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GRAFENWOHER TRAINING AREA, Germany - The 7th Army Training Command’s Noncommissioned Officer Academy renamed its United Service Organization building to the “SSG Chancia M. Cruz Hall,” March 23, 2026, to remember Staff Sgt. Chancia Cruz who passed away in June of 2025.
The “SSG Chancia M. Cruz Hall” building will be used as a USO for Soldiers while they attend the Basic Leaders Course at the NCOA. The building includes a kitchen, three game rooms, a conference room and a study room for students to use.
“Let this moral room be a place of relaxation but also a place of reflection, as you go through this course,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Errol H. Brooks, 7th Army NCOA commandant. “Carry her tenacity, positivity and dedication to the Army values back to your formations.”
He added that the dedication recognizes her legacy of service, commitment and lasting impact as an NCO.
Cruz served as the 7th Army NCOA’s supply sergeant from 2021 to 2025, and was a crucial member of the NCOA team. Her role was an important link between the NCOA and partner units in streamlining logistics and ensuring operational success, showcasing her exceptional capability and dedication.
“Take care of your Soldiers and they will take care of you,” said Brooks. “That’s what Staff Sgt. Cruz was about. That's something I saw in her as she dealt with Soldiers on a day-to-day basis, and she always put Soldiers first.”
He added that her mission never failed because she had trained competent Soldiers to carry the mission forward even when she wasn’t around.
“I know that Staff Sgt. Cruz’s legacy will be continued in this facility and her care that she had for all of you will continue to live on,” said Shannon Hamelund, senior center operations manager at the USO.
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2026 11:56 |
| Story ID: | 561113 |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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