NCO Journal November 2015 Articles
The official magazine of noncommissioned officer professional development
Old Guard Honors the Fallen
By Martha C. Koester - NCO Journal
More than 400,000 active-duty service members, veterans and their families are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Whether they are maintaining a 24-hour vigil at the Tomb of the Unknowns or firing three rifle volleys as part of the Firing Party, 3rd Infantry Regiment Soldiers conduct ceremonies and memorial affairs to honor America’s fallen at the cemetery.
Article published on: November 25, 2015
NCOs Embrace Old Guard’s Sense of Tradition and Duty
By Martha C. Koester - NCO Journal
For the 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), presiding over America’s fallen is a duty that the 1,600 Soldiers who volunteer for the Army’s oldest active-duty infantry regiment are dedicated to carrying out with the utmost precision.
Article published on: November 24, 2015
SMA Dailey Defends Uniform Changes at Solarium II
NCO Journal Staff Report
Dozens of NCOs applauded when one asked Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey to try to “hold off making any more uniform changes for a while.” Dailey replied to the NCOs — half of whom were wearing Operational Camouflage Patterns, or OCPs, the other Army Combat Uniforms, or ACUs — “I don’t want to make any more changes.”
Article published on: November 23, 2015
Non-Deployable Soldiers Are Hampering Army, SMA Dailey Says
NCO Journal Staff Report
The number of non-deployable Soldiers is having a direct impact on readiness, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey said at the NCO Solarium II this week at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Dailey said the situation is unsustainable in today’s complex operational environment. Currently, about 50,000 Soldiers are non-deployable.
Article published on: November 20, 2015
U.S. Forces Korea CSM Chosen as Senior Enlisted Advisor to Joint Chiefs Chairman
NCO Journal Staff Report
Army Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Troxell of U.S. Forces Korea will be the next senior enlisted advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. announced Troxell’s selection to replace Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia on Wednesday. Battaglia was selected for the role by former Chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey and was sworn in Sept. 30, 2011. Battaglia is retiring in December.
Article published on: November 19, 2015
This Month in NCO History: Nov. 16, 1944 — Undaunted Infantryman Wins Würselen
By Pablo Villa - NCO Journal
Joyce Horner was going through old paperwork at her home in Columbus, Georgia, shortly after her marriage to Freeman V. Horner when she came upon something surprising. It was documentation that showed her husband was a recipient of the nation’s highest military honor. Shocked, she asked her husband why he had never disclosed that he was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during World War II. His response was, “Nothin’ to tell.”
Article published on: November 19, 2015
Young Sergeants Lead the Way on ‘Not In My Squad’
By Command Sgt. Maj. Gregory Binford - 8th Theater Sustainment Command
More than two and a half decades ago, I met my first squad leader, Sgt. Ochs. I was a relatively mature private who joined the Army at age 24. After my Initial Entry Training, I reported to the 22nd Maintenance Company in Heilbronn, West Germany. It was November 1989, about a week before the Berlin Wall fell, when I met Sgt. Ochs for the first time.
Article published on: November 18, 2015
NCOs Grow During Time as Drill Sergeants, AIT Platoon Sergeant of Year
By Jonathan (Jay) Koester - NCO Journal
Winning any U.S. Army competition brings honor and glory to the victor. But the winners of the Drill Sergeant and AIT Platoon Sergeant of the Year competitions get an additional perk. During their year as reigning champions, they get a new job.
Article published on: November 17, 2015
Disabled NCO Vets Find Recipe to Transitional Success at Bakery
By Martha C. Koester - NCO Journal
Bakers have long since known the healing powers found in the sanctuary of the kitchen. Thanks to a work-study fellowship at Dog Tag Bakery in Washington, D.C., disabled veterans, their spouses and caregivers will discover baking’s therapeutic gifts as they take part in the program that will help them transition to the civilian workforce.
Article published on: November 13, 2015
Ammunition Supply NCOs Learn About Railcar Loading
By Scott T. Sturkol - Army Public Affairs
NCO instructors with the 13th Battalion, 100th Regiment, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, partnered with Burlington-Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway personnel to practice loading ammunition pallets on railcars during recent training. The 13th Battalion is an ordnance battalion that provides training and training support to Soldiers in the ordnance maintenance military occupational specialty (MOS) series. The unit is aligned under the 3rd Brigade, 94th Division of the 80th Training Command.
Article published on: November 13, 2015
NCOs Talk about the Meaning of Veterans Day
NCO Journal Staff Report
Although World War I officially ended June 28, 1919, the fighting had stopped several months earlier, when an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. President Wilson originally declared Nov. 11 as Armistice Day, but in 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation changing the name to Veterans Day – a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Article published on: November 10, 2015
Army Approves Black Socks with Physical Training Uniforms
By Pablo Villa - NCO Journal
It’s a victory for the feet. Effective today, Soldiers can wear black socks instead of white socks when they take part in PT. “Soldiers may either wear black or white socks with both the Improved Physical Fitness Uniform, the IPFU, and the Army Physical Fitness Uniform, the APFU,” said Sgt. Maj. Eva Commons, the Army uniform policy sergeant major.
Article published on: November 6, 2015
By Example: DFAC Manager’s Positive Approach Encourages Creativity
By Meghan Portillo - NCO Journal
Word on the street is that Black Jack Inn Dining Facility at Fort Hood, Texas, is the place to be at meal time, and the leadership skills of the DFAC’s manager, Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Myles with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 115th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, have a lot to do with that. The dining facility serves about 2,400 diners per day, more than any other DFAC on post.
Article published on: November 5, 2015
WCAP Athletes Get a Handle on Success through Unique Leadership
By Pablo Villa - NCO Journal
At first glance, Sgt. Spenser Mango may not fit the mold of an Olympian. Standing at 5-foot-2, Mango lacks the Herculean frame associated with wrestling at the highest level. But Mango has come up big for the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, which trains and promotes nationally and internationally ranked Soldiers vying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. With the 2016 Summer Olympics less than a year away, Mango and the athletes of the program’s 10 sports teams are preparing to be a part of the traveling party to Rio de Janeiro.
Article published on: November 3, 2015
Duo from 173rd Airborne BCT Wins Army Best Medic Competition
By Pablo Villa - NCO Journal
A pair of Army specialists is back in Europe with a grand accomplishment — winners of the Army Best Medic Competition. Spc. Colin O’Donnell and Spc. Jesus Romero, of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Vicenza, Italy, were named winners of the 2015 Jack L. Clark Jr. U.S. Army Best Medic Competition on Friday during a ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Article published on: November 2, 2015