Sgt. Ian McFarland Fort Gordon 2009 Service Member of the Year At the close of Fiscal Year 2009 Fort Gordon selected six of its outstanding members as the year’s annual award winners. They were Sgt. Ian McFarland, who was named Service Member of the Year, Sgt. 1st Class Djoulou Caldwell, who was selected as the Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Staff Sgt. Thelonious Walker, who earned the title, Instructor of the Year.

Terri Lucas was named Civilian of the Year, Virginia Hindbaugh was selected as the Volunteer of the Year and Staff Sgt. Chivon Leggett was chosen as Career Counselor of the Year.

Each person possessed unique qualities that lead to their selection of these prestigious awards.

McFarland is a multimedia illustrator for the 707th Military Intelligence Battalion. He was selected as lead cadre during Company Level Army Warrior training where he trained more than 100 Soldiers, who achieved 100 percent passing scores. McFarland was also chosen to be lead instructor for Adobe After Effects which is a unique skill not in his current military occupational specialty. The noncommissioned officer won battalion and group boards leading him to be recommended for the promotion board ahead of his peers.

Staff Sgt. Thelonius Walker Fort Gordon 2009 Instructor of the Year Caldwell, the post’s Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for Fiscal Year 2009, is Company E, 369th Signal Battalion’s Advanced Technical Training platoon sergeant. He is the creator of “want some, get some” CaldWolves chant, where he implements discipline, motivation, situational awareness, esprit de corps, and building a team mentality.

As the Instructor of the Year, Walker spends numerous hours including his personal time mentoring students at Dixon Hall and in his company. The instructor/writer with Company B, 447th Signal Battalion is considered a subject matter expert in his knowledge of Information Systems and Network. He enjoys being an instructor and makes it his personal mission to ensure the trainees understand the lessons he teaches. Known as a team player he often assists his coworkers when they have questions regarding technical or procedural matters.

Sgt. 1st Class Dijoulou Caldwell Fort Gordon 2009 NCO of the Year Lucas is the deputy director of Contracting and Army Small Business specialist with the Fort Gordon Directorate of Contracting. As the designated small business advocate, she ensured that manyf challenging socio-economic goals were met, including contract awards to service disabled veterans owned businesses, women-owned businesses and small disadvantaged businesses. The Hephzibah, Ga., native has worked 28 years with the federal government.

Terri Lucas Fort Gordon 2009 Civilian of the Year “When I’m not working or volunteering I like to paint, cook and swim,” said Lucas. “My greatest accomplishment is my family. I enjoy spending time with my husband David, our children Mandy, David and Megan as well as my grandson Andrew.”

Hindbaugh is another civilian on post who has makes a big difference in the lives of our Soldiers and their families. She volunteers with the 551st Signal Battalion’s Family Readiness Group.

The Toledo, Ohio native has worked for the Army as a civilian for the past 5 ½ years and has been volunteering with the Army Family programs since 1997. The mother of six enjoys being an Army wife. “I have been married to the military since 1989 in one way or another, and I have shared my best years being an Army wife,” said Hindbaugh.

During last year’s holiday block leave she coordinated and helped provide the family readiness group with hot food and snacks for Soldiers departing the post to spend time with their families. Hindbaugh also spearheaded and conducted a Christmas wrapping fundraiser which provided funds for Soldiers’ gifts. She and her family went to the barracks at 10 p.m. Christmas Eve to deliver over 80 gifts to Soldiers of the 551st Signal Battalion. That night she also delivered homemade baked goods and gifts to the battalion and brigade staff that were on duty.

Virginia Hindbaugh Fort Gordon 2009 Volunteer of the Year Hindbaugh encourages people to volunteer.

“There is nothing more rewarding that being a part of something greater than ourselves,” she said.

Leggett, who was selected as the post’s Career Counselor of the Year for 2009, is assigned to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center. The NCO develops and implements and supervises the daily operations and actions of the DDEAMC retention program. There she provides career counseling to more than 200 Soldiers and their families. She considers taking care of Soldiers and their families as the most rewarding aspect of her job. “It is definitely rewarding when I can assist Soldiers and their spouses in making educated decisions about their careers, both personal and professional growth and development,” said Leggett.

Staff Sgt. Chivon Leggett Fort Gordon 2009 Career Counselor of the Year The Lawton, Okla., native is married to Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Leggett and is the mother of Samiah, age 10, and Zavion, age 4. She recently graduated from the Georgia Academy of Massage in Augusta and will be taking the national exam this month to become a licensed massage therapist. She aspires to successfully raise her children, compete for higher levels in the NCO rank and obtain a master’s degree in business before retiring from the military. “After I retire from the Army I would like to own a Day Spa,” Leggett said.