The 10th Mountain Division Artillery hosted a Noncommissioned Officer Induction Ceremony, celebrating the passage of 10 Soldiers into the ranks of a time-honored corps, Feb. 13 at the Noncommissioned Officer Academy on Fort Drum, N.Y. (Photo by Sgt. Phillip Tross, 27th Public Affairs Detachment)
10th Mountain Division Artillery welcomes newest NCOs during induction ceremony
Sgt. Phillip Tross
27th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Feb. 13, 2020) – The 10th Mountain Division Artillery hosted a Noncommissioned Officer Induction Ceremony, celebrating the passage of 10 Soldiers into the ranks of a time-honored corps, at the Noncommissioned Officer Academy here Feb. 13.
All of the inductees were introduced as they walked through the NCO archway, signifying their transition from junior enlisted to the NCO Corps.
Since the earliest days of the Army, the noncommissioned officer has been recognized as one who instills discipline and order within a unit.
Baron Friedrich Von Steuben, the U.S. Army’s first “Drill-Master,” listed in his Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States (known as the Blue Book), that “Each sergeant and corporal will be accountable for the squad committed to his care.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Miguel Quiros, DIVARTY senior enlisted adviser, served as the event’s guest speaker and charged his new leaders with heavy expectations.
“As your command sergeant major, I have expectations for my noncommissioned officers, the backbone of the Army,” Quiros said. “I charge you and expect you to lead from the front – to inspire your Soldiers by your example, to train hard and be the master of your craft, to know your Soldiers and care for them and their families.”
Being a leader is more than acquiring skills, passing boards or completing courses. It is a change in the mentality of how we conduct our day-to-day business. NCOs’ two basic responsibilities are the accomplishment of the mission and the welfare of their Soldiers.
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston, in the recent NCO guide, charged NCOs to care, train, educate, and ensure the readiness of their Soldiers. He also challenged them to continuously enhance their capacity to coach, train, and mentor Soldiers of character because the Soldiers and nation deserve it.
“I ask you to be the leader your Soldier aspires to be,” Quiros said. “Be the example, so that one day, your Soldier will be up here, charging their Soldiers as we charged you.”