to: Print Management/Quality Control: Richard J. Sowell

Printing: Gateway Press, Inc., Louisville, Ky.

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(703) 602-0870 to provide information on people, policies, operations, technical developments,
trends and ideas of and about the Department of the Army. The views and opinions
expressed are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army.

Send submissions and correspondence to Editor, Soldiers magazine, Defense

Media Activity-Army, Box 31, 2511 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA 22202-3900.
Phone: (703) 602-0870, or send e-mail to assignmentdesk@afn.dma.mil.

Unless otherwise indicated (and except for “by permission” and copyright items),
material may be reprinted provided credit is given to Soldiers and the author.

All uncredited photographs by U.S. Army.

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is necessary in the transaction of the public business as required by law of the
department. Funds for printing this publication were approved by the secretary
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Number (IDN) 050007. Publication 2004 - 2006 2004 2007
Heike Hasenauer

2 www.army.mil/soldiers

The following are excerpts from a recent Year of the
NCO blog at www.army.mil/yearofthenco.
NCOs as mentors
I was promoted to sergeant with only 24 months in the
Army. I was not old enough to legally drink a beer in my
hometown, and was in no way everything a sergeant should
“be, know and do” on the day of my promotion. I was a
good Soldier and did what I was told.
One of many secrets I learned during that time in my
career came from my then-first sergeant, Gary P. Pastine.
The peacetime Army during the Cold War had a require-
ment to conduct four hours of Noncommissioned Officer
Professional Development training monthly. Pastine
personally conducted one hour of training for all NCOs
assigned to the company each week.
All of his lessons were lecture-style, directive and very
specific on the standards he expected in the performance
of our duties. Lessons included: “How to make a leader’s
notebook,” “How to build an individual fighting position
and establish a company defense,” “How to perform month-
ly counseling,” “How to inspect a Soldier’s room,” “How to
write an NCOER and an award,” and many more.
Pastine probably had four to six months of professional
development lessons that were a mix of garrison and tacti-
cal tasks. Every class he taught was a learning experience
and I always seemed to take something new away from his
discussions. All of his tactical lessons were taught in the
weeks and months prior to a deployment or major training
event. His intent was to use the NCOPD lessons as a train
the trainer platform to get all of his NCOs executing criti-
cal tasks to the same standard.
Sitting through those NCODP sessions with 1st Sgt.
Pastine, I learned what a sergeant should “be, know and
do,” both in garrison and in the field. All of this was done
through his personal example and “words of wisdom,” that
left the company better than when he arrived.
As an example, in our leader’s notebook he expected
us to know the birthdates of our Soldiers, including their
spouses and children. He wanted us to know where our
Soldiers called home, their parents and their siblings. He
expected us to know our Soldiers’ promotion timelines,
levels of education, and at a minimum, their GT scores
from their aptitude tests.
MAILCALL
Letters from the field
This knowledge armed us with the understanding of what
motivated our Soldiers and we could use (it) in monthly coun-
seling to help them set short- and long-term goals. We also
knew how our Soldiers valued their roles in our small units and
their value to their families at home, which became especially
critical in growing compassionate leaders focused on excellence.
I knew my Soldiers as well as I knew my own children.
I used these same principles as a platoon sergeant, first ser-
geant and command sergeant major, to teach all of my NCO-
PD lessons. The solution for many of the challenges leaders
face in their units today is the simple sharing of knowledge and
experience; teach your junior NCOs “what right looks like.”
Thanks for all you do for the Army and this nation. Army
Strong—hooah!
—Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston
You may never truly know the impact that you have on a
Soldier, but as a noncommissioned officer, a leader, it has to
be a positive one so that the NCO Corps can continue to be
”The Backbone of the Army.” The Soldiers that we influence on
today will one day be in our position. The quality of the NCO
Corps is in our hands and that is something that should never,
ever be taken for granted.
—1st Sgt. James C. Jackson
I also got promoted to sergeant with 24 months in service.
I was hesitant about getting pinned, because I felt like I didn’t
know anything. My NCO, then-Staff Sgt. Averill (now-chief
warrant officer-3) sat me down and told me that he was going
to guide me in the right direction and share his knowledge.
He said that he had already reached his goals so he would step
aside for me to reach mine.
—Staff Sgt. Dana Wiggins
Reading (the SMA’s) message reminds me of many of my
NCOs I worked for throughout my career. I have had some
great NCOs like (his) first sergeant, and also some that have
been less than stellar. I have tried to emulate those who gave
the good examples and to constantly remind myself of those
who did not, so that I would not make the same mistakes. It is
a never-ending process to try to do things the right way all the
time.
—Sgt. 1st Class Brian J. Gaddy
Correction for May issue
In the “Nightmare in the Shok Valley” (page 4) and “The fighting
camerman” (pages 11 and 12) stories, Team 3336 of the 3rd Spe-
cial Forces group was misidentified as “Team 336.” Our sincerest
apologies go out to the fine Soldiers of Team 3336, who stood
bravely with their Afghan commando counterparts against a fierce
insurgent force in the Shok Valley, April 6, 2008.
Soldiers Values Your
Opinion
To comment, keep your remarks to under 150 words, include your
name, rank and address, and send them to: Defense Media Activity-Army,
Attn: Editor, Soldiers magazine, Box 31, 2511 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA
22202-3900 or email: assignmentdesk@afn.dma.mil
4PMEJFST
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Story by Elizabeth M. Collins
W
HEN Staff Sgt. Michael
Noyce Merino agreed to go
before his unit’s Noncom-
missioned Officer of the Year board last
year, he had no idea what he was get-
ting into, no idea that he would soon
be an ambassador for the Army and an
example for NCOs and other Soldiers
worldwide.
He wasn’t new to the idea, how-
ever. As a private in the 82nd Airborne
Division in 2002, Noyce Merino had
won Soldier of the Quarter at both
the battalion and brigade levels. He
also remembered reading about the
Army’s Best Warrior Competition in
the “Army Times,” and how impressed
he was that the Soldier and NCO of
the Year got to go up on stage with the
sergeant major of the Army.
“I thought that was so exciting,
and I thought, ‘Wow, how long would
it take a person to get all the way to
that level? How many different things
do they have to do to get there? That’s
just amazing.’ I was very fascinated by
that,” he recalled, but a deployment to
Afghanistan and then two to Iraq put
that dream on hold.
When his platoon sergeant asked
him to participate in the unit-level
NCO competition last year, Noyce
Merino, now in the Montana National
Guard, remembered the thrill he felt
years earlier. As a Soldier, he had no
choice but to say yes, even though he
was already working two jobs and at-
tending school full time, in addition to
serving in the Guard.
4 www.army.mil/soldiers
GP
Compass
S First aid
Strength
One thing led to another, and
Noyce Merino won at each level: first
his unit, then the state of Montana,
then the Northwest region, then the
Endurance
National Guard level. He soon found
himself putting school and work on
hold to prepare, spending two hours a
day, five days a week working out.
“It was kind of odd, because every
time I would win, I would be so happy
and excited,” he said. “I thought it was
just the most amazing thing that I won
the state of Montana. It was so huge.
And I was happy for a few minutes,
and then I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve got to
get ready for the next competition,’ and
Weapons skills
all the work started again. I didn’t have
N
much time to enjoy it.
“I understood the sacrifice and
commitment that it required, but at
every point, I forgot about everything.
I forgot about the cost and focused on
Timed tasks
the competition. I’m so competitive
naturally, that even if I’d wanted to, I
couldn’t have done any less than I did.
I wanted to win just because of what
that meant,” he continued.
Staff Sgt.
Each competition level became
more and more demanding. The unit
level consisted of only a physical-fitness
test, board appearance and written
test, while regional competitions added
military skills like rifle qualification h
and first aid. No Sta ooa
yc ff h! Grooming
The National Guard level, however, e
Me Sgt
was different. Noyce Merino com- ri .
pared it to a mini-Ranger school with no
a five-mile run and a 12-mile march,
ST
which he said was the hardest thing he’s
A RT
 Combat
Night fire Urban
s
t ho ior
Professionalis Pride NCO leadership Esprit E rr
Wa

Overcoming
obstacles

Experience
helps
Army Strong

NCO OF THE YEAR reflexive

fire
the ground
Boots on

ry to succe
H un g ed
Inspections

Uniform fit TV interview Trigger squeeze Sight alignment

?
ts y
ec rm
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Te
Staff Sgt. Michael Noyce Merino practices adjusting
the head spacing and timing on an M2 .50-caliber
machine gun during the Army’s Best Warrior Competi-
tion at Fort Lee, Va.
C. Tod
d
Lopez
ever done.
In combat
water-survival
tests, competi-
tors were thrown in with uniforms,
boots and gear and had to get out and
swim for a certain distance. In another
test, Noyce Merino had to jump off a
10-foot-high diving board blindfolded
and holding his weapon. It was so
challenging, in fact, that the Army-
wide competition was easier than he
expected.
“I imagined that the Army’s Best
Warrior was going to be more demand-
ing than the National Guard. But…I
was probably in the best shape I’ve ever
been in between the National Guard
competition and the Army competi-
tion, so that helped me a lot,” Noyce
Merino said.
He explained that as a result, the
most challenging aspect of the Best
6 www.army.mil/soldiers
Warrior competi-
tion was the board appear-
ance and the pressure of appearing
before Sergeant Major of the Army
Kenneth O. Preston and other top en-
listed leaders. The best part, he added,
was the night-fire range, because in ad-
dition to being good training, it looked
cool lit up with flares.
In previous competitions, Noyce
Merino had guessed that he would
finish in one of the top two spots, but
he had no idea that he won the Army
competition. In fact, he thought he
would be in third or fourth place,
partly because a National Guard
Soldier had never won the Army’s Best
Warrior.
He had even picked out a couple
other NCOs he thought might win,
so when his name was announced as
the NCO of the Year during the As-
sociation of the United States Army’s
annual meeting in October, Noyce
Merino was shocked.
“When they said my name, (my
wife) said I turned as white as a ghost
and wouldn’t get up,” Noyce Merino
said. “She had to pull me up off my
chair and kind of push me on stage. I
was extremely surprised. I didn’t think
it was real. I felt like I was dreaming.
It was all happening around me and I
was kind of looking at myself from the
outside. I thought I would wake up any
second.
“At first, I was so honored and so
happy, but then I started to get emo-
tional. I almost started crying because
it meant so much. It was like the pin-
nacle of my Army career. It validated
my whole time as a Soldier, everything
I’ve ever done, all the work that I did
to get to that point. It was all worth it.
It was very emotional for me.”

Staff Sgt. Michael Noyce
Merino practices reflexive
fire during the Army’s Best
Warrior Competition.
Winning may have been a
dream come true, but Noyce
Merino is the first person
to point out that being the
NCO of the Year doesn’t
make him the Army’s only good NCO,
or even the best.
“There are people who I was going
up against who were smarter than I
was, who were in better shape than I
was, who had more combat experi-
ence than I did. The only thing I had
that set me apart from them was that I
wanted it more,” he said.
“Out of all the people
who were able to compete,
I won,” he continued.
“But we have NCOs and
Soldiers who are doing
their jobs and don’t
have the opportu-
nity to compete.
I always say that
the best NCO is a guy who’s
in Iraq right now, leading his squad
door-to-door and doing his mission.
That’s the best NCO.”
Noyce Merino knows what that job
entails and how important it is to the
Army because he’s been there. He was
promoted to sergeant during his second
deployment, and first to Iraq, in 2003.
Pinning on those stripes was “the most
solemn responsibility” he’s ever had,
because he knew his squad would trust
him with their lives.
“I have Soldiers I’m responsible for
and I have a mission I’m responsible
for,” he said. “I always say that the
leader—especially the small-unit leader
like the NCO—his job is to take the
(Background) A Soldier competing in the 2008
Best Warrior Competition participates in a night-
fire exercise at Fort Lee, Va. (Photo by Sgt. 1st
Class Tom Steber)
C. Todd Lopez
Army’s mission
and make it his
own mission.
He takes ownership
of that mission, and
he takes the concerns of
the Soldier and the Army’s mission and
he brings those two things together and
makes it work.”
Noyce Merino said NCOs are the
glue that holds the Army together,
making sure Soldiers complete the mis-
sion officers have assigned. He cited the
Soviet campaign in Afghanistan in the
1980s as an example: the Soviet army
didn’t have enough NCOs, so when
something went wrong in the field,
soldiers panicked and didn’t know what
to do.
“If that would have happened
today, a staff sergeant, a sergeant first
class or a sergeant would step up and
say, ‘You go there, you go there. Fight,
4PMEJFST
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 7
Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen.
Peter W. Chiarelli, Staff Sgt. Michael
Noyce Merino and Sgt. Maj. of the Army
Kenneth O. Preston were on stage Oct.
6 at the 2008 Association of the U.S.
Army annual meeting and exposition to
announce the 2008 Army Best Warriors.
Noyce Merino was named the Army’s
NCO of the Year for 2008.
C. To
dd L
de-
opez
fend, win,’
and that wouldn’t
happen. So that’s why the non-
commissioned officer is so important.
There’s a huge gap between an entry-
level Soldier and an officer, and that’s
what a noncommissioned officer fills,”
Noyce Merino explained.
That’s why he said he believes
NCOs should essentially own their
units and run them without interfer-
ence. When there’s something wrong
with a unit, he said that he immedi-
ately looks at the NCOs, because that
usually means they’re not doing their
jobs: to set good examples and train,
train, train their Soldiers, and then
train them some more. Ultimately, that
training will be the difference between
life and death in combat, something he
knows from experience.
8 www.army.mil/soldiers
During his second
deployment to Iraq in
2006, Noyce Me-
rino had to call on
his training to get
wounded Soldiers
out of harm’s way. When
his platoon and a group of Iraqi
soldiers responded to an incident,
insurgents attacked with mortars and
wounded seven of 13 Soldiers. One
Soldier in
Noyce Me-
rino’s vehicle
was badly
injured with
shrapnel in his
legs. Noyce
Merino was
able to treat him and everyone made it
to safety—because of training.
“I always wondered what would
happen when I got in a situation like
that,” he said. “I always thought I’d
be nervous and scared and I wasn’t. I
was actually really, really calm. I just
did what I was trained to do. A lot of
people came up to me afterwards and
said, ‘When everything went crazy, you
were steady. You did the right thing
(Background) A Soldier partici-
pates in a ruck march in Germany
during a preliminary Best Warrior
competition. (Photo by Spc.
Joshua Ballenger)
and everyone appreciated that.’ I was
really surprised. I was calm at the time,
and later of course, it really hit me.
“You can’t train too much. You
can’t. The more you train, the bet-
ter your chances of being successful,
the more your chances of surviving
battlefield conditions. The experience
that I had, if I hadn’t had the training,
I would have panicked and a friend of
mine might have died. But because I
had trained and because I had practice,
because I’d simulated these kinds of
things, I knew exactly what to do. It
was second nature to me, and that’s
what training does. You should train
every minute you have,” Noyce Merino
said.
Today, his mission is far differ-
ent. Instead of training Soldiers, he is
spending the year traveling around the
country and representing the Army, the
National Guard and all NCOs, a task
he called both humbling and an honor.
Being an NCO, Noyce Merino
said, has changed him as a person.
“(It’s) made a lasting impact on my life.
I feel like the lessons I’ve learned from
being a leader in the Army will stay
with me forever.” ❖
4PMEJFST
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Story by David Vergun
N
ONCOMMISSIONED of-
ficers are “the backbone of the
Army,” states the U.S. Army’s
NCO Creed. “Backbone” refers to the
critical role NCOs play: training and
looking after the welfare of junior Sol-
diers, leading by example, and advising
officers and executing their orders with
minimal supervision.
Many of the Army’s current regula-
tions regarding NCOs can be traced to
the Revolutionary War. In 1778, Gen.
George Washington assigned Baron
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben to train
10 www.army.mil/soldiers
his Soldiers. Steuben, a former member
of the Prussian general staff of Freder-
ick the Great, wrote one of the Army’s
first training manuals, which spelled
out the duties and authority of NCOs.
Sergeant William Brown typi-
fied the high caliber of NCOs in the
Continental Army. During the siege
of Yorktown in 1781, he led a bayo-
net charge against formidable British
defenses, contributing to victory in that
pivotal battle.
Later during peacetime, NCOs
participated in the exploration of the
Led by a sergeant,
Soldiers partici-
pate in a historical
reenactment.
West. Four NCOs accompanied Capt.
Meriwether Lewis and 2nd Lt. William
Clark on their expedition to the Pacific
from 1803 to 1806.
The prestige of being an NCO
was enhanced when the NCO sword
was authorized in 1840. It continues
to be used by NCOs today for some
ceremonial occasions. To distinguish
themselves from other Soldiers, NCOs
wore green or red epaulets on their
uniforms during the early years. The
current practice of wearing chevrons
followed the War of 1812. Chevrons
 (Above) Baron Friedrich
Wilhelm von Steuben
trains Soldiers and their
NCOs during the Revolu-
tionary War. (Painting by
Augustus G. Heaton)
Gen. George Washington reviews the troops at Valley Forge.
(Painting by Edward P. Moran)
went through several style changes in
the 1800s, with the stripes worn in a
“V” or inverted “V” fashion, depend-
ing on the unit and time period.
Good NCOs took great care of
their Soldiers and used initiative to
accomplish their missions, unlike
in many other armies where officers
assumed many duties carried out by
NCOs (even today).
First Sgt. Percival Lowe is a good
Lewis and Clark Expedition. (Painting by Charles Marion
Russell)
example of a leader who took the ini-
tiative. He was stationed on the Great
Plains in the mid-19th century, where
conditions were harsh, Indian attacks
were common and civilization was far
away. If his men were hungry, he paid
for their meals. He kept good order
and discipline, counseling his troopers
to avoid drinking in excess and punish-
ing offenders by assigning them extra
duty. He also established nonjudicial
punishment as a way of disciplining his
Soldiers without ruining their careers
with courts-martial.
(Left) NCOs during the
Revolutionary War did
not yet wear chevrons on
their sleeves. (Library of
Congress)
When in 1853 the Kansa Indian
tribe stole Army horses, Lowe was as-
signed to retrieve them. He traveled to
their village with only an interpreter to
ask for their return, warning that force
would be used if they were not. When
the chief refused, Lowe returned with
20 Soldiers, snuck into their camp and
captured the chief. The horses were
returned and the chief was allowed to
return to his village. Mission accom-
plished—without a shot fired.
During the Civil War (1861-1865),
NCOs prided themselves in leading
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1st Sgt. Percival Lowe (left), looked out for his troopers. Sgt. William McKinley (right), a Civil War veteran, would later become the 25th
U.S. president. He’s depicted on a coin as Soldier and president. A Civil War-era map and NCO chevrons are in the background. (Images
courtesy of the Library of Congress. NCO chevrons courtesy of Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jerry Hanes)

National Archives

Soldiers wait in the trenches before battle near Petersburg, Va. in 1865. An NCO (front right) wears “V”-style chevrons.

12 www.army.mil/soldiers
from the front. They carried the flag
and regimental colors, allowing com-
manders to readily locate their units
during the chaos of battle.
Besides infantry duty, NCOs
performed a host of other essential ser-
vices, which frequently involved serv-
ing in harm’s way. For example, Sgt.
William McKinley of the 23rd Ohio
Infantry, served in the commissary in
1862 during the battle of Antietam.
As the battle raged, his troops became
tired and hungry. McKinley led two
mule teams with wagons of rations and
hot coffee into the thick of the fighting,
ignoring repeated warnings to retreat.
Despite losing a mule team to enemy
fire, he and some stragglers he’d gath-
ered forged ahead, successfully deliver-
ing the rations to the grateful troops. In
1896, he was elected president of the
United States.
The Union Army monthly pay
chart of 1861 rewarded technical
proficiency as well as leadership, as by
then, the Army had acquired a variety
of advanced weapons systems for that
era. The highest pay, $34, went to
NCOs who maintained and operated
advanced weaponry and equipment—
master armorers, master blacksmiths
and sergeants who specialized in explo-
sives. Cavalry and infantry sergeants
major, on the other hand, received just
$21, first sergeants $20, sergeants $17
and corporals $14. Below the NCO
ranks, privates, blacksmiths and buglers
earned $13.
As the Army continued to modern-
ize, technical proficiency for NCOs
Noncommissioned officers from the 13th New York Cavalry pose for a photo at Prospect Hill, Va., in 1865.
was rewarded with even higher pay,
relative to those non-technical billets.
For example, in the 1908 pay chart, a
master electrician in the coast artillery
earned $84, while an infantry sergeant
major made just $33 per month.
In 1909, the 417-page Non-
commissioned Officers Manual was
published, specifying the duties and
responsibilities of each NCO rank, as
well as the customs and traditions they
were entrusted to uphold. The manual
also gave practical advice on ways to
achieve unit discipline and reform of-
fenders.
During the Indian wars in the
latter half of the 19th century, NCOs
commanded small units or detach-
ments, often far away from garrisons.
Many NCOs distinguished themselves,
including Sgt. Charles L. Thomas, 11th
Ohio Cavalry.
In the summer of 1865, just
months after the end of the Civil War,
1,400 Soldiers of the Powder River
Expedition got hopelessly lost on the
Great Plains. Thomas and two Pawnee
scouts set off to locate them. He found
the missing Soldiers besieged by Sioux
warriors. He fought his way to the
troops, rallied them to victory, then
led them 150 miles to a supply camp.
His actions were credited with saving
the expedition from almost-certain
annihilation.
An African American NCO, Sgt.
George Jordan of the 9th Cavalry,
distinguished himself during the Indian
wars in 1880. Leading 25 Soldiers, he
rode to the town of Tularosa, N.M.,
where as many as 300 Apache warriors
were preparing to attack. Their detach-
ment broke the seige, saving the town
and its citizens.
The enlisted men of the late 1800s
were discouraged from marrying
and special permission was required.
Soldiers also spent much of their time
engaged in manual labor, building or
repairing barracks, fortifications, roads
and bridges, and standing long hours
of guard duty. A hard life with poor
pay resulted in frequent desertions.
This situation tested the abilities of
NCOs to maintain an effective fighting
unit.
Wives of NCOs didn’t have an easy
life either, often working as maids for
officers or doing laundry. The wives
subsisted on beans, bacon, beef and
hardtack and usually lived in dugouts,
sod huts or adobe buildings. Those
more fortunate lived in wooden struc-
tures or stone buildings.
During World War I, NCOs
continued adding to their legacy.
In 1918, Cpl. Harold Turner of the
142nd Infantry, led troops under heavy
fire near St. Etienne, France. When
they were pinned down by fire from
a machine gun emplacement, Turner
rushed forward with fixed bayonet.
After a desperate struggle, he captured
the position, along with 50 German
soldiers.
That same year, Cpl. Alvin C. York
and his men of the 328th Infantry
encountered heavy machine gun fire
in the Argonne Forest in France. He
and 17 Soldiers attacked the posi-
Library of Congress
4PMEJFST
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Duce & McClymonds Studio

Noncommissioned officers lead Soldiers from the 331st Machine Gun Battalion in exercises at Camp Grant, Ill., in November 1917, shortly
before they deployed to Europe to fight the Germans in World War I.

Signal Corps Signal Corps

Sgt. John Hill, an African American “Buffalo Soldier” at Fort Cpl. Larry Corletti (far right) and two privates from the 741st Tank
Benning, Ga., July 25, 1941, rides Jumping Dan Ware, consid- Battalion, train at Camp Polk, La., Feb. 12, 1943.
ered the finest jumping horse in the infantry.

tion, capturing a number of Germans,
but losing nine Soldiers, including
the sergeant leading the attack. York
then assumed command, leading the
survivors and their prisoners back to
friendly lines. Along the way, York
and his men killed at least 20 German
soldiers, silenced 32 machine guns and
captured 132 prisoners.
For his heroism, York received the
Medal of Honor and a promotion to
sergeant. When he returned home, he
received offers for product endorse-
ments and film roles—all of which
he declined. He spent most of his
remaining years helping the children
of Tennessee acquire a basic education
through a foundation he created.
Following World War I, the Army
rapidly reduced its end strength and
those still on active duty were often
reduced in rank to balance the remain-
ing force structure. For example,
Alexander Loungeway enlisted in 1908,
rose through the NCO ranks and was
promoted to first lieutenant during
World War I. After the war, despite his
excellent service record, he was reverted
to first sergeant, then to sergeant,
corporal, and finally, private first class.
He was promoted to corporal in 1939,
a year before he retired.
During the Great Depression of
the 1930s, enlisted Soldiers sometimes
received just half their pay or received
consumer goods or food in lieu of up
to half their paycheck.
Also in that decade, technicians
were created to distinguish their ranks
from the equivalent pay grades of cor-
poral through staff sergeant, and their
chevrons were marked with a “T.” In
1948, the Army discontinued the tech-
nician ranks and subsequently created
the specialist ranks in 1955.
Before World War II, NCOs
received promotions through their regi-
ments. NCOs who transferred to an-
other regiment arrived as privates first
class. The system didn’t seem fair to
many, and in 1940, the Army allowed
NCOs to keep their ranks whenever
they transferred.
World War II
During World War II, the rapid
expansion of the Army led to fewer
experienced NCOs because Soldiers
were rapidly promoted to the NCO
ranks. The proportion of NCOs in the
Army increased from 20 percent of the
enlisted ranks in 1941 to nearly 50 per-
cent in 1945. As a result, this lowered
the prestige of becoming an NCO.
Following the war, the ranks be-
came better balanced and today, active-
duty Army NCOs make up more than
200,000 of the approximately 540,000
Soldiers. The Army National Guard
has nearly 139,000 NCOs out of more
than 360,000 Soldiers and the Reserve
has roughly 78,000 NCOs out of more
than 197,000 Soldiers.
As in other conflicts, many NCOs

14 www.army.mil/soldiers

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, Medal of
Honor recipient (posthumous) for valor
during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Smith’s
actions embodied the NCO Creed.
distinguished themselves during
World War II. For example, Staff Sgt.
Charles Shea of the 350th Infantry,
encountered heavy machine-gun fire
in Monte Damiano, Italy, in 1944. So
his men could advance, he single-hand-
edly moved forward, silencing three
machine-gun positions, killing three
enemy soldiers and capturing six.
The same year, Sgt. Harrison
Summers of the 502nd Parachute
Infantry, led an attack against German
fortifications on Utah Beach, France,
on D-Day, June 6. When he and 12
Soldiers encountered heavy fire during
the assault, the 12 fell back, leaving
him alone to advance. He rushed to
the first enemy fortification, kicked the
door open, and killed all the enemy
soldiers inside. He then moved down a
row of stone buildings, clearing each as
he advanced.
In the late 1940s, the Army em-
phasized training and professionalism
of its NCOs, publishing the Career
Guidance Plan and opening profes-
NCO Creed
No one is more professional than
I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer,
a leader of Soldiers. As a Noncom-
missioned Officer, I realize that I am
a member of a time-honored corps,
which is known as “The Backbone of
the Army.” I am proud of the Corps of
Noncommissioned Officers and will, at
all times, conduct myself so as to bring
credit upon the Corps, the Military
Service and my country regardless of
the situation in which I find myself.
I will not use my grade or position
to attain pleasure, profit or personal
safety. Competence is my watchword.
My two basic responsibilities will
always be uppermost in my mind—
accomplishment of my mission and
the welfare of my Soldiers. I will strive
to remain tactically and technically
proficient. I am aware of my role as a
Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill
sional schools for NCOs. In 1959, the
Army instituted service-wide standards
for NCO training. By the end of the
1950s, the NCO ranks nearly mir-
rored the current structure, minus the
command sergeant major and sergeant
major of the Army.
During the Korean War in 1953,
Sgt. Ola L. Mize, of the 15th Infantry,
distinguished himself in battle and
received the Medal of Honor. Near
Surang-ni, Mize advanced through
an intense enemy barrage to rescue a
wounded Soldier.
Upon returning to his outpost,
he organized an effective defense and
inflicted heavy casualties against attack-
ing enemy forces who had penetrated
their perimeter. During the intense
fighting, Mize was blown down by
artillery and grenade blasts three times,
but each time he got up and continued
repelling attacks.
my responsibilities inherent in that role.
All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding
leadership; I will provide that leadership.
I know my Soldiers and I will always
place their needs above my own. I will
communicate consistently with my Sol-
diers and never leave them uninformed.
I will be fair and impartial when recom-
mending both rewards and punishment.
Officers of my unit will have maxi-
mum time to accomplish their duties;
they will not have to accomplish mine. I
will earn their respect and confidence as
well as that of my Soldiers. I will be loyal
to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers,
and subordinates alike. I will exercise
initiative by taking appropriate action in
the absence of orders. I will not compro-
mise my integrity, nor my moral courage.
I will not forget, nor will I allow my
comrades to forget that we are profession-
als, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!
While the fighting raged inside
the outpost, Mize moved from man
to man, distributing ammunition and
shouting words of encouragement.
When he observed a friendly machine
gun position overrun, he fought his
way to the position, killing 10 of the
enemy. He continued fighting and
helped regroup for a successful coun-
terattack.
NCO legends and stature contin-
ued growing through the Vietnam War
years. In 1968, Sgt. 1st Class Eugene
Ashley Jr., an African American Soldier,
was posthumously awarded the Medal
of Honor for action in South Vietnam.
As the senior special forces advisor, he
led a mission to rescue Soldiers under
attack at Camp Lang Vei, near Khe
Sanh.
During the ensuing battle, Ashley
led five assaults, continuously expos-
ing himself to enemy grenades and
automatic weapons fire, as well as
booby-trapped satchel charges in each
of the bunkers he overran. During his
4PMEJFST
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 15
 Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.
Sgt. 1st Class Ed Franco makes friends with refugee children in
Kabul, Afghanistan, April 8, 2007, in support of a community out-
reach program.
fifth and final assault, Ashley called for
air strikes nearly on top of his position,
forcing the enemy to withdraw. While
exposing himself to intense enemy fire,
he was seriously wounded but contin-
ued his mission without regard for his
personal safety. A short time later he
was killed by enemy artillery fire.
An NCO milestone was reached in
1966, when Army Chief of Staff Gen.
Harold K. Johnson chose Sgt. Maj.
William O. Wooldridge as the first
sergeant major of the Army.
The SMA serves as the senior
enlisted advisor to the secretary of the
Army and chief of staff of the Army
on enlisted matters. In 1967, Johnson
established the position of command
sergeant major. The CSM serves as the
commander’s enlisted assistant at and
above the battalion level.
In 1969, the Army established the
Noncommissioned Officer Education
System, designed to provide NCOs
with a progressive system of career
courses, beginning with the Basic
Noncommissioned Officer Course and
then the Advanced Noncommissioned
Officer Course. The Sergeants Major
Academy was established in 1972 and
other leadership courses were added
over the years.
The NCO Creed, a summary of
16 www.army.mil/soldiers
An NCO (center) and other Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division
pay tribute to their past during a ceremony at Fort Hood, Texas,
March 25, 2009.
NCO ideals, has existed in various
forms for many years. At the start of
the all-volunteer Army in 1973, the
current form of the creed was written
and later distributed to NCOs around
the Army. It is still in use today.
Command Sgt. Maj. William J.
Gainey became the first senior enlisted
advisor to the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 1, 2005. He
provided input on enlisted education,
health, welfare, morale and housing
matters for all of the services.
On Jan. 30, 2009, President Barack
Obama met with Sgt. Maj. of the
Army Kenneth O. Preston and the
senior enlisted advisors of other services
to hear concerns from a boots-on-the-
ground perspective. This was reportedly
the first time a commander in chief
held an official meeting with senior
enlisted leaders.
Today, NCOs continue to fight and
lead by example. Sgt. 1st Class Paul R.
Smith, who posthumously received the
Technical grade chevron
Medal of Honor, typifies the courage
and sacrifice that an NCO could be
called upon to make.
During heavy fighting in Baghdad
in 2003, Smith and 100 Soldiers came
under attack by a much-larger enemy
force. After organizing a defense, Smith
braved hostile fire to engage the enemy
with hand grenades and anti-tank
weapons, and organized the evacuation
of three wounded Soldiers.
Fearing the enemy would over-
run their defenses, he moved under
fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun,
mounted on an armored personnel car-
rier. Disregarding his own safety, Smith
maintained his exposed position to
engage the enemy until he was mortally
wounded. During the engagement, he
killed as many as 50 enemy soldiers,
and in the process, allowed the safe
withdrawal of wounded comrades. His
Medal of Honor was the first since
operations in Somalia in 1993.
There have been many changes in
the Army and the NCO Corps since
the Revolutionary War, when von Steu-
ben shaped the NCO Corps. But the
pride and professionalism of its ranks
have remained steadfast and its legacy
continues to grow. ´
(Compiled by David Vergun from Field Manual
7-22.7 (Dec. 2002); A Short History of the NCO,
by L.R. Arms, director of the NCO Museum at
Fort Bliss, Texas; and www.army.mil).
 LEAVE NO SOLDIER’S STORY UNTOLD
Operation Tribute to Freedom needs your NCO Stories.

In recognition of the Year of the Noncommissioned

Officer, we’re looking for NCOs who have served or
are currently serving in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Nominate yourself, a friend or an NCO you know.

Stories will be featured in Faces From the Front

or OTF Soldier Story.

Send an email with your nomination to

tributetofreedom@hqda.army.mil.

Operation Tribute to Freedom is a program of the U.S. Army

Office of the Chief of Public Affairs designed to share with the
American public the stories of Soldiers who have or are currently
serving in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Free-
dom. OTF works in partnership with PAOs throughout the Army to
tell the Army story.
Faces From the Front is a weekly news product
distributed to national, local and social media.
OTF Soldier Story is a weekly newsletter
distributed to Army communicators.
 NCO
Museum honors the

Story by L.R. Arms The museum features NCO

F
displays from all of the na-
OUNDED in 1975, the U.S. Army tion’s wars, including: 1.
World War I, 2. Vietnam, 3.
Museum of the Noncommissioned Civil War, 4. Revolutionary
War, 5. Korean War. Photos
Officer in Fort Bliss, Texas, displays by L. R. Arms.
and depicts the history of the NCO from
1775 to the present. Exhibits emphasizes
history and NCOs as small-unit combat
leaders, trainers, and standard bearers of the
Army’s customs and traditions.
Visitors to the museum follow a chrono- 1
logical story line beginning with the Ameri-
can Revolution and an exhibit of reproduced
rank insignia, uniforms and equipment
that would have been used by NCOs in the
Continental Army. Information about pay,
rations and rank structure are integrated into
the exhibits. Special presentations exam-
ine daily life in the 1830s, women NCOs,
prisoners of war, and the development of
the Noncommissioned Officer Education
System.
Among the featured artifacts are: war
bond posters; a POW uniform worn by Sgt.
Maj. Dennis Thompson; two model 1840
NCO swords; a uniform worn by Sgt. Tracy
McMillan with the 626th Support Battalion
2 3
in Kandahar, Afghanistan; two uniforms
worn by Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Guy-
ette and Sgt. Stephen Dorsey with the 89th
Military Police Brigade in Iraq; and original
paintings from the first Year of the NCO in
1989.
The museum is an integral part of the
nearby Sergeants Major Academy and is part
of the program of instruction for Sergeants
Major and First Sergeant course students.
Guided tours can be arranged by calling
915-744-8646. Hours of operation are 9
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. ´

L. R. Arms is the director of the U.S. Army Museum of the 4 5

Noncommissioned Officer.

18 www.army.mil/soldiers
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 19

 Day of the sniper :
The story behind ‘the million-dollar

SH
Story by Renita Foster
o T ’

T
HE four-man sniper team Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry
hardly dared to breathe. For Regiment, McGuire had deployed for
two days and nights they had Operation Iraqi Freedom nine months
waited for the right situation, and earlier and was stationed at Forward
it was finally here. To Sgt. 1st Class Operating Base, Iskandaryia.
Brandon McGuire, it seemed that Four days before his mission,
all his prior experiences, McGuire’s platoon had been ordered to
such as serving on the the western sector of their area of op-
82nd Airborne erations to locate and destroy an enemy
Division’s mortar team. Insurgents were firing
marksman- shells into the city of 300,000, wound-
ship team, ing civilians and destroying property—
as a sniper compromising faith in McGuire’s unit
and re- to protect Iraqi citizens.
connais- “Losing trust in us to take care of
sance the situation could prompt the locals
platoon not to help us anymore, and that
observ- only makes for more enemies,” said
er, and McGuire. “This was also a mission we
shooting welcomed since it was a crucial one and
sniper not what we called a ‘Groundhog Day,’
weapons which is a regular, everyday patrol.”
for a scout During that mission, two of
platoon, had McGuire’s Soldiers had been wounded
prepared him for by an improvised explosive device,
Courtesy of Barrett Firearms

this exact moment. one critically. The road they were on

“I even managed
to talk an explosive ordnance
detonation unit out of their sniper rifle
since they didn’t know how to use it,”
laughed McGuire.
Taking aim one last time, McGuire
calmly squeezed the trigger of his Bar-
rett .50 caliber, Sniper Weapon System.
A platoon sergeant in the 3rd
had been the backdrop for numerous
attacks on Americans, which prompted
McGuire and his platoon leader to
decide that enough was enough. After
medically evacuating one Soldier to
Baghdad and the other to their medical
unit at the FOB, they began formulat-
ing plans to end the problem once and
for all.

20 www.army.mil/soldiers
 Heading to a location with many
vantage points they called the “tractor
factory,” McGuire assumed his post
in one tower while his platoon leader
headed for the other. Although it was
night, they had an excellent view of the
road in question, and a wall around
the factory provided protection for
their vehicles. Windows were quickly
camouflaged and a platform built for
Rifle photo by PEO Soldier
the sniper weapon system, an Improved
Target Acquisitioning System.
“Best of all, no one knew we were
there,” added McGuire.
Because dismounted radios could
not reach back to the battalion tactical
operations center, a communications
platform was also assembled. “Com-
mo,” according to McGuire, was their
best weapon, in addition to individual
Soldiers retrieving information. Com-
bined observation reports provided
excellent clues to enemy behavior and
operations. And because they were
usually outnumbered during missions,
contacting the TOC and aircraft for
additional help was their lifeline.
“You only get one
shot. That means you
have to keep your self
control because if you
miss, your position is
uncovered.”
Keeping with the revered military
tradition of carrying a special good luck
item with his military gear, McGuire
had packed away a family picture. His
hope was that should he be kidnapped,
realizing he had a family might earn
him some leniency from potential
captors.
For the next two days and nights
all eyes focused on the road that had
been declared “black,” meaning no
one was allowed on it unless they had
route clearance. His crew of four to
five Soldiers rotated every so often, but
McGuire stayed in the tower, occasion-
ally taking time to sleep and eat.
“You have to sleep sometime or
you become ineffective,” said McGuire.
“And to pass the time we played this
game called, ‘If.’ Everybody takes turns
making up a fantasy about where they
would most like to be right now. The
obvious answer is home and family,
so that’s not allowed. We wanted to
hear about sensational places with
good food and company to go with
it. The other rule was that everyone
had to take their time describing these
scenarios to make the hours pass more
quickly.”
Sunrise on the third day brought
McGuire and his crew the objective
they had been stalking. The target
was walking on the canal, which ran
east and west of their position. They
watched his suspicious behavior (which
included digging an item out of the
canal’s embankment), for more than an
Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire readies for his “million-dollar” sniper shot.
hour. Verifying it was a mortar tube,
McGuire contacted the battalion TOC
and requested permission to engage.
Receiving an affirmative answer,
the team quickly arranged the spotter’s
scope while McGuire set up behind the
SWS. The range finder indicated the
insurgent was over 1,300 meters away,
a precarious distance for even the best
of snipers. And a high wind required
the crew to perform wind calculations.
Despite the problems, McGuire’s “cool”
attitude prevailed. Too much was at
stake to fail now.
“You only get one shot,” said
McGuire. “That means you have to
keep your self control because if you
miss, your position is uncovered. I also
reminded myself that if I was suc-
cessful, my Soldiers, as well as other
Americans and the people we’re trusted
to protect, would finally be safe.”
McGuire’s sights bore down on the
target for another hour as he carried
his tube up and down the canal banks.
4PMEJFST
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 21
Because it was a rolling terrain, the
target kept dropping in and out of
sight. Several times McGuire had the
insurgent’s head in focus, but didn’t be-
lieve he could shoot accurately with so
much distance between them. He was
also unsure about the wind and their
calculations, and keenly aware of the
adrenaline pumping through his body.
Suddenly, the target area McGuire
desperately wanted appeared. The “tri-
angle measurement,” from the throat
down to the upper chest, was now in
plain view. Hearing the spotter yell,
“Fire!” McGuire squeezed the trigger.
He was immediately consumed by
smoke from the weapon’s powerful out-
burst in the small building. Scrambling
to re-engage, McGuire already knew
it would be too late. There was only a
cloud of smoke where the insurgent
had been.
McGuire’s spotter maintained his
visual and was yelling, “Tango down!
Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire briefs his sniper platoon.
22 www.army.mil/soldiers
Tango Down! He’s gone!” McGuire
had accomplished the impossible.
Though the target was nearly a mile
away, he had successfully made what
came to be known throughout his unit
as the “million-dollar shot.”
“They even put that in my record,”
laughed McGuire.
A few seconds were squandered for
high fives and congratulations, but the
team quickly turned their attention
back to the mission area. They realized
the wind had been a blessing, mask-
ing the sound of the shot. No other
insurgents would be able to learn their
location.
The battalion TOC was quickly no-
tified and a request made for the Iraqi
army to retrieve the body. A firefight
on their arrival made it impossible for
the Soldiers to recover the target. A
local official identified the insurgent a
few days later.
“We weren’t sure what happened to
the mortar tube, but about a week later
we captured a truck with a similar one,
so maybe that was it. More impor-
tantly, after our platoon’s engagement,
there were no more mortar attacks on
that road,” said McGuire.
While the “million-dollar shot”
earned much praise for McGuire and
his sniper team, he insists the driving
force for their success was their injured
battle buddies and other Americans
hurt on the road.
“Camaraderie is what keeps your
Soldiers together and at their best,”
said McGuire. “Platoon GIs become
lifelong friends. You share so many ex-
periences together which you can never
explain to someone else; they would
never get it. However, you always have
your fellow Soldiers to go to.” ´
Renita Foster works for the Fort Monmouth, N.J.,
Public Affairs Office.
4PMEJFST
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 23
On Point
The Army in Action

YEAR OF THE NCO

Sgt. 1st Class Maria Young, a jumpmaster from
Company E, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, conducts mock-door training prior to the
brigade’s Joint Force Entry Exercise on Jan. 29. Mock-
door training helps to familiarize paratroopers with the
door of the aircraft before a jump.
— Photo by Pfc. Bryan Wills

24 www.army.mil/soldiers
4PMEJFST
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 ARMY NEWS
‘Military Saves’ encourages
Soldiers to build nest egg

J.D. Leipold
F INANCIAL security at home can
mean one less distraction for Sol-
diers downrange.
“Imagine deploying, or going out
to training—and what is in the back of
your mind is how are you going to pay
your mortgage, or is your family going
to get evicted while you are deployed,”
said Michael Wood, Family and Mo-
rale, Welfare and Recreation command,
and the Army liaison to the Military
Saves program. “You are not going to
be focused on the mission. Financial
literacy is a readiness issue.”
Having your financial situation in
order can contribute to mission readi-
ness, Wood said. To help Soldiers make
that happen, the Army participates in
the Department of Defense-sponsored
“Military Saves” program, which en-
Jennifer Murphy, PhD., demonstrates one of the tests her joint team of researchers used to determine
courages Soldiers to become financially the characteristics of Soldiers, Marines and Airmen who might have exceptional abilities at detecting
improvised explosive devices.
literate and save their money.
The Military Saves program asks
participants to take a pledge to commit
to financial security through savings, Study aims to identify IED detection experts
reducing debt and building wealth.
Soldiers can learn more about Military
Saves through the campaign’s Web
site at www.militarysaves.org. The site
points Soldiers to where they can learn
R ESEARCHERS have discovered
that some Soldiers seem to have
a “sixth sense” for being able to spot
ceptional in their ability to identify
IEDs. That’s when she and the Army
Research Institute for the Behavioral
more about both saving and investing improvised explosive devices, while and Social Sciences got involved.
their money. ´ others are unable to spot them “Wouldn’t it be great if there was
— C. Todd Lopez/ARNEWS hidden in brush or buried in the a way we could identify people who
middle of a road. have this skill before they deploy
How and why certain Soldiers because it would save so many lives,”
could see IEDs better than others she said.
C. Todd Lopez

Through the Military Saves program, the
Army encourages Soldiers to become
financially stable through savings and
investment.
was something the Joint Improvised
Explosive Device Defeat Organiza-
tion wanted to study. So for the
last 18 months, a joint group of
researchers has been striving to
identify what particular skills, abili-
ties and characteristics are needed
to detect IEDs.
The study’s director, Jennifer
Murphy, Ph.D., said JIEDDO lead-
ership was hearing stories from the
field about Soldiers who were ex-
The research team studied what
factors might contribute to a person’s
ability to find IEDs, including physi-
cal and personality factors as well as
life experiences. Researchers assessed
800 warfighters and were able to
filter out the most important predic-
tors of IED-locating performance.
“These are people who notice
extraordinarily subtle changes in the
environment,” Murphy explained. ´
— J.D. Leipold/ARNEWS

26 www.army.mil/Soldiers

Army fielding Enhanced Night Vision Goggles
S OLDIERS now have a new tool
that will enhance their ability to
see in total darkness: the AN/PSQ-20
Enhanced Night Vision Goggle.
The ENVG is a helmet-mounted,
passive-image-intensification and
thermal device that incorporates both
I2 and long-wave infrared sensors into
a single integrated system. It weighs
two pounds, including the battery pack
(which uses four AA batteries), helmet
mount and wiring harness. The ENVG
is being fielded by Program Executive
Office Soldier.
Several engineering enhancements
to the ENVG improved its fit and
function—for example, moving the
helmet mount’s center of gravity closer
to the face to increase comfort as well as
stability. In addition, the system is now
more compact and easier to stow when
it is not in use, which enhances Soldiers’
maneuverability. Another benefit of the
New handbook to help units save vital info
A new handbook to guide com-
manders in protecting and preserv-
ing vital data, records and historical
information is available now from the
Center for Army Lessons Learned.
CALL Handbook 09-22, “Com-
mander’s Handbook for Operational
Records and Data Collection,” is
designed to serve as a guide for the
preservation and disposition of unit
operational records, history and data.
The handbook helps drive home
the importance of keeping operational
records. It explains how, following
Operation Desert Storm, thousands
of veterans and Soldiers had problems
proving where they were and what
they were doing. It also explains how
it took millions of dollars and thou-
sands of man-hours to reconstruct
the locations and operations of units
during the operation.
During World War II, in contrast
From the Army News Service and Other Sources
ENVG is its compatibility with aiming
PEO Soldier
lasers currently in use, allowing for a
fully integrated system of thermal, laser
and image intensification.
A digital update for the ENVG is
currently in development to take ad-
vantage of image processing techniques
that can improve image clarity and
situational awareness for Soldiers. With
a digital ENVG system, Soldiers on the
battlefield of the future could import
and export digital files, PEO-Soldier
officials said.
Soldiers’ feedback on the ENVG
has been overwhelmingly positive.
“You can really tell where a person
is, where a vehicle is, a lot more than
with just regular night vision,” said Pvt.
Andrew Busch of the 10th Mountain
Division. “When I first put mine on,
it was clear right away. I didn’t have to
adjust it at all.” ´Ê A Soldier uses the new AN/PSQ-20 Enhanced
— PEO Soldier Night Vision Goggles.
ter
Arms Cen
to Desert Storm, units kept records
even during the Battle of the Bulge,
Combined
the handbook explains. And units in
Korea kept war diaries, staff action
journals, operations reports and intel-
ligence summaries, even when on the
verge of being overrun by the Chinese
in the winter of 1950.
“Yet in today’s military, despite
the ready availability of high speed
computers, email, sophisticated word
processing programs, portable digital
storage devices, data base programs Front cover of “Commander’s Handbook for
Operational Records and Data Collection.”
and visually stunning graphics presen-
tations, units often fail to preserve a that can be done. It is unclassified
record of what they were doing, where and can be downloaded from CALL’s
they were doing it, and when,” the public Web site at call.army.mil. Cop-
handbook’s authors state. ies may also be requested through the
The handbook provides arguments information product link. ´Ê
for why unit operational records — Combined Arms Center Public
should be kept and also spells out how Affairs Office
4PMEJFST
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 27
Sharon Renee Taylor

Sgt.
Robert Bartlett Sgt. Robert Bartlett stands in front of a bust of Maj. Walter Reed in the lobby of Building 1 (the old
hospital). He was injured in Iraq during the spring of 2005, when an explosive-formed projectile tore
through the Humvee he was riding in and cut his face in half.

28 www.army.mil/publications

Story by Sharon Renee Taylor
“
WHEN you look in the mirror,
who do you see?” On May 20, 2005, a
31-year-old Army scout sniper named
Pfc. Robert Bartlett glanced at the
mirror placed before him with his right
eye, his left eye blinded. Burns covered
his face and hands; his bottom lip, an
eyelid, five teeth, the front of his nose
and part of his jaw—all missing.
An explosive-
formed projectile tore
through the Humvee
“I was a man
without a face.”
After more than 40 surgeries over
the next three and a half years as a
patient at Walter Reed Army Medi-
cal Center, Bartlett, now a sergeant,
reflected on his recovery while await-
ing completion of his medical board
process.
The 35-year-old Soldier believes
there is healing in being honest—first
yourself—then there is freedom. You
have to love who you see in the mirror.
“You just can’t let it beat ya. You
got what you got. You know? That’s
how a lot of us end up…it’s a hum-
bling thing that we all have to learn,”
Bartlett said.
The curious stares of strangers no
longer bother him like they did in the
beginning.
“Oh, it was
brutal. They would

Courtesy of Sgt. Robert Bartlett

Bartlett was riding just stare and they
in three weeks earlier couldn’t figure it out.
during a sector-clear- I would smile at them
ing mission in Iraq and they would smile
and cut his face in back or they would
half, from his temple get surprised or just
through his jaw. continue to stare.
“I was a man That’s our biggest
without a face. It’s thing: just smiling
like the left side didn’t and saying, ‘Hi,’ and
exist anymore. And letting them know
the drooling every day we’re still human,”
just grates on you, Bartlett said. “It’s just
not to mention (it’s) one of those things,
embarrassing. With you know. My wife
Sgt. Robert Bartlett and his wife, Jordan, whom he calls the love of his life.
every drop of drool it has a harder time
takes away your dignity. with it than I do. She
It’s almost like the left wants to go over and
side of my face melted away. Not being with yourself, then others. You must slap people. She’s very protective of
able to blink my eye…every breeze that surrender your pride, false realities me,” he laughed.
should’ve been for comfort was pain- (past dreams or hopes no longer at- Bartlett said he wanted to continue
ful,” Bartlett said. tainable) and any distorted image of his military career prior to his injuries.

The man in the mirror 4PMEJFST
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 “God kept us alive for a reason.”
“I was single when I went in. I was
looking forward to a career in the mili-
tary. Obviously things have changed
(since the explosion). I met my wife
and I can’t do what I was going to do
anymore,” said the former sniper, who
called his wife Jordan the love of his
life.
“I was always so focused on being
strong,” Bartlett said. Jordan showed
him how to be sensitive and still be
strong. “Like the river that smoothes
the roughest stone. That’s my wife.”
“I prayed so long that I could meet
someone like her. When I got blown
up, I didn’t think I’d date again. Half
your face is gone and you go, ‘Who’s
going to want me anymore? Look at
me!’ And the truth is that we get a bet-
ter quality person than we ever thought
we would,” Bartlett said.
His message for other injured
Soldiers is clear: yes, it happened, but
good can come from it.
Bartlett said being blown up was
the best thing that ever happened to
him. It has given him the opportunity
to meet people he never would have
the opportunity to meet, and to be a
spokesperson for Soldiers down range.
In addition to speaking engage-
ments, Bartlett joins his wife in
volunteer work with their church and
community when he’s home in Gilbert,
Ariz.
“You know it’s the best joy ever.
Call me selfish. I love it. I absolutely
love it...giving back is the biggest
reward ever,” Bartlett said.
“His healing process is helping
other Soldiers get back on their feet,”
said Jordan. She added that it’s a recip-
rocal healing process. “I don’t think the
other Soldiers know what they’re doing
for him.”
“Being a part of something bigger
than you is a reward. Even though
you lost a leg and your buddy died,
now you have to be twice as positive,
twice as good for them. You can’t be
self-absorbed in pity. We all signed up.
We knew what we were getting into.
There’s fulfillment (in serving others).
From the beginning it’s never been our
30 www.army.mil/publications
plan. God kept us alive for a reason,”
Bartlett said.
And there’s clearly a purpose for
Bartlett. The Soldier said he died three
times after the explosion in Iraq: once
on the battlefield, once at the combat
support hospital and a third time at
Walter Reed.
Bartlett received an American
Society of Plastic Surgeons’ Patients
of Courage: Triumph Over Adversity
Award in November. His plastic and
reconstructive surgeon at Johns Hop-
kins University Hospital, Dr. Eduardo
Rodriguez, nominated the sergeant
for his ability to overcome a tremen-
dous adversity, turn it into something
positive and motivate other patients,
nationally.
Rodriguez cited Bartlett’s optimism
and explained that a positive state of
mind helps patients like Bartlett heal
physically and mentally.
Bartlett tells his fellow Soldiers
recovering at Walter Reed, “You can’t
complain about what you don’t have.
You just have to be content with what
you do have—just being alive.” He said
relationships and ups and downs are
not always fun but it keeps it excit-
ing. “Life is just a beautiful thing. And
we’ll be so much better off and happy
if we just let ourselves recognize and
overcome the difficulties we encounter
along the way.
“If we could just be 100 percent
with ourselves then we can be 100
percent with that woman or man, and
it’s as simple as that. God has a plan for
all of us,” Bartlett said. ❖
“You can’t complain about
what you don’t have. You just have to be
content with what you do have—
just being alive.”
Sharon Renee Taylor writes for The Stripe at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center.
 Corporal
A corporal serves as team leader of
the smallest Army units. Like
sergeants, they are respon-
sible for individual training,
health, welfare and safety of
their Soldiers.
Sergeant
The sergeant typically leads a
squad of nine to 10 Soldiers. Because
sergeants oversee their Soldiers in their
daily tasks, they are con-
sidered to have the greatest
impact on the troops—ser-
geants set the example and
the standard.
Staff Sergeant
The staff sergeant also leads a squad
of nine to 10 Soldiers, and often has
one or more sergeants un-
der his or her leadership. A
staff sergeant is responsible
for developing, maintain-
ing and utilizing the full
range of his or her Soldiers’
potential.
Sergeant First Class
The sergeant first class is the key
assistant and adviser to the platoon
leader. A sergeant first class
generally has 15 to 18 years
of Army experience and puts
it to use by making quick,
accurate decisions in the best
interest of the missions and
the Soldiers.
NCO ranks & responsibilities
4PVSDF
'JFME
.BOVBM

Master Sergeant
The master sergeant is the prin-
cipal NCO at the battalion level and
often higher. A master sergeant is not
charged with all the leader-
ship responsibilities of a first
sergeant, but is expected
to dispatch leadership and
other duties with the same
professionalism.
First Sergeant
The first sergeant is the princi-
pal NCO and lifeblood
of the company. Pro-
vider, disciplinarian and
wise counselor, the first
sergeant instructs other
sergeants, advises the com-
mander and helps train all
enlisted Soldiers. He or she also assists
officers at the company level—62 to
190 Soldiers.
Sergeant Major
The sergeant major’s experience and
abilities are equal to that of the com-
mand sergeant major, but the sphere of
influence regarding leader-
ship is generally limited to
those directly under his or
her charge. A sergeant major
assists officers at the battal-
ion level or higher.
Command Sergeant Major
Functioning without supervision,
a command sergeant major’s counsel is
expected to be calm, settled and accu-
rate with unflagging enthu-
siasm. A command sergeant
major provides recommenda-
tions to the commander and
staff, and carries out policies
and standards on the perfor-
mance, training, appearance
and conduct of enlisted personnel. A
command sergeant major assists officers
at the battalion level or above.
Sergeant Major of the Army
There is only one sergeant major
of the Army. This rank is the
epitome of what it means to
be an NCO and oversee all
other NCOs. The sergeant
major of the Army serves as
the senior enlisted adviser
and consultant to the chief of staff of
the Army.
Air Force Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway
4PMEJFST
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 Keeping quality high
Spc. Crystal Abbott

Sergeant 1st Class Jerry Hill, the dining facility

manager with Headquarters and Headquarters Company,
82nd Cavalry, inspects the overall quality of a dessert and
offers suggestions on enhancing the overall garnishing.
“I am in charge of quality control and making sure
the food is prepared properly,” said Hill. “We want to
give the Soldiers more bang for their buck.”
To Hill, being a noncommissioned officer is an all-
encompassing job.
“It is my job to lead and train my Soldiers,” said Hill.
“My favorite part of this job is being with Soldiers, and I
want to make sure leadership skills are instilled in them
to prepare them for the future.”
Hill has been an NCO for 11 of his 18 years in the
Army.
Serving his service
Spc. April D. de Armas

Sergeant Orlando Serna, a food service special-

ist with the 407th Brigade Support Battalion, and
pastries chef for the field team, pours a mixture of
peaches and blueberries into a cup for his peach
and blueberry cobbler dessert.
The U.S. Army Culinary Arts Competition,
the largest competition of its kind in the United
States, has several categories in which teams and
individuals can participate, including hot food
cooking, patisserie, a team buffet, showpieces and
many more.

32 www.army.mil/soldiers
 Pfc. David L. Nye
Spc. Krista L. Rayford
Spc. Krista L. Rayford
Mentoring the troops
Master Sgt. Eric R. McCray, opera-
tions sergeant major, 1st Battalion, 7th
Air Defense Artillery, loves being part
of an organization that takes care of
America’s most precious resource.
McCray, who has been an NCO
for 16 years, believes “the most impor-
tant aspect of my job is to teach, coach
and mentor our leaders of tomorrow
and provide them with the drive to
meet any mission they are called to
carry out.”
Leading from the front
Command Sgt. Maj. Richard S. Clem, 108th
Air Defense Artillery Brigade Command, runs at
the head of the formation during a brigade run
Feb. 6, 2008. Clem, who has been an NCO for
20 years, compares being an NCO to being a
superhero. “You come into work every day with
the ability to influence change in Soldiers and
families.”
Taking care of the ‘family’
Sergeant 1st Class Jason Bauerkemper, a wheeled-
vehicle maintainer, Headquarters and Headquarters
Battalion, 108th Air Defense Artillery, calls cadence
during a brigade run, Feb. 6, 2008.
Bauerkemper, who has been an NCO for six years,
enjoys the interaction with his troops; teaching them
about maintenance and how to be great Soldiers.
“(NCOs) are the ones that ensure completion of the
mission and the health and welfare of our troops and
their families,” said Bauerkemper.
4PMEJFST
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Spc. Krista L. Rayford

Setting a good example

Sergeant Samuel A. Green, supply sergeant, 36th Area

Support Medical Command, practices an on-camera inter-
view during a media-training exercise.
Green, who has been an NCO for one year, loves ensur-
ing Soldiers have what they need in order to accomplish their
missions.
“To me, being an NCO means setting the example while
preparing young Soldiers to be NCOs themselves,” he said.

Courtesy of 1st Lt. Dennis Chamberlain

Experience matters

“There’s lessons learned in your younger years as a Soldier that

are just invaluable when you get to my level,” said 1st Lt. Dennis
Chamberlain, a former sergeant, with Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 1-158th Infantry Regiment, Arizona National Guard. “In
the future, if I get a company or a battalion command, it’s going to be
all those lessons I learned as a young private and sergeant that are go-
ing to pay dividends to me. I wouldn’t have known what to do if I was
a brand-new second lieutenant thrown into a combat situation.
“That’s where your NCO Corps pretty much trains your Officer
Corps, is in those first couple years. That was something my NCOs
didn’t have to do. We were able to jump in and start functioning because I was already at a level to operate. Without
a doubt, I think it generates a more quality officer. Not necessarily a better officer, but for those first couple years,
they have more of a knowledge base to make decisions on. The more knowledge you have, the better decisions you’ll
make.”

34 www.army.mil/soldiers
 Looking out for their welfare Spc. Crystal Abbott

Sergeant John Mebine, a squad leader and

rigger with 11th Quartermaster Company, ties a
static line to a parachute.
Mebine says that as a rigger, safety is his pri-
mary concern. “It is important to make sure the
parachutes are packed right,” explained Mebine.
“I keep in mind that every chute that is packed
could be the one that I have to jump.”
Mebine has been an NCO for two of his
seven years of service.

Spc. Crystal Abbott

Spc. Crystal Abbott

Spc. Crystal Abbott

Ensuring quality

Achieving goals Sergeant Oscar Rivera, a squad Passing on knowledge

Sergeant Gregory Hublitz, a pack-
ing and processing inspector with 11th
Quartermaster Company, finishes pack-
ing a parachute and signs the log book
to verify the parachute was properly
packed.
Hublitz has been an NCO for a
little more than a year and says seeing
Soldiers achieve their goals is his greatest
motivation.
“Mentoring is my favorite part of the
job,” he said. “Seeing my Soldiers grow,
progress and achieve their goals is a great
feeling. The Army is what you make of
it, it really is. Anything is possible if you
set your mind to it.”
leader and inspector with 11th
Quartermaster Company, looks up
at a rigger during one of the packing
inspection check points.
Rivera, who has been in the Army
for 12 years, six as an NCO, says
inspecting every part of the chute is
crucial for the safety of the Soldier.
“Attention to details and quality
control are important when preparing
chutes,” he said. “During inspection
I look at the static line and feel it to
check for any fraying. I make sure the
lines are straight and that the pack tray
is put on correctly. I also watch the Sol-
diers as they are packing their chutes,
checking for quality control.”
Sergeant Jason Tapaoan, a squad
leader and rigger with 11th Quarter-
master Company, signs the parachute
log record book, after inspecting the
parachute for deficiencies.
Tapaoan, an NCO of two years,
enjoys caring for his Soldiers and help-
ing them reach their potential.
“Taking care of Soldiers and
passing on the knowledge you have
gained from your own previous NCOs
is great,” said Tapaoan. “It is most
rewarding being able to watch your
Soldiers get promotions or rewards,
knowing that you had a part in (their)
professional development.”

4PMEJFST
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 From NCO to CEO
Master Sgt. Mark “Ranger” Jones

Story by Jacqueline M. Hames Photos courtesy of Mark Jones

Gen. David Petraeus and Mark “Ranger”

Jones meet in Washington during an
awards ceremony.

N
OT many people afraid of heights would jump out of an airplane willingly.
Most people don’t live out of their car for two years. But that’s exactly what
Mark “Ranger” Jones was doing when he began his Army career.
Jones is a retired master sergeant and chief executive officer of the Ranger Group,
which started as a security firm and grew to include work in construction and infor-
mation technology. Created just a few months after Jones left the Army, the Ranger
Group is now a service-disabled, veteran-owned 8(a) company.
As Jones puts it, he’s “living the dream.”
One of the central philosophies of the Ranger Group is to give everyone the
opportunity to do their best, Jones said. He hires as many veterans as possible to give
them that chance, because they are flexible workers who “can deal with anything.”

Mark "Ranger" Jones and Gen. David Petraeus visit Lt. Col. Greg Gadson at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington during a luncheon for wounded
Soldiers. Gadson, who is now back on active duty, was the New York Giants’
guest at Superbowl XLII in 2008.
36 www.army.mil/soldiers
 The ability of current and former
Soldiers to adapt to any situation
comes from their character—some-
thing Jones learned as a noncommis-
sioned officer.
“You can’t judge an individual by
how much money they make, but you
can always judge someone by their
character,” Jones said. “Those are core
competencies of an NCO that I was
taught, that I believe in today and I’ll
carry with me until eternity.”
Having veterans working for the
company gives the Ranger Group an
advantage that corporate America
doesn’t have, Jones believes. Ultimately,
Jones would like to educate veterans Prior to a jump in Tampa, Fla., from a C-130 aircraft; (from left) Gens. Peter Schoomaker and
William Shelton, Command Sgt. Maj. Mel Wick, and Mark “Ranger” Jones.
in business so they can eventually start
their own companies.
Married to his high school sweet- “I was completely and totally petri- family while still being 100 percent
heart, Lorrie, Jones joined the Army in fied of heights,” Jones said. Neverthe- involved in the military.
his sophomore year of college because less, Jones forced himself out of the “Living in a car was a completely
of his wife’s medical condition. After plane (with no lack of encouragement unbelievable experience,” Jones said.
Lorrie suffered a aneurism, he wanted from his trainer) and took the plunge. “It was really tough to do that. But
to be able to provide her with good “It was probably noon, but it was my working in a Ranger battalion, those
medical benefits, so he went to a first night jump because my eyes were guys also gave me an opportunity to do
recruiting station. The only recruiter closed tight the whole way down.” extra things on the weekends. I started
present at the time was from the Army, At the time he was recruited, and to do ice carvings on the weekends to
Jones said. for some time after, Jones was living make extra money to help pay for my
“He goes, ‘when do you want to out of his Volkswagen. Money was wife’s medical condition.”
come in?’ I said ‘tomorrow.’” tight, but he felt fortunate that the While completing an ice sculp-
The recruiter suggested that he join Ranger battalion leadership gave him ture in Savannah, Ga., one day, Jones
the Army as a cook with the Airborne the opportunity to take care of his was recruited by a group of actors to
Rangers. “Well, I had no idea what an
Airborne Ranger was. Nobody told Mark Jones poses with his wife,
Lorrie, before a military ball.
me that I would have to jump out of a
perfectly good aircraft,” Jones laughed.
“I ended up going to Fort Lee and
completing cook’s school and then
(was) on my way to Fort Benning
(where) I had to go to jump school,
which I didn’t know. I show up at jump
school, and I see the guys jumping out
of towers, and it’s looking exciting,
and all of a sudden I get off the bus
and everybody’s calling me ‘airborne,
airborne!’ I had no idea,” he said.
The next day, Jones was one of the
Soldiers in line to jump off of a tower.
He managed to stick to the back of the
line and never got off the tower, but his
strategy didn’t work when the Rang-
ers took to the air. Jones explained the
planes were loaded back to front, and
what he thought was the end of the
line was actually the beginning.

4PMEJFST
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participate in a movie. The group,
which included Morgan Freeman and
Denzel Washington, tracked him down
at Hunter Army Airfield and convinced
his commander to let him join the cast
of “Glory” as an Army liaison.
“I took off to Hollywood and
started training these guys,” Jones
recalled. He said that as a Ranger, he
was given a specific mission and he was
going to carry it out to the letter.
“I didn’t want to hear any snivel-
ing. Morgan couldn’t walk and chew
gum,” Jones joked. “Then I found out,
bless his heart, he was in the Air Force, Mark “Ranger” Jones and actor Denzel Washington pose in period costume on the set of “Glory.”
and he got kicked out of the Air Force,
so I really gave him a hard time! But I friend of Jones’, works with him and
worked with them, and I had a great the Fisher House Foundation regularly,
time, and it spawned a couple of rela- Jones said. Recently, Jones helped open
tionships. I still do things constantly the 43rd Fisher House in Los Angeles,
with Denzel and Morgan and Matthew at the Veterans Affairs hospital.
(Broderick), and they still help me find The Fisher House Foundation is
a way to give back to others in our an organization that “donates ‘comfort
military today.” homes,’ built on the grounds of major
The relationships Jones built while military and VA medical centers. These
working on the set of “Glory” play a homes enable family members to be
large part in his efforts with the Army close to a loved one at the most stress-
today. Denzel Washington, now a good ful times—during the hospitalization
for an unexpected illness, disease, or
“Ranger” carves an ice sculpture in Alaska. injury” according to the foundation’s
“Ranger” was the NCOIC of the Army Ice
Carving Team. Web site.
“I am a proud trustee of the Fisher
Foundation,” Jones said. “The reason Mark “Ranger” Jones poses with Ken Fisher (center)
why the Fisher Foundation is so dear of the Fisher House Foundation and a group of Sol-
diers in Iraq in 2008. Jones and Fisher visited troops
to my heart and what I do is because I and hospitals in Iraq to learn first hand how to better
came in the military because my spouse help Soldiers in their time of need.

had a medical condition.” Fisher House

didn’t come into existence until 1990,
after Jones entered service.
When he found out about the
Fisher House, Jones immediately knew
he wanted to help, and he has been
working with the foundation for four
years.
“Giving back is incredible, and I
feel very honored—it’s a pleasure to be
able to go back and give to our troops,”
he said.
Every year Jones takes 300,000 to
400,000 steaks provided by Outback
Steakhouse to Iraq and feeds the troops
there for two weeks. Jones is working
to open popular chain restaurants like
Outback Steakhouse on various instal-
lations to provide work for veterans,
spouses and dependants.
Because of the leadership abilities
he developed in the Army, Jones is able
to speak with billion-dollar companies
and convince them to hire veterans. He
has served as an aide to a respected gen-
eral, and gone skydiving with former
president George H.W. Bush—as his
jumpmaster. The values Jones learned
as an NCO are applied to the Ranger
Group and in other aspects of his life
today, helping him to achieve his goals,
Jones said.
“I should have paid the Army for
what I was doing. I should have had to
pay the Army for the type of leader-
ship that I was surrounded by. Being
an NCO was the best thing that could
have ever happened to me,” he said. ´

38 www.army.mil/soldiers
 A family of
sergeants major
Story by Elizabeth M. Collins
The three sergeants major Yingst. (Left): retired Command Sgts. Maj. William Yingst Jr. and William Yingst Sr. and now-Sgt. Maj. Paul
Yingst. Photo courtesy of the Yingst family.
O
NLY one percent of Reserve
Soldiers and 0.8 percent of
active-duty Soldiers who raise
their hands on enlistment day will ever
reach the rank of sergeant major or
command sergeant major.
Tell that to the Yingsts. The family
from Wisconsin calls three Sergeants
major it’s own: retired Command
Sgt. Maj. William Yingst Sr. and his
two sons, retired Command Sgt.
Maj. William Yingst Jr. and Sgt. Maj.
Paul Yingst, still on active duty and
deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers – Gulf Region.
Their story begins in 1967, when
Bill Sr. joined his local Reserve unit,
hoping to earn some extra money. He
planned to stay in for only six years,
but enjoyed it so much he kept re-
enlisting for more than 35 years.
After about 20 years in the same
bridge unit, the bridge engineer found
himself stuck at the rank of sergeant
first class, waiting for the first sergeant
position in his company to open.
When he was finally selected for master
sergeant, it involved a change of unit
and a 40-mile drive to Fort Snelling,
Wis.
From a small town of 362 people,
Bill Sr. originally thought Fort Snelling
might be too big for him. “That’s a big
outfit and there are probably a lot of
bad people up there,” he thought. It
took some convincing from his father,
a retired Air Force pilot and World
War II veteran, for him to accept the
promotion.
“After he pulled his foot from my
backside, I took the promotion and it
was the best thing I ever did. That was
4PMEJFST
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Retired Command Sgt. Maj. William Yingst Sr.
with his two sons: the future retired Command
Sgt. Maj. William Yingst Jr. (left) and the future
Sgt. Maj. Paul Yingst. Photo courtesy of Bill
Yingst Sr.
the start of opening my eyes to really
the big picture of the Army Reserve
and the rest of my career,” Bill Sr.
recalled.
At that point, his sons had already
joined him in not only the Army
Reserve, but also the local bridge unit,
which ultimately had one Yingst or an-
other for 33 consecutive years. He had
never pressured Bill Jr. or Paul, but the
younger Yingsts grew up seeing their
father involved with the Army and
going off to drill, and wanted to follow
in his footsteps. On drill weekends,
their mother would even dress them up
in miniature fatigues and when their
father got home, they’d stand at atten-
tion and salute.
Bill Jr. agreed that he never felt
forced to follow in his father’s foot-
steps—it was just something he wanted
to do. After years of watching his father
leave for drill, he joined the earliest day
he could: Sept. 4, 1985.
“Growing up, from as far back as
I can remember, I don’t think I ever
considered not joining the Army,” said
Bill Jr. “I guess that was just an innate
40 www.army.mil/soldiers
thing within me as a family tradi- still a master sergeant, the three men
tion, however that worked. were all in dress blues at a dining out.
Nobody made us do that. Another sergeant major who knew Paul
It was just something we came up to Bill Jr., planning to rib him
decided to do.” about his command sergeant major
By the time Paul, stripes. He was a little surprised to find
who is three years out there was “more than one of us,”
younger than Bill as Bill Jr. said. Paul also confessed to
Jr., was ready to being the recipient of some jokes about
enlist, his father being the third Yingst to come along.
and brother had That’s one of the reasons he was
good advice for thrilled to make sergeant major a few
him as he shipped months ago—not only to carry on the
out to boot camp family tradition, but because it was his
and eventually own career goal as well, and he wanted
joined their unit. to be known for his own accomplish-
Their most invalu- ments, not just as the third Yingst.
able piece of advice: “It was pretty exciting, not from
to keep his mouth shut the standpoint that I had to do it, or
during basic training. Bill anything like that, but it was a goal
Sr. was also especially good of mine to excel and achieve that
at advising them to get all particular rank,” Paul said. “When I
their schooling and training done found out, you could probably have
as early as possible and be proactive in knocked me over with a feather that
their careers instead of reactive. day. I was pretty taken aback, not that
“My dad and my brother were very that wasn’t what I was striving for, but
good in that area (giving me advice
and showing me the ropes) as I came
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
up. There were other folks who guided
me along the way. Obviously, with
anybody, if you don’t take the initia-
tive to get it done, you won’t just walk
through the system,” Paul said.
Although both sons started in their
father’s unit, the three men were in
separate platoons and not in the same
direct chain of command—the best
of both worlds. Paul and Bill Jr. could
benefit from their father’s and each
other’s advice and experiences, but they
were also free to forge their own paths.
At one point, Bill Sr. was the bri-
gade command sergeant major, while
Bill Jr. was a command sergeant major
in one of his battalions.
“I’d call my dad and say, ‘what do
you think?’ I would ask plenty of ques-
tions,” said Bill Jr. “He was one of my
mentors and somebody I looked up to.
We’d talk all the time about it. To this
day, even though we’re retired, we’re
still talking military all the time, and
about things that are happening, where
On a battlefield trip through some of Iraq’s southern
Paul is and how he’s doing and things provinces, Sgt. Maj. Paul Yingst of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers - Gulf Region Division, visits
like that.” operations staff at the Forat Area Office in Babil
On one occasion, when Paul was Province.
 “Training is paramount
and the sergeant is
the one who has to
make sure it’s done
right and the mission
is accomplished.”
more so that I was selected before the
zone, which is basically your first look
at that particular rank, so it was pretty
exciting.
“I feel very good about (carrying on
the family tradition). I guess I’ve always
felt that I’ve got to have my own iden-
tity, and not just be ‘one of the Com-
mand Sergeant Major Yingsts’ son or
brother,’ but do my own thing, prove
my worth and create my own path.”
At the same time, Paul knew that
by pinning on that rank, he was accept-
ing a huge responsibility, and he spent
a lot of time thinking about it and
other Soldiers who had been in that
position.
“Like the NCO creed says, NCOs
are the backbone of the Army,” he said.
“It’s a big responsibility, just from the
standpoint that the officers rely on the
NCOs to uphold the standards in the
military. We need to make sure things
run the way they’re supposed to, and
make sure people are doing the things
they’re supposed to. It’s a big responsi-
bility to ensure those things happen.”
His brother agreed. Bill Jr. ex-
plained that he turned down Of-
ficer Candidate School to remain an
NCO. Not only did he enjoy it, but
he thought that as an NCO, he would
have more influence over his Soldiers
than he would have as an officer. It was
a role that would rest heavily on his
shoulders during his deployment to
Afghanistan.
“All the training we do in the
Army, we’re training for one thing and
that’s to go to war. That’s basically our
sole function: to be prepared, to be
trained up well and do the job we’ve
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. William Yingst Jr. poses with Soviet-made machine guns during his deploy-
ment to Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Bill Yingst Jr.
trained to do. I have every faith in the
world that when U.S. Army Soldiers,
Airmen, Marines and Sailors go to
war, we are the best-trained people in
the world. I always took that job very
seriously, and it didn’t matter whether I
was a specialist or a sergeant E-5 squad
leader or a platoon sergeant or sergeant
major. (As you move up), the heavier
that responsibility weighs on you
because you have more people under
you,” Bill Jr. said.
“My battalion when I went to
Afghanistan was 545 strong,” he
continued. “Ultimately, you want to
bring everybody home alive. Realisti-
cally, that doesn’t always happen. I
was extremely fortunate that we were
extremely well trained and I don’t think
we missed any details going to war. I
don’t believe anybody knew our job
better than us, but you have to be a
little bit lucky as well because you can’t
control everything.
“So I take it very seriously. I always
did. I always had a great sense of
accomplishment coming away with
me, whether it was a drill weekend or
winter-survival training with the Cana-
dian Army or a tour in Guatemala. The
NCO corps, when you put the stripes
on, like they say, ‘the buck stops with
me,’ and there are no more excuses.
You get the job done and if you make a
mistake and nobody got hurt or killed,
you don’t make the same mistake again.
That’s just the way it is, watching each
other’s back, but that training is para-
mount and the sergeant is the one who
has to make sure it’s done right and the
mission is accomplished.”
No one is prouder of the younger
Yingsts’ accomplishments than Bill Sr.
As a father he worries, lights candles at
church during deployments and brags
about them, but as a Soldier, he’s a
bit envious. The United States was at
peace during most of the elder Yingst’s
enlistment and he never deployed. He
wanted to, and came close during Des-
ert Storm in the early ‘90s, but it never
happened, and he still regrets it.
“It’s about the last thing I would
have expected,” he said of his sons’
ranks. “I did expect that the way they
grew up, they would join the military.
I’ve always heard that less than one
percent of all Soldiers ever make com-
mand sergeant major.
“That being the case, the odds
are really stacked against us to make
it. Not only do you have to have the
proper schooling and the proper evalu-
ations, you have to be in (the right)
place and you have to find an opening.
You have to be able to go for it. You
have to have a lot of support. You have
to be selected. That’s not easy. I think
that’s why there are very few of them.
Few people can attain that rank and so
to have all of us there is unbelievable.
“The officers plan and the NCOs
execute,” Bill Sr. continued. “Anybody
can plan, but if it doesn’t get executed
right, you’re in trouble. I always wanted
to be on the execution end, where the
action was. They are the important
people. They make it happen.” ❖
4PMEJFST
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 A ‘Yes’ that Story by and photos courtesy of Larry Chambers

W
E were headed straight into
the storm. I pressed my
face hard against the plastic
window, watching the wing tip lights
as they disappeared in the blackness. I
put up my tray table and glanced down
at my watch. It had been less than two
hours since we took off from Bien Hoa,
South Vietnam.
The captains told us to fasten
our seat belts and said that it might
get worse. Pilots never use the word
thunderstorm, but between the
cabin lights flickering and the bright
flashes outside, everyone knew what
we were in. Each time the sky lit up,
my stomach jumped. I held on to my
armrests so tight my fingers turned
red. Then the plane bounced hard, and
the turbulence intensified. I focused
my attention outside and counted the
seconds between bounces. Suddenly
a bright flash of lightning lit up the
wing. I tried to act like I wasn’t scared
and joked around with the guy in the
next seat.

Larry Chambers on a recent book tour in New York.

Larry Chambers
42 www.army.mil/soldiers (at
The two were on the left) in 1969 with Gary Linderer,
on
Company L, 75th same six-man, long-range reconna e of his closest friends.
Rangers, 101st Air iss
1969. borne Division in ance patrol team with
Vietnam from 19
68 to
changed my life
“I don’t think this is a good sign.”
Forty years ago, I was one of several
thousand GIs whose lives had been in-
terrupted during the middle of college
and were now returning home from
Vietnam, trying to bridge the two-year
gap back to normal life and hopefully
get back to school. There was an un-
written rule that GIs just out of combat
all understood: if you can make it for
three months in the real world, you
won’t re-up and go back. At first you’re
happy to leave, but then you feel guilty
about the guys still there—which may
be why most re-enlistments occurred
within the first 90 days of discharge.
In month three, after having been
told I was too late to enter the fall
semester at Chico State in California, I
was about to cave in when a friend—a
student at the University of Utah—
invited me to come visit.
As I traversed the campus, I passed
the Administration Building. I circled
the quad twice before climbing the
stairs to the Office of Admissions.
Inside, I painstakingly filled out the
application form and handed it to an
assistant. As she read it over, she shook
her head doubtfully. I told her I had
an associate’s degree, in case that wasn’t
clear on the application.
“Maybe you should see Dean Gib-
bons.”
She ushered me into his office
and handed him my paperwork. He
was scowling and mumbling while he
studied my application and then my
transcripts. It looked to me like he was
mentally adding up my credits—and
they weren’t adding up to admission.
Without looking up, he mentioned,
“You know, of course, that classes have
already begun. Why are you just now
applying?”
I promised myself to call my
recruiter as soon as I could get out of
his office.
“Honestly, I never planned to come
here. I just got back from ‘Nam and
my hometown college said there was
no room for me ’til next year.” I offered
him a copy of my Army DD-214, my
official record of military service and
discharge.
He studied it line by line as he
asked me what combat was like. His
face didn’t reveal his thoughts, but
his eyes softened as he listened to my
account of the beauty of the place and
the Vietnamese farmers. Suddenly, I
was no longer being scrutinized by a
dean, but talking to a real person who
was genuinely interested in me.
“I suppose most of the country was
destroyed by the bombing?” he asked.
I explained that most of the fight-
ing was taking place in the jungle and
hills outside the cities and hamlets. My
area of operation had been near Hue,
Vietnam’s ancient capital. While the
city was a mess after TET (Vietnamese
New Year), the old imperial palace
wasn’t touched. In fact, one night just a
couple of months ago, I had flown low
over it, sitting in the open doorway of
the Huey helicopter, my feet hanging
out over the city, not wanting the ride
to end. I told him that it was the most
exciting time of my life and how being
in an infantry unit had changed the
way I perceived everything. It taught
me to think in new ways and to ap-
preciate every moment.
Gibbons smiled and asked me to
wait in the reception area while he
made a couple of phone calls. I could
still hear every word he spoke.
“I know we’ve already started and
I know you have a full class, but he
just got back from a war.” Suddenly,
his voice bellowed like a water buffalo
about to charge, “Then, put another
chair in the room!”
A few minutes later, Norm Gib-
bons walked out of his office, handed
me my class schedule and shook my
hand.
“Welcome to the University of
Utah. You’ll need to work extra hard to
catch up and you’ll have a full load, but
basically, you’re set.”
That day changed the direction of
my life. Two years later, I rented a cap
and gown and received my Bachelor
of Science diploma. A year and a half
after that, I got my Masters of Science
and began my career. In less than 20
minutes, Dean Gibbons gave me a
break that freed me to get on with my
life. And for that, I can never thank
him enough. ´Ê
Ê
Larry Chambers makes his living as a writer. He has
published more than 1,000 articles and 49 books,
most recently “Surviving the Storm” (McGraw Hill,
2007). His first book, “The First Time Investor—
Starting Out Safe & Smart” (1991), became a featured
selection in both the “Money” and “Fortune Book”
of the Month clubs; “Protect Your 401(k)” was later
named by “Barron Magazine” as one of the best
investment Books of 2002. His two books
about Vietnam, “Recondo—LRRPs in
The 101st Airborne” (1992, revised
and reissued in 2004), and “Death
in the A Shau Valley,”1998) have
sold more than 250,000 copies. He
wrote the script “Recondo: Deadli-
est School on Earth,” based on his
book for a History Channel special
in 2001. Chambers served in
Vietnam from 1968-69 as an
Army Ranger sergeant with
Company L, 75th Rangers,
101st Airborne Division, for
which he was awarded a
Purple Heart, two Bronze
Stars (one for valor),
two Air Medals with
“V” device (combat with
an enemy force),
the Combat
Infantryman’s
Badge, the
Parachutist
Badge, the
Army Com-
mendation
Medal, and
the Vietnam
Cross of Gal-
lantry.
4PMEJFST
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 Soldiers Magazine

PHOTO
Contestants
and the winner is...
T
he winner of the Soldiers magazine “Of Soldiers, by Soldiers” photo
contest was Staff Sgt. Cody J. Earl of Joint Forces Headquarters-Idaho,
Idaho Army National Guard. His photo of an honor guard Soldier (with
background illustration of the Soldier’s Creed) was featured on the magazine’s
May cover. Earl is the noncommissioned officer in charge of visual information
at JFH-Idaho, and an accomplished photographer.
The Soldiers staff selected several photo contest submissions to highlight the
many faces of its NCO Corps. Congratulations to Staff Sgt. Cody J. Earl, and the
Soldiers and family members responsible for this month’s featured photos.

Soldiers
>ÞÊÓää™ÊÊÊUÊÊÜÜÜ°>À“Þ°“ˆ

/…iÊ"vwVˆ>Ê1°-°Ê
À“ÞÊ>}>∘i

Nightmare in the Shok Valley

Soldiers stage a daring raid
s

The fighting cameraman

U.S. Army Photo

Combat cameraman earns Silver Star

Remembering our own

Recognizing the sacrifices
of Soldiers

Walter Reed turns

Staff Sgt. Cody Earl

100 years old
Wounded warriors
receive premier care

“winner”
May 2009 cover of
Honoring the fallen

Soldiers magazine

44 www.army.mil/soldiers
 Photo by Command Sgt. Maj.
Pennington D. Walker
“My intent was to take a photo that would display my deep-
est humility, gratitude, and honor to serve in the U.S Army
and attend the USASMA (United States Army Sergeants
Major Academy),” said Command Sgt. Maj. Pennington
D. Walker, command sergeant major for the 13th Bn., 3rd
Brigade, 94th Division, out of Huntsville, Ala. “There is no
higher grade of rank, except sergeant major of the Army, for
enlisted Soldiers, and there is no greater honor. Pennington
attended the USASMA from June 18, 2008 through July 3,
2008, as a master sergeant, and was notified Nov. 4, 2008,
that he had been selected for command sergeant major. “I
was in deep thought with, as the picture reflects, the weight
of responsibility that rests on our shoulders as leaders. When
given this authority as NCO, we must remain forever vigi-

honorable mentions lant as the standard bearers that reflect respect and honor to
those who came before us. It was and is now my ultimate
responsibility that the proper support is given to all Soldiers
and their families under my watch, especially those serving
our country overseas.”

Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Grier

“Taking time to reflect" on another day in
Afghanistan—the ongoing military contingency
in Afghanistan is a defining moment for the U.S.
Military and the NCO Corps. “I was toying
around with my camera and wanted a self portrait
to send home to my family and friends (and for
posterity). It reminds me of photo that I have seen
posted in the old annual of the U.S. Army.”

lights, camera, action!

Photos courtesty of Boriana Helmick
“This picture was taken at a 2007 Christmas party or-
ganized by Fort Lewis for the Soldiers from the 448th
Civil Affairs Battalion and their families,” Boriana
Helmick said. “It was a wonderful experience for all
of us, and very enjoyable for the children, including
our daughter, Sofia. Unfortunately, all the families
in attendance had to spend last Christmas separated
from their Soldiers, because last year the battalion
was deployed to Iraq for a year.” Their loved ones are
still there. Boriana’s husband, then Staff Sgt. Jonathan
Helmick, is now a sergeant first class. They are expect-
ing another baby in June and hope to have Helmick
home soon. (Second image is of now-Sgt. 1st Class
Jonathan Helmick and his daughter, Sofia.)

4PMEJFST
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 Photo courtesy of Mary Hilton
“This photo is of my husband, Matthew Hilton, in Af-
ghanistan 2008. His team was working with the Afghan
police to build rapport with the Afghan people,” said
Mary Hilton. “He was killed by the Taliban shortly
after this photo was taken. His three-vehicle convoy was
traveling and hit a couple IEDs. As he got out to rescue
some of his Soldiers, he was struck under his vest by a
bullet. Matthew was 37 years old. He was in the Michi-
gan National Guard, and worked as a police officer in his
civilian job. He also deployed to Iraq in 2004. He had
more than 1,000 people at his funeral.”

...great photos
Photo courtesy of
Master Sgt. Miriam Soto-Quinones
Master Sgt. Miriam Soto-Quinones, noncommissioned officer in
charge of the supply support activity, Company C, 2/113th Infan-
try Battalion, New Jersey National Guard, poses for a photo as she
returns to Forward Operating Base, Bucca, Iraq, on Thanksgiving
Day. After some quality time with her family and 23 years in the
National Guard, Soto-Quinones was serving her first tour in Iraq
and spending her first holidays away from her family. (Photo by
Master Sgt. Joseph Brown)

Photo courtesy of Tere Kangas

Staff Sgt. J.C. Kangas and partner Bodo are at Fort Campbell
working as an explosive-detection team. His career highlights
include providing personal protection for former President
George W. Bush and his family, work at the Democratic and
Republican National Conventions, the United Nations Conven-
tion and numerous other missions. He has had three partners.
He lost one while stationed at Fort Bliss.

46 www.army.mil/soldiers
 Photo by
Sgt. 1st Class Mark Scheidegger
Sgt. 1st Class Mark Scheidegger, detachment
NCO for Detachment 21, Operational Sup-
port Airlift Command, Ohio Army National
Guard, takes a self-portrait while Chief Warrant
Officer-4 Daniel Carlton (left) and Chief War-
rant Officer-4 Michael Redmon fly the C-26B
Metroliner Fixed Wing Aircraft.

Photo courtesy of
Staff Sgt. Gary Tetreault
Staff Sgt. Gary Tetreault is seen here at
the National Training Center at Fort
Irwin, Calif.

hooah!

Thank you
for your submissions!
Soldiers Magazine

4PMEJFST
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Mr. Melvin Nesterby
When the Japanese invaded Bataan in 1941, 21-year-old
Private First Class Melvin Nesteby had been in the Army for
less than six months. After surviving 155 days of fighting and
the Bataan Death March, Nesteby was captured and taken
as a POW. He endured four POW camps until his release in
48 www.army.mil/publications
www.army.mil/facesofstrength
1945. Despite these experiences, Nesteby later fought in the
Korean War and served on active duty as a Chief Warrant
Officer until retiring in 1961. The epitome of an American patriot,
even into his 80s he firmly believes, “I’ll stand to the last man
in the cause for free people. I’ll stand to the last man.”
The Nation’s strength starts here.
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