Credentials
I have created this online platform because I want to be able to discuss serious issues regarding Black America. This only works if members of my audience regard me as someone worthy of civil discourse. People that know me personally, know I am worthy of civil discourse. So, how to get strangers to “know” me well enough to consider what I have to say?
To that end, I will be providing my “credentials”! I will create a variety of posts and pages where I provide a record of my achievements and/or aspects of my life that define me as the person I am.
To that end, I will be providing my “credentials”! I will create a variety of posts and pages where I provide a record of my achievements and/or aspects of my life that define me as the person I am.
NCO Academy Graduate - Commandant's List
As a young man and in my last year of high school, I finally began to give serious consideration to my life as an adult. When the military recruiters showed up and played their action packed movies… it was all over for me!
They offered a brand new young man everything he would need to get off to a great start in life! The Army got my vote because they said I could jump out of airplanes!
They offered a brand new young man everything he would need to get off to a great start in life! The Army got my vote because they said I could jump out of airplanes!
Credentials
NCO Academy Graduate - Commandant's List
All military’s have training institutions to teach leadership qualities to their young enlisted members. These schools are called NCO academies. NCO stands for Non-Commissioned Officer (Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, etc.) as opposed to Commisioned Officers (Captain, Major, Colonel, etc.).
Mission
The XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty NCO Academy will provide professional military education that develops enlisted leaders who are fit, disciplined, and well-educated professionals that return to their formations ready to lead from the front and meet the complex challenges of their Operating Environments.
The XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty NCO Academy will provide professional military education that develops enlisted leaders who are fit, disciplined, and well-educated professionals that return to their formations ready to lead from the front and meet the complex challenges of their Operating Environments.
Vision
We remain a fully accredited institution that provides Fort Liberty tenant units and the Eastern Region with doctrine based instruction supporting formations for the Global Response Force, Special Operations, and Theater Support elements. We are a learning institution of fit and disciplined NCOs, and Department of Army Civilians that effectively collaborate, communicate and maintain a positive learning environment.
We remain a fully accredited institution that provides Fort Liberty tenant units and the Eastern Region with doctrine based instruction supporting formations for the Global Response Force, Special Operations, and Theater Support elements. We are a learning institution of fit and disciplined NCOs, and Department of Army Civilians that effectively collaborate, communicate and maintain a positive learning environment.
Credentials
NCO Academy Graduate - Commandant's List
As a brand new, young man eager to learn the ways of the world, I loved the Army because they offered more training than you could imagine! I was a sharp soldier and near the end of my 3 year enlistment, I got the chance to attend the base NCO Academy. My First Sergeant was a Black man that was sharp, tough but fair and he was a great mentor to me! I know he fought for me to attend special assignments. He had to fight for me because I was younger than most at my rank. The way things worked out, I was an E-4 in 17 months. To honor my First Sergeant and my unit, I always went in aiming for Honor Graduate.
While I did not finish as the class Honor Graduate, I was in the running as I did make the Commandant’s List. These are the handful of soldiers that competed for Honor Graduate. I still felt a sense of high achievement as I competed against soldiers older than me and more experienced!
A story about the value of pursuing worthwhile achievements regardless of success or failure. At the very end, there were 5 or 6 of us competing for Honor Graduate. The real test was how would you perform under pressure? There is only you, at the center of attention, surrounded by your fellow classmates and facing the judgement panel of nothing but Master Sergeants and Sergeant Majors! They issued simple Army commands that I could perform in my sleep… in a NORMAL setting! I heard the command “Take 2 steps forward!” and for some reason, I only took 1 step! They looked at me, giving me a small chance to take the 2nd step but I froze. And then, the moment was over!
There were other commands that I performed fine but I had that glaring failure! I remember that moment like it was yesterday! I label moments like that as “a man stands before the abyss” moments! You’re a man, you have to make a decision that will affect many others so stress levels are high and this is a situation you have never encountered before! The NCO Academy taught that then very young man how to perform in “a man stands before the abyss” moment!
While I did not finish as the class Honor Graduate, I was in the running as I did make the Commandant’s List. These are the handful of soldiers that competed for Honor Graduate. I still felt a sense of high achievement as I competed against soldiers older than me and more experienced!
A story about the value of pursuing worthwhile achievements regardless of success or failure. At the very end, there were 5 or 6 of us competing for Honor Graduate. The real test was how would you perform under pressure? There is only you, at the center of attention, surrounded by your fellow classmates and facing the judgement panel of nothing but Master Sergeants and Sergeant Majors! They issued simple Army commands that I could perform in my sleep… in a NORMAL setting! I heard the command “Take 2 steps forward!” and for some reason, I only took 1 step! They looked at me, giving me a small chance to take the 2nd step but I froze. And then, the moment was over!
There were other commands that I performed fine but I had that glaring failure! I remember that moment like it was yesterday! I label moments like that as “a man stands before the abyss” moments! You’re a man, you have to make a decision that will affect many others so stress levels are high and this is a situation you have never encountered before! The NCO Academy taught that then very young man how to perform in “a man stands before the abyss” moment!
Johnny M. Curry | US Army
Specialist Fourth Class
Core Beliefs - Culture
What is Culture?
To me, a culture is the set of all the learned life experiences of a people eg., racial, ethnic or religious group. A culture allows a young married couple with no actual life experience of their own, to use the values of their culture to base their life on until they acquire their own actual life experiences. This works great unless your culture is crap!
As a Black American man, I find my culture leaves much to be desired! It seems to be nuclear family dysfunctional with families led by women. So, I am sure I will offend some but I believe Black families would fare much better if the fathers were present and the leaders of the family.
Also, the shameless partying nature of our Black culture! Here in Atlanta, I had to watch (along with the rest of the world) a “woman of color” who is campaigning for the presidency of the United States, bring out… an esteemed Black lawyer?, business executive?, minister?, college president?, community leader?… NO!
Instead of a worthy role model for the next generation of Black Americans, we got scantily clad Black women twerking! This is why the country doesn’t take Black Americans seriously! This is why Black Americans have been at the bottom of the economic totem pole in the US since the 1960’s!
Once again, I blame failed policies, promoted primarily by the Democratic party that have kept GENERATIONS of Black Americans in poverty since the late 1960’s!
As a Black American man, I find my culture leaves much to be desired! It seems to be nuclear family dysfunctional with families led by women. So, I am sure I will offend some but I believe Black families would fare much better if the fathers were present and the leaders of the family.
Also, the shameless partying nature of our Black culture! Here in Atlanta, I had to watch (along with the rest of the world) a “woman of color” who is campaigning for the presidency of the United States, bring out… an esteemed Black lawyer?, business executive?, minister?, college president?, community leader?… NO!
Instead of a worthy role model for the next generation of Black Americans, we got scantily clad Black women twerking! This is why the country doesn’t take Black Americans seriously! This is why Black Americans have been at the bottom of the economic totem pole in the US since the 1960’s!
Once again, I blame failed policies, promoted primarily by the Democratic party that have kept GENERATIONS of Black Americans in poverty since the late 1960’s!
I would love to know your worldview on this topic! Do you agree? Disagree?
Please provide thoughtful comments below! Thanks!
Please provide thoughtful comments below! Thanks!
I look forward to reading more of your publication and I hope that many other young men and women in this country take heed of the important message that you are sharing. Thank you Johnny for doing this!
Thank you so much for your feedback!
E.S.B.