JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
A member of the 128th Aviation Brigade was inducted into the Joint Base Langley-Eustis Sergeant Audie Murphy Club during a ceremony at Wylie Theater, Jan. 22, 2018.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mathew Johnson, an instructor writer at Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 210th Aviation Regiment, 128th Avn. Bde., went through an extensive selection process, which included physical performances, a warrior skills tests, and answering board panelists’ questions.
The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, which started in 1986 at Fort Hood, Texas, is an organization that recognizes Soldiers who demonstrate exemplary leadership qualities and have contributed to a combat-ready Army.
“This is not a club that just anyone can join, you have to be well rounded as an NCO,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Charmaine Duany, 128th Avn. Bde., Sexual Assault Response Coordinator and JBLE SAMC president. “Being active in the community is a big part of what we do so our members do everything they can to impact our local area as Soldiers and as leaders.”
Soldiers interested in being inducted into the SAMC must participate in Performance Week, which includes a U.S. Army physical fitness test, requiring applicants to score at least 90 points in each event. The test is comprised of a four-mile run in less than 36 minutes, warrior drills, and a 12-mile ruck march with a 35-pound rucksack in less than four hours.
The most intense task, according to Johnson, is the last event; a board which could last up to two hours, consisting of questions regarding real-world scenarios and how that individual would respond to the scenario as a leader. The questions are asked rapidly and designed to create stress to test the individual’s ability to stay calm under pressure and lead their team to mission success in a moral and ethical way.
“It was the hardest board I’ve ever been through,” said Johnson. “There were a few times I backed myself into a corner with my answers and had to figure out a way to get myself out and fix the situation and come out on top.”
In order to be inducted into the SAMC, applicants must also receive a unanimous vote of approval from the panelists.
With only 17 members of the JBLE SAMC, Duany believes many potential applicants are intimidated by the fitness requirements as well as the board process and choose not to pursue membership. However, SAMC hosts regular study groups to help potential applicants prepare for the board.
“We lead from the front and we have the best of the best,” said Duany. “It’s tough to become a part of the SAMC but we have a lot of awesome leaders within the organization who host these study groups and promote the club at base events to encourage interested Soldiers.”
For more information about the JBLE SAMC, contact U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chase Johnson, SAMC public affairs officer, or visit them at www.facebook.com/JBLESAMC.