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

MICHAEL SWAN: TODAY IN CONTRACTS >>>

The Defense Industry Daily reports that The Korte Co. in St. Louis won a $24.2 million contract to build a operations facility for the US Army Ranger Support Company and Headquarters and Headquarters Company at Fort Lewis.  If this rocks your world, read the story here.

MICHAEL SWAN: LEWIS' KURILLA ASSUMES COMMAND OVER THE 75TH RANGER REGIMENT >>>

Part of the Ranger Rendezvous at Fort Benning included the 75th Ranger Regiment change of command placing Col. Michael Kurilla in charge. Kurilla came to Fort Benning from Fort Lewis, where he led the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

The ledger-enquirer.com site covered the change of command:

The capstone event of this year's Ranger Rendezvous took place Thursday at the National Infantry Museum where Col. Richard D. Clarke relinquished command of the 75th Ranger Regiment to Col. Michael "Erik" Kurilla.

Ranger Rendezvous is a four-day event that takes place once every two years to bring together the regiment in anticipation of the regimental change of command.

Read the full story here.

MICHAEL SWAN: ARMY RANGERS, MILITARY AVIATORS TO CONDUCT TRAINING JULY 13-27 >>>

We just received word that the Army Rangers will amp up the noise level on Fort Lewis:

Fort Lewis, Wash. - 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment will conduct a military training exercise July 13-27, at locations on Fort Lewis, Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, and in surrounding communities. Also, the South Brooks Road - located west of Fairchild Air Force Base - will be closed from July 23-27 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. each evening in conjunction with this training, to protect public safety.

Military aviators assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell, Ky., and Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. will support the exercise with fixed-wing (airplane) and rotary-wing (helicopter) aircraft. Aviators will also conduct nape-of-the-earth flights (flying low to the ground) and aerial refueling missions during this exercise.

Residents of communities where training is taking place may observe increased noise, increased air traffic, air traffic during hours of darkness, and low-flying aircraft during this exercise.

Tough, realistic training is critical to prepare Army Rangers for their mission to stand ready to deploy anywhere in the world and conduct high-intensity military operations at a moment's notice. This is scheduled training, conducted at regular intervals, to maintain individual Solider and unit readiness.

Fort Lewis, the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and Air Force Special Operations Command are extremely sensitive to the impact such exercises has on local citizens, and intends to conduct this training safely and courteously.  Every measure to reduce the amount of noise associated with the training will be taken, and we appreciate the support of the local community.

Members of the community can report concerns about training-related activity by calling the Fort Lewis Community Relations hotline, at 253.967. 0852.

J.M. SIMPSON: POTENTIAL IS IMPORTANT >>>

In a departure from the usual belief that only noncommissioned officers attend the Henry Lind NCO Academy, Spc. James Hemmerly is an exception to the assumption.

"The academy exists for those soldiers who demonstrate the potential of becoming NCOs," explained Hemmerly.

Assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hemmerly has deployed twice to Iraq.

He is quietly confident of his abilities.

Not only did he measure up to the standard for attending the academy, his attitude and work ethic resulted in his being named the Distinguished Leader of his class.

"He's hardworking, very well squared away and quiet," added Sgt. 1st Class Robert Cuthbertson, a small group leader at the Henry Lind NCO Academy. "His decision making processes are superb."

To win recognition as the Distinguished Leader, a board of senior noncommissioned officers interviewed Hemmerly.

He had to demonstrate sound judgment, knowledge of drill and ceremony, exceptional military bearing, outstanding situational thinking during a field training exercise, and overall military and general knowledge.

"He is a great leader; he did a great job," commented Cuthbertson.

As for his reasons for serving, Hemmerly joined the Army for the best of reasons.

"I owe it to my country, and that is the primary reason," he explained.

"I also want to earn money to go to school," said the native of Pennsylvania. If his plans to go to college materialize, Hemmerly wants to study biochemistry.

"He's smart enough to do anything he wants to," added Cuthbertson.

When it comes to the Army's seven core values, Hemmerly ranks selfless service as the one that is most important to him.

"You have to be willing to do things that others may not want to do," explained Hemmerly. "A soldier has to be willing to 'man up' and do what needs to be done."

As he got up to go back to work, he offered some advice for those soldiers thinking about serving as an NCO.

"Always do what is right," said Hemmerly. "And whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability."