"It is important for soldiers to understand their heritage as a professional," said 30-year Army veteran Mike Kendall. "It all started with these brave men on the Corps of Discovery."

The Army's Corps of Discovery was at the heart of the Lewis and Clark expedition that took place between May 1804 and September 1806.

Kendall is a member of the Captain Meriwether Lewis Chapter of AUSA and its Corps of Discovery Committee, as well as a firm believer in passing down the proud history of the military.

"I was an Army brat, then I served and now my daughter is in the National Guard and my son is in the Air Force, and so it goes," he said.

The Corps of Discovery Committee, which includes a cross-section of members from all ranks of active-duty to retirees, began informally in 2005 when retired Maj. Gen. John Hemphill initiated a plan to install statues of Fort Lewis namesake Captain Meriwether Lewis, along with his command team, at the entrance to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

"We have evolved from the group that was formed to put up the statues into a way to publicize this expedition and explain to today's soldiers what the soldiers before them accomplished and overcame," Kendall stated.

"These men, these soldiers, bound the country together from sea to sea and gave way to Manifest Destiny ... it changed the country and it should be memorialized and shared with younger generations," Kendall opined.

In an effort to do just that, there is a series of awards presented to outstanding soldiers, noncommissioned officers and officers every year. The awards are given in honor of the brave men from the Corps of Discovery expedition.

The Sgt. John Ordway Award, given annually to the top first sergeant on the installation, was instituted three years ago on JBLM. Likewise, the Pryor Award, named for Sgt. Nathaniel Hale Pryor, was implemented two years ago and is given to the distinguished honor graduate of the Warrior Leader Course, Henry H. Lind NCO Academy at JBLM.

Now, the committee has identified a third award to be given out to a duo that best emulates the relationship between Lewis and Ordway.

"A great professional dynamic between a commander and first sergeant can have a lasting impact on the mission and so we proposed that the base honor such a pair moving forward," he said. "The first Corps of Discovery Company Team Award will be presented next year at the Army birthday ball in June, which is sponsored by AUSA."

Finally, the committee is working to install a display cabinet inside Waller Hall on JBLM Main. The display will include miniature versions of the full-size statues of Lewis with his dog, Seaman, and Ordway. In addition, there will be a map with the route of the expedition, a description of the purpose of the expedition and the task force manning. Kendall stated that the display should be complete within the next three months.

"We will continue to look at what the Corps of Discovery was and promote that among young soldiers who may not know what it was or what it meant," he concluded. "It's an ongoing process. If something else seems feasible to do, then we'll do it. We are committed to educating."

For more information on the Captain Meriwether Lewis Chapter, visit fortlewis.com" target="_blank">www.ausa fortlewis.com.