Photo By Ching Oettel | Sgt. 1st Class Marcos Torres, with the 3153rd Financial Management Support Detachment...... read more read more
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Striving to meet goals is one of the key characteristics of any effective leader, but no one can get there without the help and guidance of others.
Sgt. 1st Class Marcos Torres with the 153rd Financial Management Support Unit (FMSU) out of St. Augustine, Florida will be the first to tell you he didn’t earn the title of Non-commissioned Finance Officer of the Year on his own. He is aware that his success is due to a team effort, and makes sure his unit shines through his accomplishment.
Every year the National Guard Bureau holds a nation-wide finance unit Non-commissioned Officer of the Year competition. States are able to submit as many Soldiers as they wish into the competition. The Florida National Guard alone sent in nine packets. The selection process is based on the NCOs’ accomplishments.
Torres was given two weeks to submit a packet that included his NCO Evaluation Review, Enlisted Record Brief, the Army Physical Fitness Test scores, and a recommendation from his supervisor, Command Sgt. Maj. Beverly Arena.
Sgt. 1st Class Torres said part of his philosophy is to never stop learning and growing as a person.
“I continually do work to improve myself as a leader, which is leadership competency. I am both a Master Fitness Trainer and a Master Resilience Trainer, and through physical fitness and resilience I have been able to obtain a high level of confidence,” he said. “I strive to be a Soldier that exemplifies what it means to be a Noncommissioned Officer.”
When asked what advice he had for junior NCOs, Sgt. 1st Class Torres said that he believes personal development is the key to success and achievement, and should be an ongoing process.
“Read personal development books, audio books, TED talks, podcasts and anything you can get your hands on that will make you better,” he said. “Don’t waste your time with television and Facebook – those things will not yield any optimal performance. Work on improving yourself first – both physically and mentally – to have that presence that is required to project military and professional bearing.”
Sgt. 1st Class Torres’ first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Ray Metych, followed this journey every step of the way and has nothing but positive things to say about the dedication of this NCO to his Soldiers.
“He is probably the most caring NCO I know when it comes to his Soldiers,” said Metych. “He does everything above and beyond, dedicating countless hours trying to mentor them and even Soldiers who aren’t under his command. He’s taken up full days driving hundreds of miles to go meet with Soldiers just to talk to them when they were in need.”
The journey isn’t over for Sgt. 1st Class Torres, however. He recently completed a telephone board for the Financial Management Regimental NCO of the Year. Out of 25 NCOs he is the only National Guard Soldier competing for top Finance NCO of the Army.
Sgt. 1st Class Torres said that this process has meant a lot to him.
“When I put in my packet and listed my achievements I thought about the Soldiers, NCOs and officers who made it all happen,” he said. “There is a story behind all those achievements, and I alone cannot take credit for it. It is a humbling experience.”
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2016 15:04 |
| Story ID: | 196784 |
| Location: | ST. AUGUSTINE , FL, US |
| Hometown: | ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 557 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Dedicated Noncommissioned Officer achieving Greatness, by SGT Lindsey Morgan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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