Photo By Ryan Graham | Commander Lt. Col. Princess Palacios speaks at a Change of Responsibility Ceremony for...... read more read more
Madigan Army Medical Center’s Troop Battalion performed a Change of Responsibility Ceremony on the lawn outside of its dining facility on August 3. Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Pierce turned over responsibility for the unit to Command Sgt. Maj. Blake Wise.
When Pierce came into the role of command sergeant major of the Troop Battalion for Madigan in early 2020, more than two decades had already passed since his original enlistment as a medical laboratory technician. A career filled with standout achievements in academic, garrison and deployed settings was in for another challenge. Pierce’s entire tenure with the military treatment facility occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With that constant encumbrance, Pierce handled all the unusual demands for safety and security during the pandemic.
“For every mission set this organization has planned and executed, Command Sgt. Maj. Pierce was there providing sound guidance and expectations for soldiers to be their very best. He is a dedicated leader and caring, compassionate role model who cultivates a command climate of trust and accountability,” said Lt. Col. Princess Palacios, the Troop Battalion commander. “Command Sgt. Maj. Pierce's leadership has been pivotal to Madigan's success and reputation for ensuring soldiers remain ready for the Joint Base Lewis-McChord community. I have no doubt he will do the same when he takes over the brigade at Walter Reed in late winter timeframe.”
He excelled as a leader and improved training and readiness of the troops as well, revamping training to be scenario-based and closely align with operational environments. This allowed Madigan’s Soldiers to experience realistic training.
“What I tell people when talking about my soldiers, I tell them that we train for war all the time. But, we also conduct a real world mission every day that affects this entire community and not only this organization, but every unit on JBLM; and at the same time we have the same training requirements as everybody else,” Pierce said.
Taking up the role of enlisted leader for the military personnel of the MTF, Wise also hails from the Midwest. Pierce is a native of Tomah, Wis., while Wise is from Bowling Green, Ohio.
Wise is a well-educated and well-decorated medical professional who has performed duties in every position from infantry platoon medic to division surgeon sergeant major. He is a member of the prestigious Order of Military Medical Merit.
“Madigan Troop Battalion continues on in gaining a truly great leader in Command Sgt. Maj. Blake Wise,” noted Palacios. “Your experience and leadership precede you and I know you will take us to the next level, building upon the foundation that Command Sgt. Maj. Pierce has set forth.”
A clear passion for Wise is physical fitness. He is a certified personal trainer and certified nutrition coach who earned his bachelor’s degree in applied health science from Bowling Green State University and a master’s in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania.
Wise acknowledged that his physical presentation may not always seem particularly welcoming.
“This is me, right? This is my face. This is my only face. So this is my happy face, my sad face, my angry face, and as my kids will tell you, all of their friends think that I'm always angry, which I'm usually not,” he said. “But, I say that and I ask you do not use my facial expressions as your reason to not approach me to speak about something. I promise you my door is always open and I'm always down for a long, drawn out conversation.”
As the ceremony concluded with a receiving line for Pierce and a reception for Wise, two Soldiers take their place in the long history of exceptional enlisted leadership for Madigan’s troops.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2022 19:44 |
| Story ID: | 426827 |
| Location: | TACOMA, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Responsibility changes hands at Madigan’s Troop Battalion, by Kirstin Grace-Simons, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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