Fort Bliss Monitor

Courtesy photo

Sgt. Maj. Warren E. Whitted, graduate of Sergeants Major Nonresident Course
Class 1-06, shares congratulations with another Soldier Friday at Soldier’s Hall
on Fort Bliss.

Reserve, National Guard senior leaders graduate, accept charge to ‘do stuff’

Krishna M. Gamble
NCO Journal

Two years of individual study and two weeks of intense classroom briefings finally paid off for 585 Sergeants Major Non-Resident Course students who graduated June 30 at Soldiers Hall. Armed with diplomas, the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy graduates were ready to accept their directive to “do stuff.”

“Sergeants major in the U.S. Army do stuff,” said guest speaker Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill, command sergeant major, 1st U.S. Army, Fort Gillem, Ga. “They don’t sit in the back of the commander’s Humvee and advise the commander. Sergeants major in the U.S. Army do stuff – they make things happen.

“You have received outstanding preparation for your role as sergeants major. From this day forward, your priorities are the health and welfare of your Soldiers and to serve as trusted advisors to your senior leadership with no personal preferences or hidden agendas,” Hill added.

Representing the active, National Guard and Reserve forces of the Army, and Navy, the senior NCOs who made up Class 1-06 traveled to Biggs Army Airfield from all around the United States and, in some cases from abroad, to attend the final two-week phase of the course. The students spent up to two years completing the majority of the coursework – considered equivalent to eight-and-a-half of the nine months at the resident Sergeants Major Course – through correspondence courses in order to get here.

“We have already been using the knowledge I learned in the past two years at my unit, but to come together like this allows us to learn from each other,” said Master Sgt. James Hill, with the 80th Division from Richmond, Va. Hill’s unit is currently deployed to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism. He was released in May to attend the final phase and will travel back to Indiana soon to receive his unit when they return home later this month.

The two-week course is fast paced and taught through small group discussion. Each student was evaluated on their ability, aptitude, total Soldier concept, performance and potential for positions of greater responsibility. In addition, a command post exercise was added to the non-resident course for the first time – considered very effective by many students.

“The CPX gives you more of a real life scenario – something a lot of us tend to forget. But, I’ve gathered a lot of technical knowledge and this course has refreshed my leadership traits,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Tracy Underwood, commandant of the D.C. National Guard Academy at Fort Belvoir, Va.

Other areas of the curriculum were also considered useful.

“The small group and Army writing style was very helpful for me,” said Sgt. Maj. Wyuca Bradham with the 3rd Medical Command at Fort Gillem, Ga. “The CPX was a good learning experience and I wish it could have been longer.”

The senior leaders will now take all they have learned from their two years of individual study, and the two weeks at the academy, and apply and reapply them to their base units and communities.
Command Sgt. Maj. Hill said they must also answer three questions most Soldiers and leaders will ask of them.

“Every leader must ensure our Soldiers and servicemembers are trained to act within our core values in and out of combat,” Hill said. “Soldiers and leaders will ask, ‘Can I trust you?’ ‘Are you committed?’ and ‘Do you care about me?’ You must answer these questions with your actions. Continue to earn our nation’s trust by your actions.”



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	July 6, 2006

	Courtesy photo Sgt. Maj. Warren E. Whitted, graduate of Sergeants Major Nonresident Course Class 1-06, shares congratulations with another Soldier Friday at Soldier’s Hall on Fort Bliss. Reserve, National Guard senior leaders graduate, accept charge to ‘do stuff’ Krishna M. Gamble NCO Journal Two years of individual study and two weeks of intense classroom briefings finally paid off for 585 Sergeants Major Non-Resident Course students who graduated June 30 at Soldiers Hall. Armed with diplomas, the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy graduates were ready to accept their directive to “do stuff.” “Sergeants major in the U.S. Army do stuff,” said guest speaker Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill, command sergeant major, 1st U.S. Army, Fort Gillem, Ga. “They don’t sit in the back of the commander’s Humvee and advise the commander. Sergeants major in the U.S. Army do stuff – they make things happen. “You have received outstanding preparation for your role as sergeants major. From this day forward, your priorities are the health and welfare of your Soldiers and to serve as trusted advisors to your senior leadership with no personal preferences or hidden agendas,” Hill added. Representing the active, National Guard and Reserve forces of the Army, and Navy, the senior NCOs who made up Class 1-06 traveled to Biggs Army Airfield from all around the United States and, in some cases from abroad, to attend the final two-week phase of the course. The students spent up to two years completing the majority of the coursework – considered equivalent to eight-and-a-half of the nine months at the resident Sergeants Major Course – through correspondence courses in order to get here. “We have already been using the knowledge I learned in the past two years at my unit, but to come together like this allows us to learn from each other,” said Master Sgt. James Hill, with the 80th Division from Richmond, Va. Hill’s unit is currently deployed to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism. He was released in May to attend the final phase and will travel back to Indiana soon to receive his unit when they return home later this month. The two-week course is fast paced and taught through small group discussion. Each student was evaluated on their ability, aptitude, total Soldier concept, performance and potential for positions of greater responsibility. In addition, a command post exercise was added to the non-resident course for the first time – considered very effective by many students. “The CPX gives you more of a real life scenario – something a lot of us tend to forget. But, I’ve gathered a lot of technical knowledge and this course has refreshed my leadership traits,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Tracy Underwood, commandant of the D.C. National Guard Academy at Fort Belvoir, Va. Other areas of the curriculum were also considered useful. “The small group and Army writing style was very helpful for me,” said Sgt. Maj. Wyuca Bradham with the 3rd Medical Command at Fort Gillem, Ga. “The CPX was a good learning experience and I wish it could have been longer.” The senior leaders will now take all they have learned from their two years of individual study, and the two weeks at the academy, and apply and reapply them to their base units and communities. Command Sgt. Maj. Hill said they must also answer three questions most Soldiers and leaders will ask of them. “Every leader must ensure our Soldiers and servicemembers are trained to act within our core values in and out of combat,” Hill said. “Soldiers and leaders will ask, ‘Can I trust you?’ ‘Are you committed?’ and ‘Do you care about me?’ You must answer these questions with your actions. Continue to earn our nation’s trust by your actions.”