FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE NO. 23-006
FORT RILEY, Kan. – The third Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Retired), John Wayne Troxell, and Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. Clint Romesha visited the local Fort Riley community and Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, April 11-13.
Troxell spent time with civilians and Soldiers to impart career advice, encouragement to noncommissioned officers, and lessons learned from his 38 years serving in the active-duty Army.
"Adversity is right outside your door but there's two ways you can face that adversity; you can be a victim to it and let that adversity rule you, or you can be a champion and if there's something wrong that needs to be fixed you can champion courses of action or methods to get it fixed," said Troxell.
Romesha, a former Big Red One Soldier, and a Medal of Honor recipient, spent time with Soldiers to share his experiences. He talked one-on-one with junior Soldiers and answered questions they had for him as they continue their military careers.
"We are the first military that embraced the noncommissioned officer, and because of that, you don't have guys sitting around waiting for an officer to give you orders," said Romesha. "We always talked about the E-5. That's where the rubber meets the road. It doesn't matter what the commander is pushing down; if you don't have those strong leaders to ensure the intent is being followed, nothing will get accomplished."
On April 13, the Army duo motivated 1ID Division Sustainment Brigade Soldiers by creating an Army Combat Fitness Test-geared training session where Soldiers competed in a Sprint-Drag-Carry competition; and later focused on other exercises aimed at improving cardiovascular endurance.
That same day Troxell and Romesha participated in the annual Fort Riley “Hiring Our Heroes” career summit with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The event took place at the Fort Riley Community Center, where civilians, Soldiers, veterans, military spouses, and caregivers were invited for an opportunity to advance their careers further or seek out opportunities in a different occupational field.
The 1st Infantry Division is committed to highlighting the excellence and legacy of the NCO corps through its 2023 campaign, Year of the NCO.
For media questions, please contact the 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs office at 1IDPublicAffairs@army.mil.
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