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“We are happy and ready to help in any way that is needed,” said 1st Sgt. Ryan Sattelberg of Headquarters Company, 21st Special Troops Battalion, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, when he, along with other members of the Rheinland-Pfalz chapter of the Sergeant Morales Club and additional volunteers arrived at Sembach Elementary and Middle Schools Aug. 26. They had come to assist the teachers and staff in preparing for the beginning of another school year.
The first official day of school for Department of Defense Education Activity students was Aug. 31. However, teachers, administrators and other DODEA personnel started a few days early in order to organize and prepare.
“The beginning of the school year is always very stressful,” said Tiffiney Weddle, Sembach Elementary School principal. “There is always so much to do and never enough time or enough help.”
But on this particular day, there was extra help. The Soldiers got right to work. Some assisted teachers inside the buildings by moving boxes and furniture. Others tackled the tall, 2-foot wild weeds growing directly in front of the elementary school. Equipped with weed cutters and lawn mowers supplied by the Soldiers, they cleared a great deal of the area.
Angela Hampton, a science and social studies teacher at Sembach Middle School, was one of many who expressed their appreciation for the Soldiers’ efforts.
“It means so much having these Soldiers here helping me set up my rooms and moving all of this furniture,” Hampton said. “Because of their help, I’m already set up and can now start preparing my lesson plans.”
Others expressed gratitude for the Morales Club members’ outdoor cleanup efforts.
“These Soldiers have made the front of our building look wonderful — it will give a better first impression to parents and students when they arrive,” said Michele Mekus, Sembach Elementary School secretary and a former 5th Quartermaster rigger.
The Sergeant Morales Club, established in 1973 by Lt. Gen. George S. Blanchard, is the European version of the Audie Murphy Club in the United States. The purpose of both clubs is to promote the highest ideals of integrity, professionalism and leadership for enlisted Soldiers. Becoming a member of either of these clubs is an extremely competitive and rigorous process.
“One of the most important things we do is community service,” said Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Mitchell, president of the local Morales chapter. “This is one of the ways that we assist our schools.”
The club also mentors students during the school year.
Weddle summed up her sentiments about the NCOs’ efforts.
“Words cannot express how I feel about these Soldiers coming out here and volunteering,” Weddle said. “We want our little ones to feel welcome on their first day back.”
“It is fantastic to have support from our local units,” Mekus added. “Having the Soldiers here reminds us of who we are supporting and why we are all here.”
