16th Sust. Bde. holds NCO induction ceremony

BAMBERG, Germany — Although the 16th Sustainment Brigade headquarters is currently deployed to Iraq, that didn’t stop their non-
commissioned officers from welcoming some of  the Army’s newest leaders into the NCO Corps.

During a formal presentation July 7 at Mohawk Theater in Warner Barracks, the 16th Sust. Bde. rear detachment command held an NCO induction ceremony for 13 newly appointed NCOs who accepted the duties and responsibilities that come with serving as an NCO in the Army.

Commonly known as “the backbone of the Army,” the duties and responsibilities of the NCO corps were developed by Baron Friedrich Von Steuben in “Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States” during the long hard winter at Valley Forge.

The ceremony featured Soldiers in various historical uniforms reciting “The Watch,” which describes how NCOs used to be inducted into the corps, the poem “Boots of the NCO,” and “A Soldier’s Request.”

“The Army has really shifted to a speedier pace. Sometimes you just get a plaque and a handshake,” said Sgt. William Dubnansky, 223rd Ordnance Company ammunition specialist. “To go through ‘A Soldier’s Request’ and all of that is something that is vital to the Army.”

The guest speaker was retired Command Sgt. Maj. George Horvath, who in 1989 was selected as the command sergeant major for U.S. Army Europe and the 7th Army. He reminded the new NCOs of the important role they have in the Army.

“Nothing happens in the Army that a sergeant isn’t involved in, and if it is happening and a sergeant isn’t involved then something is wrong,” he said. “Our nation requires NCOs who are physically fit and mentally agile. We need NCOs who are tactically and technically proficient in what they do. We demand non-commissioned officers who lead from the front.”

After Command Sergeant Major Horvath gave his speech, the inductees recited the “Charge of the NCO,” reaffirming their commitment to their Soldiers. For some of the inductees, the fact that 2009 is the Year of the NCO made the induction ceremony more memorable.

“It’s an incredible feeling to move up through the ranks like I did and to be able to say that I got my sergeant during the Year of the NCO. It really makes me feel good,” said Sgt. Zachary Harding, an awards clerk with the 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.