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NCO Journal October 2013 Articles

The official magazine of noncommissioned officer professional development.

This Month in NCO History: The Meuse-Argonne Offensive—Oct. 12, 1918

By Pablo Villa

Sgt. Samuel Woodfill was once referred to as “the greatest American Soldier of the World War” by the celebrated Gen. John J. Pershing. Woodfill earned the high praise for act.

Article published on: October 30, 2013

Master Sergeant Talks about Resilience, Strength, Being Gold Star Wife

By Lisa Ferdinando

Master Sgt. Jennifer Loredo said she hadn’t been looking for love when she first met fellow Soldier Eddie Loredo, though he turned out to be the love of her life. The two Soldiers ended up married.

Article published on: October 31, 2013

Bradley Master Gunner Course Graduates Embody ‘Higher Standard’ Of NCOs

By PABLO VILLA

The title “Mike Golf” carries significant clout throughout the U.S. Army, according to Patrick Hoffman. The sobriquet is applied to master gunners, the Army’s NCOs who are subject-matter experts on the weapon systems housed within military fighting vehicles. Hoffman, a retired first sergeant and Bradley Master Gunner Course instructor at Fort Benning, Ga., helps train Soldiers for these positions, which carry a significant amount of responsibility.

Article published on: October 29, 2013

NCOs Awarded For Excellence in Educational Leadership

By LISA FERDINANDO

Two NCOs have been named recipients of the Larry Strickland Educational Leadership Award for their excellence in educational leadership and commitment to the development of Soldiers.

Article published on: October 28, 2013

Army to Stand up New Resiliency Directorate

By JACQUELINE M. HAMES

WASHINGTON — Army leaders announced Oct. 21 that a new directorate would be established in the Pentagon under the Army’s G-1.

Article published on: October 23, 2013

Senior Leaders Ask For Input to Keep Family Programs

By ELIZABETH M. COLLINS
NCO Journal

WASHINGTON — While Army family programs will remain a top priority for the service, the current fiscal situation means cuts and readjustments will have to be made, the Army’s top leaders said Monday.

Article published on: October 24, 2013

By Example: Special Forces NCO Prepared His Mind, Body for Combat

By JONATHAN (JAY) KOESTER
NCO Journal

This story is part of a periodic NCO Journal feature that takes a closer look at an Army award in an NCO’s career. This month we focus on the Silver Star. Master Sgt. Michael Lindsay is the Special Forces Advisor to the Alaska National Guard, 196th Infantry Brigade, Fort Shafter, Hawaii. But on Sept. 10, 2007, he was a Sergeant First Class serving as detachment communications sergeant with Operational Detachment Alpha 083, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) when he earned the Silver Star for actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Samarra, Iraq.

Article published on: October 24, 2013

At Age 80, First Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard Takes Part in Army 10-Miler

By SGT. 1ST CLASS JON SOUCY
National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. — More than 35,000 runners took part in the 29th Annual Army 10-Miler Sunday marking the biggest turnout for the run in its nearly 30-year history. But, for one runner taking part in the event, it marked a different sort of milestone.

Article published on: October 24, 2013

Senior Leaders Identify Challenges Past 2020

By SGT. 1ST CLASS RAYMOND PIPER
Army News Service

WASHINGTON — Senior leaders provided a snapshot of the challenges that the Army faces past 2020, during the 2013 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition, in Washington, D.C.

Article published on: October 23, 2013

Army Leaders: Developing Effective NCOs Essential in Complex World

By LISA A. FERDINANDO
Army News Service

WASHINGTON — As the Army looks toward the future, the most important aspect for the force is having non-commissioned officers who understand global challenges and can effectively lead, said Army leaders.

Article published on: October 23, 2013

Virtual Training Opens for The Dismounted Soldier

By JONATHAN (JAY) KOESTER
NCO Journal

Until recently, if NCOs wanted to lead their Soldiers through realistic virtual training, the only options available were training on things that could be driven or flown. If you weren’t a driver or a pilot, you were out of luck.

Article published on: October 22, 2013

NCOs Must Lead In This Period of Uncertainty

By SGT. MAJ. OF THE ARMY RAYMOND F. CHANDLER III
14th Sergeant Major of the Army

Editor’s note: The following commentary has been adapted from the SMA’s contribution to the October 2013 issue of Army magazine, the publication of the Association for the U.S. Army, also known as the “Green Book.”

Article published on: October 21, 2013

Medal of Honor Processing To Receive Greater Oversight

By J.D. LEIPOLD
Army News Service

WASHINGTON — As former Army Capt. William D. Swenson was inducted into the Pentagon Hall of Heroes, Oct. 16, Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced a directive to improve the Medal of Honor nomination and review process.

Article published on: October 18, 2013

Leadership, Training and Paperwork

By SGT.1ST CLASS JANICE WRIGHT
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment

As a human resource professional, I was intrigued by the opportunity to serve in an infantry battalion. I was soon amazed by a very training-focused, disciplined and performance oriented organization. After my first day on the job, I was convinced the infantry is about caring for Soldiers and training.

Article published on: October 18, 2013

Army Launches Executive Resilience and Performance Course

By Brian Feeney

WASHINGTON — The Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program launched its Executive Resilience and Performance Course Armywide this week.

Article published on: October 17, 2013

NCOs Have Been Leaders of Change throughout History of 1st Cavalry Division

By Meghan Portillo
NCO Journal

The 1st Cavalry Division has seen more change than any other division in U.S. history, but the way it has relied on the professionalism of NCOs has remained constant.

Article published on: October 15, 2013

NCOs Get Training On Ask, Care and Escort Suicide Prevention

By Army Staff Sgt. Mylinda Durousseau
1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

FORT WAINWRIGHT, ALASKA — ACE can be a card in a game of poker, a word used to describe a pilot, or the name of a hardware store, but for soldiers it is a way to help prevent suicide.

Article published on: October 15, 2013

Capt. Swenson Receives Medal of Honor, Might Return To Service

From Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON — Former Army Capt. William Swenson received his Medal of Honor on Tuesday, but he’s not done serving.

Article published on: October 15, 2013

This Month in NCO History: Battle at Cop Keating — Oct. 3, 2009

By Pablo Villa

For Soldiers stationed at Combat Outpost Keating in the fall of 2009, it was immediately evident that this particular Saturday would be unlike any other.

Article published on: October 10, 2013

NCO To Posthumously Receive Silver Star, Polish Medal for Heroism

NCO Journal

Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis will be awarded the Silver Star posthumously at a ceremony later this month for his heroism earlier this year during an insurgent attack in Afghanistan.

Article published on: October 10, 2013

Master Fitness Trainer Courses Roll On Despite Government Shutdown

From the Army News Service

The Master Fitness Trainer courses are still being conducted Armywide despite the government shutdown and reduction in temporary duty travel funds.

Article published on: October 10, 2013

Army’s Best Warrior Competition Postponed Due To Budget Battle in Washington, D.C.

By PATRICK BUFFETT
NCO Journal

The budget standoff in the nation’s capital has stalled the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition, which had been set to take place beginning Oct. 15 at Fort Lee, Va.

Article published on: October 09, 2013

Fort Benning Leans on NCOs in Transition to Maneuver Center of Excellence

By Pablo Villa
NCO Journal

Fort Benning faced a unique challenge as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC, process. The latest round of BRAC recommendations involved the relocation of the U.S. Army Armor School from Fort Knox, Ky., to Fort Benning, Ga., where it joined the U.S. Army Infantry School to form the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence. Two schools with two vastly different histories and curricula were now to serve the same Army mission under one leadership group. It was a considerable task. The solution was found within the ideology of a system where countless numbers of people go to enhance their knowledge — academia.

Article published on: October 08, 2013

NCO, Nation’s Oldest Living Medal Of Honor Recipient Dies

NCO Journal

The nation’s oldest living recipient of the Medal of Honor died during the weekend. Nicholas Oresko, an Army master sergeant and World War II veteran died Friday of complications from surgery in Cresskill, N.J., according to media reports. He was 96.

Article published on: October 07, 2013

The NCO: Army Leader, Servant Leader

By CAMERON WESSON, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED (1st SGT.)
Special to the NCO Journal

In the fall of 1989 at Fort Campbell, Ky., I was a patrol leader returning from a night reconnaissance patrol when I went to the platoon command post to submit my patrol report. When I arrived, my platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Larry Johnson, was manning the radios, both the company network and the fires network, and was the only person awake at the position. He motioned me down, placed a finger to his lips (for me to be quiet) and asked for the report. I gave him the report and he said that he would let the platoon leader know what I reported when he woke up later.

Article published on: October 04, 2013

Sergeant, Corporal Honored For Valorous Actions during Combat Operations

By SGT. MARK A. MOORE II
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — What actions or characteristics describe a hero? Would you recognize a hero if he or she were standing next to you or speaking with you? Many have witnessed accounts of heroism reported through a variety of media sources, but what drives a person to perform heroic acts? Is it in their bloodline? One fact will remain true: heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

Article published on: October 04, 2013

IMCOM’s Family Advocacy Program Takes on Domestic Violence In 2013

By ROBERT DOZIER
Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command

The Family Advocacy Program is taking the lead this year in the Army’s campaign to give Soldiers and their families the tools they need to avoid and prevent the occurrence of intimate partner violence. The U.S. Army Installation Management Command is making a concerted effort during Domestic Violence Awareness month to highlight their resources and strike a chord of resiliency on Army garrisons.

Article published on: October 04, 2013

This Month in NCO History: The Battle of Mogadishu, Oct. 3, 1993

By Richard W. Stewart
Center for Military History

Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart and Master Sgt. Gary Gordon served as Special Forces sniper-team members with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. On Oct. 3, 1993, while subjected to intense fire from automatic weapons and from rocket-propelled grenades, Shughart and Gordon provided precision sniper fire from the lead helicopter during a building assault and at two helicopter crash sites.

Article published on: October 03, 2013

Task Force Guam NCOs Discuss Return Home, Battalion’s Future

By Sgt. Edward Siguenza
1-294th Infantry Regiment

BARRIGADA, Guam — Close to two dozen of Task Force Guam’s senior enlisted Soldiers — amounting to nearly 200 years of collective military service — united Sept. 16-18 to plan and coordinate upcoming events for 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, Guam Army National Guard.