SAMC Provides Leadership, Growth Opportunities for NCOs
By Sgt. 1st Class Richard Sheetz
February 28, 2017
Download the PDF 
As the Joint Base Langley-Eustis Sergeant Audie Murphy Club president, I have the distinct honor of serving with motivated and dedicated leaders from various Army military occupational specialties. These noncommissioned officers are some of the finest leaders within their career fields, and they consistently strive to better themselves, the installation and the surrounding community.
As stated in U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Regulation 600-14, “the TRADOC Sergeant Audie Murphy Club is an elite organization of NCOs who have demonstrated performance and inherent leadership qualities and abilities characterized by those of Sergeant Audie Murphy.”
When one first views this statement, the word “elite” stands out above all. All NCOs should want to achieve their goals, strive for excellence, be distinguished leaders of Soldiers, help their community, and attempt to stand out within their peer group, among many other things.
The SAMC is an all-volunteer organization of NCOs that continuously assists the installation and local communities through participation in volunteer activities and various installation-level events. The SAMC relies on those members who earn the prestigious Sergeant Audie Murphy Award to support club participation and assist in a wide array of opportunities that may not normally be available to all NCOs.
Those who wish to earn the SAMA can expect to spend a significant amount of time studying regulations, with current SAMC members who take pride in inculcating knowledge into aspiring candidates. Additionally, candidates will participate in several physical and mental challenges, such as physical fitness performance testing and an installation level board.
Why would an NCO want to do all this for a medallion?
It’s not about the medallion or the title. SAMC efforts do not go unnoticed, by an NCO’s chain of command or by the members of the Centralized Selection Board. During fiscal year 2016, the sergeant first class promotion board field after-action report stated that “NCOs were viewed favorably if they were inducted into prestigious professional clubs such as Sergeant Audie Murphy.” The report also recommended that “Soldiers seeking to set themselves apart from their peers should seek membership in distinguished organizations, such as the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club.”
This does not mean an NCO should only use the club as a way to get promoted, but rather as a way to interact with leaders of all MOSs and ranks, learn critical regulations to better their military knowledge, and have the ability to give back to the community that supports Soldiers each and every day. Remember, the SAMA is an outstanding achievement, but being a SAMC member is where the hard work begins. It is what an NCO learns on the path to induction, it is the leadership development he or she obtains on that path, and it is the opportunities that present themselves along the way. Once you have been on the SAMC path for a while, NCOs are able to give back to not only their communities but also to a larger group of NCOs who help keep the professional development legacy going.
Any leader who is qualified and ready to take the necessary steps toward induction should contact his or her post’s SAMC president, or a chapter member within their installation. These members will assist with the induction process in accordance with TRADOC Regulation 600-14 and their SAMC-established by-laws. Additionally, they may provide study topics for each level SAMC board, study group times and locations, and assist in preparing for the induction process.