Induction comes at 'Year of the NCO' finale

Photo By Sgt. Jason Adolphson | More than 40 sergeants raise their right hands to swear in to the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers Dec. 11. The event marked the final NCO induction ceremony during "The Year of the Noncommissioned Officer" at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.  

CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT

12.11.2009

Story by Spc. Jason Adolphson 

1st Theater Sustainment Command

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait — Senior enlisted leaders at Camp Arifjan welcomed 41 non-commissioned officers into the corps with an NCO Induction Ceremony Dec. 11 at the Area Support Group Community Center theater.

The ceremony occurred in the closing month of a year dedicated to NCO's. Secretary of the Army Pete Geren announced in the beginning of the year that 2009 would be "The Year of the Noncommissioned Officer," making it the second time since 1989.

"I was quite happy to experience this in the final days of the year because you don't know when it [Year of the NCO] might happen next," Sgt. Xia Thao, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, said after the rite of passage. "It was such a powerful moment going through the ceremony because it took a lot of time and service to get where I am today."

During the ceremony, troops acted out monologues in first person to tell military history and show the roles NCO's should play in the Army. Thao said he was especially impressed by the "boots on ground" approach they used to tell the Soldiers' story.

"In the battledress, the NCO wears boots. He always has. Well, almost. Many Soldiers at Valley Forge did not have shoes, much less boots," Staff Sgt. Chadrick George, 39th Transportation Battalion, called out in the beginning of a five part act. "They marched and fought with no more than rags that were wrapped around bleeding, frostbitten feet. Those volunteers literally knew the meaning of a 'come as you are' war." The troops summed their bits together by calling out "No matter where, or what the mission, an Army NCO was there ... wearing boots."

Each NCO inducted into the corps had a sponsor to stand before the hundreds of supporting attendees and vouch on their behalf to the most senior enlisted person in the room, Command Sgt. Maj. Vickie Hopson, 180th Trans. Bn.

Master Sgt. Mark Hackett, 1st TSC, who sponsored Thao, said he was "excited" to sponsor the young sergeant. "I never got the opportunity to attend a formal induction back in my day, but I got to share this day with him," Hackett said. "This was good. I was really glad for the opportunity to call out his name."

Following the recognition of sergeants, the new leaders signed the book of NCO's, marked with signatures of past inductees. Hopson then presented them with the "Charge of the Noncommissioned Officer," a formal doctrine for the NCO's to abide by the corps' expectations.

"By signing your names on the book, you are now officially welcomed to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps," Sgt. Maj. Jennifer Turner, 1st TSC, said at the conclusion of Camp Arifjan's final NCO induction ceremony in "The Year of the Noncommissioned Officer."

The inductees come from U.S. Army bases around the globe.

• Date Taken: 12.11.2009
• Date Posted: 12.12.2009 07:27
• Story ID: 42666
• Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, KW