Best of the best: Fort Rucker names Soldier, NCO of the year
FORT RUCKER, Ala. — Fort Rucker named its Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum Sept. 15.
Sgt. Keely Misemer, C Company, 1st Battalion, 11th Aviation Regiment, and Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Beauchamp, NCO Academy Senior Leader Course small group leader, were named Soldier and NCO of the year, respectively, during a short induction ceremony.
Both said they felt honored to be given such a prestigious award, and they hope to pass on the knowledge and skills they have attained to fellow Soldiers and NCOs.
“This is really a great event for me,” Misemer said. “I think every Soldier should try to become Soldier of the Year. It takes a lot of studying and a little effort, but it’s worth it.”
Misemer plans to continue moving forward in her military career and hopes to compete for another high honor in the near future.
“My immediate goal is to pass on what I’ve learned and help other Soldiers achieve their goals,” she said. “I also really want to (be inducted into the Sgt. Audie Murphy club).”
Beauchamp said he doesn’t plan to work toward getting any more awards for now, but he does plan to motivate his Soldiers to pursue their own goals.
“I accomplished my goal of leading by example,” he said. “From here, I plan to continue representing my unit to the best of my ability.”
He echoed Misemer in encouraging other Soldiers and NCOs to work hard when attempting to gain high honors.
“Study hard and prepare because it takes a lot of work to get there,” he said. “Everyone should make the most of the opportunities they’re given.”
Guest speaker retired Sgt. Maj. Bufford Thomas, former installation command sergeant major, congratulated the Soldiers, but reminded them of the responsibility they have after receiving the honor.
“The NCO and Soldier of the Year program is a mentorship program for enlisted servicemembers,” he said. “A senior leader recognized the demonstrated potential in these Soldiers. These Soldiers are prepared to lead and accomplish any mission at any time. It is required and expected that these Soldiers become leaders and mentors of their peers to make sure they’re trained to the best of their abilities.”