Graphic courtesy of FYI Magazine Fort Gordon Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Clark offers his take on the decision to observe 2009 as the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer. In late November, Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Clark, U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon command sergeant major spoke with me regarding 2009, the Year of the NCO.

A Noncommissioned Officer is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. Clark is the highest ranking NCO on Fort Gordon.

So tell me about the Year of the NCO - what it is and what it means.

"The Year of the NCO was announced at this year's AUSA [Association of the U.S. Army] conference by the Secretary of the Army Peter Geren and he made that announcement as part of his keynote speech.

He said "At the front of every Army mission in the US or overseas you will find a Noncommissioned Officer - they know their mission, they know their equipment, but most importantly they know their Soldiers.

"I have many bosses as a Noncommissioned Officer, I have Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley. I have the Signal Soldiers who I say we work for. And I have a grateful nation. The NCOs are a support chain to the commissioned officers. So as an NCO, I work for General Foley and I'm blessed to be his eyes and ears.

"A lot of times I will go out and check on important matters, come back and brief him - based on that he will implement policies.

"Most NCOs jobs start in the morning, getting their Soldiers ready for PT [Physical Training]. Taking part in PT with their Soldiers and then visiting a dining facility here on Fort Gordon to make sure the chow is good. As the head NCO on the post, we may be traveling worldwide to visit Signal leaders or we may be right here on Fort Gordon doing a vast variety of jobs. Any Signal Soldier worldwide, we are responsible for his education and training."

What does it mean to be an NCO - what are your responsibilities?

"NCOs have a Noncommissioned Officers Creed and it talks about two things - accomplishment of the mission and the welfare of our Soldiers. NCOs often work in the background to ensure the day to day operations of the way things run go smoothly.

"No mission is too small for our Nation and I believe that Noncommissioned Officers take on those tasks and make sure they are accomplished to a world class standard.

"I always begin my speeches with 'My name is Clark, and I'm a Soldier.' This allows me to never forget where I came from and also serves as a reminder that I work for every Soldier assigned to the Signal regiment."

The role of the NCO has changed substantially since Vietnam; can you expand on this and explain how the functions of Non- Commissioned Officers are evolving?

"When I went to Operation Iraqi Freedom I, we had NCOs that routinely performed tasks that when I first came in the military were done by seasoned captains. As the Army expands, so does the role of the Noncommissioned Officer. You can see them being ground assault combat leaders - it frees the captain, the lieutenant and the officer to do more important things for their companies, their battalions, their brigades, so if we are able to help in any way it makes everyone stronger.

"Other countries say that one of the things that set the American Army apart from all others is the strength of their NCO corps. Recently we visited other Armies, and it would be unheard of for them to give some of the tasks to NCOs that are routinely performed by NCOs in the American Army.

Transformation is not a word that NCOs are unfamiliar with; for we tend to embrace change and revolutionize our environments to adapt to change.

"One of the major revolutionary changes that have been embraced by the RNCOA [Regimental Noncommissioned Officer Academy] is the implementation of Mobile Training Teams; the concept of deploying members of the RNCOA staff and faculty to remote locations to train Signal Soldiers at their parent duty stations. At present, the RNCOA MTTs have travelled to 13 CONUS [Continental United States] and OCONUS [ Outside the Continental United States] locations; allowing our Signal Soldiers the ability to attend NCOES training while remaining at their duty stations. The RNCOA MTT is one transformation tool that is used to enable Signal Soldier the opportunity to train locally, upon redeployment, while spending quality time with their Families. Implementing the Mobile Training Team concept is a significant accomplishment of the Regimental Noncommissioned Officer Academy that keeps our Soldiers Army Strong, 'Strength Like no Other.'"

What does the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer mean to you and other NCOs?

"The year of the Noncommissioned Officer - we should feel honored that there is a year set aside for us, and humbled. The new Army slogan is Army Strong, Strength like No Other. Every day they are challenged with the care of America's sons and daughters - a young non-commissioned officer will care for them in the Army. Sometimes it won't matter what the higher ranking people are in the end, it will matter to those sons and daughters that their first line supervisors is an NCO. The NCO routinely serves alongside of them with their boots on the ground - keeping them alive in combat. It means a great deal.

So as an NCO your role is primarily that of a shepherd?

A shepherd role is a good analogy but you can also think of it this way - if Fort Gordon was a city, Brigadier General [Jeffrey] Foley would be the mayor and I would be the sheriff.

What kind of celebrations can we expect to see throughout 2009?

January 15 we are kicking off the celebrations in Alexander Hall with a post-wide NCO induction ceremony. At the ceremony we will celebrate new enlisted soldiers becoming NCOs - Jeff Foley will be our guest speaker and he will talk about the goals and responsibilities of the NCO. We would like to invite the entire community to attend. Throughout the entire year there will be a monthly event to mark the celebration.

Is there anything else you would like the Fort Gordon community to know about NCOs, anything they haven't heard before or what you feel they need to hear?

When the community sees not just Noncommissioned officers but all officers, young enlisted Soldiers, they just need to know they have a relentless love for our country. We want to be world-class Soldiers and we want to provide world-class care for our country. And every time they thank us, we should be the ones thanking them - it is an honor to serve on behalf of

The NCO Creed

No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of Soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.

Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind - accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my Soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my Soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earntheirrespectandconf as well as that of my Soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!