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    Young and seasoned Soldiers agree, NCOs lead the way

    Young and seasoned Soldiers agree, NCOs lead the way

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Aidana Baez | Master Sgt. Danny E. Johnson, intelligence noncommissioned officer in charge,...... read more read more

    STARKE, FL, UNITED STATES

    06.13.2015

    Story by Staff Sgt. Aidana Baez 

    53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team

    STARKE, Fla. - This year Soldiers of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team have descended upon Camp Blanding, Florida, for annual training. Training exercises and scenarios change each time, but one thing remains the same, noncommissioned officers truly are the backbone of the Army. Given the limited training time available in the National Guard sergeants don’t always get to work with their Soldiers as much as they would like to, but during annual training, Soldiers are in their charge all day and night.

    From their initial induction to the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers, sergeants become responsible for taking care of the Army’s greatest and most valuable resource, Soldiers.

    “The first thing you need to do is take care of your Soldiers,” said Master Sgt. Danny E. Johnson, the intelligence noncommissioned officer in charge assigned to Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 116th Field Artillery Regiment stationed in Lakeland, Florida. “I don’t care who you are, if you have Soldiers under you, you need to make sure that everything they need you provide it for them.”

    With over 40 years in service, Johnson has plenty of experience taking care of troops and knows Soldiers need more than just a leader. Open and honest communication is the cornerstone of the relationship NCOs build with their Soldiers.

    “To be an NCO, to be a good NCO, you have to be able to sit and talk to Soldiers,” said Johnson. “You have to figure out what is on their mind.”

    And if communication is the cornerstone, respect becomes the building blocks.

    “When I come in there [to the office] I always go in there with a smile and I always ask them [fellow Soldiers] how they are doing,” said Johnson. “A lot of Soldiers seem to appreciate it.”

    The sentiment holds true even with junior Soldiers.

    “If you respect me, I will go over and beyond,” said Pvt. Raysheem A. Alomar, a human resources specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, an resident of Orlando, Florida. “I’ll go across the water for you.”

    Earning the respect and confidence of seniors, peers and subordinates make up the core principles of being a noncommissioned officer.

    “They still give me a sense of respect and motivate me to be something better,” said Alomar. “I like when they speak positive to me, so I feel better about certain things.”

    Since the establishment of the NCO Corps, in 1778, NCOs, like Johnson, have trained and mentored Soldiers to become the Army’s future leaders.

    “I do take my role as an NCO and a leader of Soldiers personally,” said Johnson. “I try to put myself in that situation where I can try and mentor a young Soldier especially a young NCO.”

    Even Soldiers like Alomar, with only one year in service, think about the type of leader they will, one day, become.

    “I want to be the type of leader people can say ‘that’s my leader she is cool she respects me, but I know I’m supposed to act this way around her and I know not to cross that line,’” said Alomar.

    Transitioning from follower to leader takes time and can sometimes be a rocky road.

    “Stick with your NCO,” said Johnson. “Let them lead you the way you need to go; don’t get frustrated.”

    Even though at times the Army life is challenging, NCOs are there to provide Soldiers with guidance, advice and mentorship throughout their Army careers.

    “Without NCOs we will be all lost in the sauce,” said Alomar.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.13.2015
    Date Posted: 06.14.2015 10:40
    Story ID: 166597
    Location: STARKE, FL, US
    Hometown: LAKELAND, FL, US
    Hometown: ORLANDO, FL, US
    Hometown: PINELLAS PARK, FL, US

    Web Views: 285
    Downloads: 0

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