Twitter
Facebook
The 39th Transportation Battalion celebrated the history of the Non-commissioned Officer Corps and welcomed new NCOs into the Corps during an NCO induction ceremony May 5 at the Kleber Theater on Kleber Kaserne.
During the ceremony, six newly appointed NCOs from the 38th Trans. Bn. and the KMC accepted the duties and responsibilities of being 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 who gave speeches on the different roles NCOs have had throughout the Army’s history. The ceremony, however, did not solely focus on the history of the NCO Corps, but also on what is expected of the newly appointed NCOs.
“You must now lead, teach and mentor. What you do today will reflect positively or negatively on the NCO Corps,” said guest speaker Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Jessup, command sergeant major of U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern.
After the speech, the inductees took the Oath of the NCO and signed a Charge of the NCO reaffirming their commitment to their Soldiers. They also signed their names in a book, which contains all the names of the NCOs who participated in NCO induction ceremonies with the 39th Trans. Bn.
After the ceremony, the new NCOs were congratulated by the members of the audience.
“This was my first time at the ceremony. I got goose bumps when the Soldiers recited their parts,” said Sgt. Roberto Figueroa, a chaplain’s assistant with the garrison’s chaplain’s office, who was promoted Jan. 1.
