Photo By Fonda Bock | Sgt. 1st Class Corey Collins is a senior human resources sergeant managing...... read more read more
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FORT KNOX, Ky - As a child growing up in Philadelphia in the ‘90s, HRC’s NCO of the second quarter found the military very appealing.
To Sgt. 1st Class Corey Collins, Soldiers were like superheroes.
“[That is how they were portrayed] in the movies to children - just the random things you see on TV with Soldiers, and that was the first thing that caught my eye,” Collins said.
His fascination with Army service continued to deepen into his teenage years. The first thing Collins did when he came home from high school every single day was turn on the Military Channel.
“I didn’t understand what was going on, but I liked to see the tanks and the airplanes,” he said.
But it wasn’t just the Hollywood, larger-than-life, persona of a Soldier that appealed to Collins - he was, from the start, genuinely drawn to the structure and discipline of the military and yearned to be a part of something greater than himself.
In 2011, a childhood friend invited Collins to join him at a Philadelphia recruiting station to enlist in the Army. Collins agreed and, at age 20, signed on the dotted line that day. He initially joined the Army Reserve to become a part-time Soldier as a way of testing the waters before making a full commitment.
It didn’t take long for Collins to realize that a full-time Army career was perfect for him. He figured it out the morning of his AIT graduation in April 2012 when the awareness sunk in that immediately following the ceremony, he was going straight home and not on to an Army assignment.
“I had such a good time at basic and AIT. I just loved the military environment and the people I met, and then I had to come home,” Collins said. “So as after that, I constantly tried to go active duty.
In 2014 and 2015 Collins deployed to the Horn of Africa with a civil affairs unit as a 42A, human resources specialist.
“I was given the opportunity to live [as a full-time Soldier] and I loved it,” Collins said. “So as soon as I came back from my deployment, I put in my AGR packet.”
“As a child I wanted to be a super-hero, but as I got older, I realized that [being a Soldier] was something I could actually do. I was in elementary school when 9-11 happened and joined to serve because I love my country,” Collins said.
He reported to his first Active Guard Reserve unit in Salt Lake City, Utah, in May 2016, as a 42A with a postal company. Collins then served as a Basic Leader Course Instructor in August 2020 at Fort Dix, New Jersey, before moving to the U.S. Army Human Resources Command in April 2023.
He now serves as a senior human resources sergeant managing Professional Military Education enrollment for the AGR population under Reserve Personnel Management Directorate, scheduling Soldiers for PME courses, where he is mainly responsible for the Senior Leader Course and the Army Recruiter Course.
“Working at Fort Dix was amazing for me because I was able to put my fingerprint on the next generation of leaders in the Army,” Collins said.
“But coming here and working with the schools, I feel like I’m affecting a larger population of Soldiers – scheduling them for courses so they can come back as better leaders and be promoted. It’s a good feeling helping my teammates to advance.”
Collins was selected as the command’s NCO of fiscal year 2025 second quarter on Feb. 6, after being nominated to participate in the process by his supervisor, Master Sg. Ivelisse Febo, Schools Branch, noncommissioned officer in charge.
“His unwavering dedication and outstanding performance make him a standout leader who consistently completes every task assigned to him with excellence,” Febo said. “Hardworking and driven, Sgt. 1st Class Collins not only achieves every goal he sets his mind to but exemplifies perseverance and a commitment to self-improvement.”
For Collins, who said he’s adamant about always putting his best foot forward to become a better version of himself, being selected is confirmation that his hard work is paying off but at the same time, he doesn’t dwell on the recognition.
“I’m not big on celebrating myself, I don’t want to be in the spotlight” Collins said. “I accomplished one goal so now it’s time to move onto the next one – which is earning my Master Army Instructor Badge.
“[For me] the Army is not about the individual person, it’s about the team, company, organization as a whole. I’m more motivated when working amongst a team and we’re all working toward a common goal.”
Collins is also a member of the Ceremonial Honor Guard, an elite team of HRC Soldiers who render military honors at public and private ceremonies.
Thirteen years into his Army career, Collins continues to take advantage of all opportunities the Army has to offer to be the best he can be even after he retires in 2035.
“The Army promotes competitiveness, going above and beyond, and providing a standard that I believe will help set me apart from my peers when I reenter the civilian [sector job market],” Collins said.
“Coming from where I come from in Philadelphia, a lot can go wrong if you don’t have a level head, and the military has given me that.
“Some people may have the mindset that they can’t accomplish certain things, the Army says, ‘No.’ And as long as you put forth the effort and your disciplined, you can do whatever you want to do, as long as you focus on preparing yourself to eventually exit – because everyone eventually has to take the uniform off. At some point you have to retire or leave.”
Collins graduated from Trident University last year with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and is currently pursuing a master’s in business administration to help prepare him for a future job in cyber security.
He’s currently building a warrant officer packet with the hope of transitioning to a 420T, Talent Acquisition specialist.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2025 14:03 |
| Story ID: | 496215 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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