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Four NCOs from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command were inducted as new members of the prestigious Sergeant Morales Club and four senior NCOs were welcomed as honorary members during a ceremony July 31 at the Armstrong’s Club on Vogelweh.
Maj. Gen. Duane A. Gamble, commanding general of the 21st TSC, served as a guest speaker during his first appearance at a Morales Club event while Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney J. Rhoades, 21st TSC senior enlisted leader, an honorary member since his induction in May, presided over the ceremony.
“We have four great inductees that earned their way here the traditional way and four great inductees that are getting constructive credit for years of service to our Soldiers and our families,” Gamble said. “This really is an exclusive club and these NCOs really have given their all.”
The inductees were Staff Sgts. Hanan Khader and April M. Powers of the 18th Military Police Brigade, Sgt. 1st Class Luis F. Munoz of the 16th Sustainment Brigade and Sgt. 1st Class Nelson N. Rivas of the 21st TSC’s Special Troops Battalion.
The honorary inductees were Sgt. Maj. Sean Miller of the 21st TSC; Command Sgt. Maj. William L. Major of U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, who served previously with the 16th Sust. Bde.; Command Sgt. Maj. Maveric Ledbetter of the 16th Sust. Bde.; and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael T. Howard of the 212th Combat Support Hospital, 30th Medical Brigade.
The Sergeant Morales Club promotes the highest ideals of integrity, professionalism and leadership for the enlisted force serving in Europe. Membership into the organization is selective and achieved only through a rigorous, competitive process.
“It’s great to be able to see everything I’ve worked for, studied for and spent a lot of time preparing for come to fruition,” Powers said. “I really wanted to do this for my Soldiers; to motivate them and push them so that they can become better than me someday.”
Each of the new members were presented with a command coin, a certificate of membership, the Army Commendation Medal and the iconic Sergeant Morales Club medallion.
Gaining membership into the organization takes hard work and can be a long road for potential members, but inductees described the struggle as well worth the effort.
“The reason I did it was because I wanted to go outside of my comfort zone and show my Soldiers that you can challenge yourself and get something out of it,” Powers said. “Things that have happened in your past don’t have to define who you are. You can get better and better regardless of what’s happened in your past.”
Rhoades described the inductees as confident leaders ready to overcome obstacles and make an immediate impact.
“I don’t think these members have any real challenges because they’re true leaders,” Rhoades said. “They represent the true meaning of leadership.”
Membership into the Sergeant Morales Club comes with its advantages, not only to the member, but also to the community they support.
“Now that they are members, commanders and command sergeant majors are going to call on them because they are noted as being the very best,” Rhoades said. “We will call on them to be more actively involved in the community beyond what they already are.”
Following the induction and a customary cake-cutting ceremony, the commanding general used the time to speak to the leaders in attendance and pass on some words of wisdom from his time as a leader. He emphasized that true leaders will cultivate a culture based on mutual trust — one in which Soldiers feel confident and comfortable bringing problems to their leaders.
