Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels | U.S. Army Col. Zeb Williams, staff judge advocate, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG. N.C. – The drumming of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry (FILI), the oldest color guard regiment known in Fayetteville, North Carolina, silenced the crowd as they marched through the auditorium, in U.S. Militia infantry uniforms dated from the mid 1800s, to post the colors during the 139th Regional Training Institute (139th RTI), North Carolina Army National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Class 57 graduation ceremony at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Forces Warfare Center and School here Aug. 22, 2015.
The 139th RTI has a strong reputation for training successful junior, field grade and general officer for service in the Army National Guard and U.S. Army.
“Take the principles and lessons you have learned here to your first duty assignments and use them to develop and inspire your Soldiers to achieve excellence always,” said Brig. Gen. John Byrd, the North Carolina National Guard assistant adjutant general for domestic operations.
“Right face” was shouted out by the FILI during the rendering of the colors at the ceremony, as the 12 candidates of Class 57 filed in behind the colors, while family members smiled, applauded and cheered their loved ones who will be beginning a new chapter in their military careers as commissioned officers.
Every year the 139th RTI hosts a rigorous training curriculum for Soldiers wanting to transition from being enlisted, noncommissioned officers (NCO) and warrant officers into commissioned officers. For Class 57, 2nd Lt. Victoria Parsells, a former NCO, achieved a historical milestone for the NCARNG, becoming the first female field artillery officer.
“I wanted to challenge myself, do something few have done before and be a part of the transition to allow females into field artillery,” said Parsells. “I wish to be a role model for other female Soldiers.”
Parsells was unsure of the direction she wanted to go in life, so after graduating high school she decided to join the South Carolina Army National Guard (SCARNG).
“I joined the military to become a part of something bigger than myself,” said Parsells. “At that time, I was young and unsure of what the next five years had in store for me. But, I knew that I wanted to do something to make my family and, most importantly, my mother proud.”
Now a combat veteran with 12 years of experience and a Bachelor of Science degree from Lander University, Parsells has completed one of the biggest milestones in her life.
“This is the completion of a promise I made to my late mother, to complete Officer Candidate School and lead soldiers,” said Parsells. “She was a stern but fair woman with high expectations of me, she guided and molded me into the woman that I am today, and for that I am thankful.”
Soldiers endured an arduous training regimen that is broken up into three phases.
The first phase consisted of applied map reading, day and night land navigation, field leadership, Army training management and a 5 mile foot march.
The next phase consisted of a field leadership exercise, 7 and 10 mile foot marches, a 3 mile formation run and classroom studies such as operations, leadership, military justice, military intelligence, supply activities, military heritage and history, tactics and call for fire.
The final phase, ensured the soldiers learned troop leading procedures, experience the challenges of a leadership reaction course, infantry squad tactics and combat water survival training.
“We spent many months training to quickly and effectively plan, create an operations order following the troop leading procedures, then implement that plan leading our fellow candidates,” said Parsells.
Now that the candidate portion of her officer career is complete, the next obstacle will be to integrate herself into a unit. Parsells will be assigned to Alpha Battery, 5th Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment.
“Over the past year, I have spent time with my new battery. We have open communication and professionalism on every level. They have been welcoming and guided me through my transition into the unit," said Parsells. “The expectations I have are of me to be a competent leader of which my soldiers are proud to follow.”
The next step for newly-commissioned officers after joining their units is to attend Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC), which provides instruction in small unit tactics, leadership and the officer’s area of expertise.
“My first goal is to graduate from FA (Field Artillery) BOLC and bring that experience, as well as my experience as a NCO, to my role as a platoon leader,” said Parsells. “While I am looking forward to my time as a platoon leader, I will strive to become a battery commander."
Parsells was congratulated by numerous family members and friends, to include her fiancé, 2nd Lt. Michael Shiels, assigned to Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment (SCARNG), and her best friend, 2nd Lt. Tracci Dorgan, assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 178th Field Artillery Regiment (SCARNG). Dorgan is the first female field artillery officer assigned to a South Carolina unit.
“Sharing this title with her is just icing on the cake,” said Dorgan. “It makes us have even more of a connection.”
Second Lt. Matthew Walters, assigned to Charlie Company, 30th Special Troop Battalion, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, was recognized as the Distinguished Honor Graduate and received numerous awards for his excellence and were presented by Byrd.
“It is an honor to have this opportunity and humbling that I was entrusted by those above and beside me to embark on this journey,” said Parsells.
In 1958, Maj. William P. Keeton, was given the challenge, responsibility of establishing the North Carolina Military Academy with the primary purpose of developing and producing commissioned officers for the state through its OCS program, which later blossomed into what is now the 139th RTI.
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2015 21:20 |
| Story ID: | 174503 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 428 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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