NCO Journal January 2016 Articles
The official magazine of noncommissioned officer professional development
SMA’s Senior Enlisted Council Focuses on Personnel
By Sgt. 1st Class Joy Dulen U.S. Army Human Resources Public Affairs
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey led the first 2016 meeting of the Senior Enlisted Council recently at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with the focus set on managing the enlisted force and maximizing talent.
Article published on: January 29, 2016
Green Beret Posthumously Promoted To Sergeant First Class
NCO Journal report
Staff Sgt. Matthew McClintock, who was killed earlier this month in Afghanistan, was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class, acting Secretary of the Army Patrick J. Murphy announced Wednesday. The 30-year-old Special Forces engineer sergeant was from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was a member of the Washington National Guard. He is survived by his wife, Alexandra, and their 3-month-old son, Declan.
Article published on: January 28, 2016
NCO At Forefront of New Army Technology
By Martha C. Koester - NCO Journal
Official visits to the Army Research Laboratory-Human Research and Engineering Directorate Advanced Training and Simulation Division, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith Center University of Central Florida begin at the memorial out front for the building’s namesake, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2005 for his actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Smith’s personal artifacts, donated by his family, as well as his Medal of Honor greet visitors who enter the building. The memorial instills the importance of the mission for the center’s scientists and engineers ─ to sustain and enhance the modern Soldier.
Article published on: January 26, 2016
As He Fights PTSD, Former NCO Continues Climb up Boxing’s Welterweight Division
By Pablo Villa - NCO Journal
Sammy Vasquez Jr. scored a convincing win over Aron Martinez on Saturday in a nationally televised welterweight boxing match. But another manner in which the former Army sergeant was a victor is just as momentous.
Article published on: January 25, 2016
Lack of Sleep Leads to Lack of Readiness, Experts Say
By David Vergun - Army News Service
Looking back on the long duty hours required of him as a drill sergeant, sometimes 26 in a stretch, Staff Sgt. Jacob Miller said he realized he has put himself and others in danger more than once. Miller, who was named the 2015 Drill Sergeant of the Year, spoke at the Army Office of the Surgeon General-sponsored Performance Triad Sleep Summit on Dec. 9.
Article published on: January 25, 2016
SHARP Summit Focuses On Awareness, Changing Army Culture
By Sachel Harris - United States Army Alaska
From beginning to end, the inaugural U.S. Army Alaska NCO SHARP (Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention) Summit on Jan. 11 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, was unfiltered, honest and provided a harsh look at sexual misconduct in the military.
Article published on: January 22, 2016
WCAP NCO Shatters Para-Swimming World Record
By Pablo Villa - NCO Journal
Sgt. Elizabeth Marks didn’t begin swimming to gain recognition. But during the weekend, she etched her name into the record books. Marks, a combat medic and member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program of Fort Carson, Colorado, set a new world record Saturday in the 50-meter breaststroke in the SB7 division, a disability swimming classification, during the first day of the Jimi Flowers Classic in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Article published on: January 22, 2016
This Month in NCO History: Jan. 11, 1945 — Into the Teeth of the Tiger
By Pablo Villa - NCO Journal
Despite the bitter cold, there was something serene about the waning winter storm system that left nearly three feet of snow on the ground a few weeks after Christmas in January 1945 northeast of Bastogne, Belgium. The 6th Armored Division had been heavily engaged in the Siege of Bastogne as part of the storied Battle of the Bulge during World War II.
Article published on: January 21, 2016
NCO Heritage and Education Center Exhibit Tells Story of World War II NCO
By Meghan Portillo - NCO Journal
A new exhibit at the Noncommissioned Officer Heritage and Education Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, remembers the military service of Sgt. Richard Rogers, who fought in World War II. “Throughout our tour, we highlight individual NCOs because it personalizes it for you,” said Sgt. 1st Class Skeet Styer, NCO in charge at the center.
Article published on: January 20, 2016
Parents of Green Beret Killed In Action Will Attend State of the Union Tonight
NCO Journal Report
When President Barack Obama delivers his final State of the Union address at 9 Eastern tonight, the parents of slain U.S. Army Special Forces 1st Sgt. P. Andrew McKenna Jr. will be in the House chamber to hear it. Carol and Peter McKenna will be guests of U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline, D-Rhode Island.
Article published on: January 12, 2016
Tactical NCOs Help Forge Officer, NCO Relationship at U.S. Military Academy
By Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Bunkley - U.S. Military Academy Public Affairs
Building the relationship between officers and NCOs is important to the Army. The process starts at the U.S. Military Academy, where Tactical Noncommissioned Officers, or TAC NCOs, are assigned to each cadet company. “The officer and NCO relationship truly matters, and building that relationship has to start here at USMA,” said Command Sgt. Maj. David M. Clark, the 18th command sergeant major of the U.S. Military Academy.
Article published on: January 12, 2016
NCOs with Performance Issues Will Face QMP Boards In 2016
By David Vergun - Army News Service
Staff sergeants and senior noncommissioned officers who don’t meet Army standards for behavior and performance will be subject to possible involuntary separation via Qualitative Management Program boards scheduled for the second, third and fourth quarters of this fiscal year.
Article published on: January 6, 2016
2015 NCO of the Year Was Motivated By Setting Example for His Soldiers
By Clifford Kyle Jones - Army News Service
Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Fink first entered the 2015 NCO of the Year competition to inspire his Soldiers in the Army Reserve to great things. “I’m a platoon sergeant, and I wanted to show them that being a reservist and being in the Reserves doesn’t mean that you can’t compete at a high level,” he said during a visit to Fort Bliss in November.
Article published on: January 5, 2016
NCOs, Enlisted Excel in 2015 Sporting Events Worldwide
By David Vergun - Army News Service
This year was a great one for Army athletes. Here are just some of the highlights: Army Ten-Miler Pfc. Paul Chelimo, a Kenyan native, led his fellow Soldiers to take the top five male individual spots during the 31st anniversary of the Army Ten-Miler, Oct. 11.
Article published on: January 1, 2016