J.M. SIMPSON: RANGER NCO SETS AN EXAMPLE >>>

Sgt. Kenny De La Fuente exudes confidence.

Then again, as a soldier assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Battalion, he is one of America's elite soldiers.

His sense of being the best defines his role as a noncommissioned officer.

"A good NCO should have a clear sense of competence toward whatever the mission is," said the native of Texas. "Not only do we need to be technically competent, we must also be tactically competent."

De La Fuente recently completed the Warrior Leadership Course at the Henry H. Lind NCO Academy. At the end of the course, he captured the Distinguished Honor Graduate award. But it is not the accumulation of awards that drives De La Fuente.

"I think personal courage is the attribute that covers the Army's values for me," he said.

With his brothers already in the Army and after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, De La Fuente joined the Army because he thought he needed to do his part.

"I knew what I was getting into when I came into this volunteer Army," he continued. "It takes courage - personal courage - to take that extra step to join, and I think that people in our age group look up to us."

While De La Fuente thinks he may make a career of his service in the Army, he also thinks that some day he would like to work in the business world.

In his role as an NCO, De La Fuente believes that a large part of his work is to advocate for the soldiers he serves with.

"Whether you are in garrison or in combat, a good NCO looks out for - and fights for - his soldiers," he said.

Before returning to work, De La Fuente came back to his theme about personal courage.

"A NCO must take responsibility for everything his or her soldiers do," he emphasized. "But whether they do it right or wrong, you have to take responsibility; you have to have the personal courage to address the situation and make it right."

Photo:  Sgt. Kenny De La Fuente, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment,
believes NCOs should support their soldiers in all situations. Photography by J.M. Simpson