CAB welcomes 'TEAM Werner' to the family

Photo By Sgt. Keven Parry | Command Sgt. Maj. Jake Werner, the senior noncommissioned officer of 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, and his wife Brenda Werner outside their home in the historic section of Fort Riley.  

JUNCTION CITY, KS, UNITED STATES

09.10.2012

Courtesy Story

Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. - The 1st Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade introduced the new senior noncommissioned officer during a family fun run at Marshal Army Airfield, Aug. 10.

Command Sgt. Maj. Jake Werner, who joined the Army in 1988 as a Black Hawk mechanic and crew chief, officially became the “Demon” Brigade’s top enlisted soldier during an informal ceremony following the run.

“The only reason I am here is because of the soldiers I took care of and my family,” Werner said.

A graduate of Roxana Senior High School in Roxana, Ill., Werner doesn’t call any particular town his home. The son of retired refinery workers in a family of four, he knew college was a difficult option.

Werner had always considered joining the military. Prior to deciding on the Army, he talked to his parents and all branches of service to determine what fit him the best.

“I had a few things I was really interested in,” the command sergeant major said. “One of them was aviation.”

Throughout his 24-year career, Werner has served in assignments ranging from Blackhawk crew chief at Camp Humphreys, Korea, to recruiter at Recruiting Command headquarters. All of Werner’s jobs taught him the value of hard work, good mentorship, and family.

“I have always been fortunate to have leadership that was engaged with keeping their subordinates aware of programs and opportunities,” he said. “If the Army offers you something, and it isn’t going to be detrimental to you, hurt the family or cause hardship, do it. Whether schools, training or an assignment, take it, give it a swing.”

Werner’s wife Brenda, a retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, is part of the team that the senior noncommissioned counts on the most to provide inspiration for himself and for his soldiers.

“The strength of soldiers is the support they have from friends and family,” Werner said. “In my job, you spend a lot of time managing and ensuring soldiers and families are taken care of. Team Werner is an Army family, solid in our values, and one of our biggest [priorities] is taking care of people.”

Thinking back upon his career and how he ended up in the job he is now in, Werner offered a piece of advice to the soldiers of the Combat Aviation Brigade.

“You think as a private the stuff you do or don’t do isn’t going to matter, but it does,” Werner said. “I wish I would have known the benefit of buckling down and spending more time as a junior soldier working on college so that later on I wouldn’t have had to work so hard on it. The Army is moving back to the time where the soldiers who get promoted will have their civilian education, and if a soldier decides to not stay in, he or she will already be ahead of their peers.

• Date Taken: 09.10.2012
• Date Posted: 09.21.2012 22:00
• Story ID: 95148
• Location: JUNCTION CITY, KS, US
• Hometown: ROXANA, IL, US