Photo By Abraham Essenmacher | JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Newly inducted noncommissioned officers (NCO’s),...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Eighty-two service members graduated from a joint service noncommissioned officer (NCO), course at the Jacob’s Conference Center, on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, May 12, 2023. While this was the course’s third iteration, it was the first to gather all five branches of service in the Hampton Roads region.
The purpose of the multi-day event is to promote and foster camaraderie, open discussions, and share knowledge to develop and grow as leaders of different branches.
“The joint NCO week has a dual purpose, beginning with building camaraderie with our fellow services because we function as a united military, but there are many moments where we’re divided,” said Army Sgt. Maj. Kira Lindner, Joint NCO course organizer. “This is another opportunity to learn more about each other’s capabilities and talents, then put them together and work as a joint force.”
Within the enlisted ranks, there comes a time when they promote to being a non-commissioned officer, which brings increased responsibilities and leadership expectations. The course also included ‘Speed Mentorship’ breakout sessions, providing the new NCOs an opportunity to learn from senior leaders about topics ranging from counseling and unit culture, to working in a joint environment.
“It was interesting seeing the different styles that each branch has, such as the counseling and growth style that the Army has because everybody has growth, and I can help use that to help others more effectively after experiencing this,” said Yeoman 2nd Class Eric Garcia, U.S. Coast Guard and Joint NCO course participant.
The participants also took a field trip to Yorktown, Va., where they learned the history and details from when the British surrendered, effectively ending the Revolutionary War. One of the lessons for the participants from the trip was NCOs served in critical roles during the fight for independence, and the NCO legacy is part of the birth of the United States.
Near the end of the week, both participants and their sponsors ran a four-mile ruck march carrying 35-pound packs. The three participants who finished first received prizes and command challenge coins.
“The ruck march can be challenging for people, especially for some who don’t work in physically demanding jobs,” said U.S. Marine Sgt. Reid Gould, NCO course participant. “It was a great way to get them back to that mindset of hard charging NCO leadership.”
The course ended with an induction ceremony at Jacob’s Conference Center. Along with the Army host and guest speaker U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Skelton, 597th Transportation Brigade senior enlisted advisor, each service had a senior NCO to present inductees with certificates.
“This is where we show young NCO’s that they are no longer just service members, but they are now leaders,” said Lindner. “This is the first time to formally acknowledging them for being leaders in a military organization,” said Lindner.
The Hampton Roads region is a unique area for the military where five of the six branches of service are represented. Because of this, the relationship between the services and the local communities offers such a unique opportunity for a joint NCO course.
“I think that if the American public could see what we see in this course, they would be excited and maybe inspired to see how well everyone works together with our talents, capabilities and perspectives in order to have this cohesive unit that is the U.S. military,” said Lindner.
For those who would like to enroll their new NCO’s into the TRADOC STB Joint NCO Induction Course, please email Command Sergeant Maj. Kira Lindner at kira.m.lindner@army.mil.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2023 14:53 |
| Story ID: | 445779 |
| Location: | FORT EUSTIS, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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