By Benjamin Abel
USAJFKSWCS Public Affairs Office
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, July 16, 2009) – “Pete, you are at the apex of your career. Jackie is our future.”
The Pete addressed by Brig. Gen. Bennet Sacolick, the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School deputy commanding general, is the newly appointed Command Sgt. Maj. Peter J. Sabo, who is married to Jackie – the newly commissioned 2nd Lt. Jacqueline M. Sabo.
During a unique ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Auditorium here, July 14, the Sabos were both charged with the responsibilities of their new offices, and were joined by family members in changing their rank insignia.
Sacolick lauded the Sabo family for their selfless service, including Peter’s father Thomas W. Sabo, a retired Army major general who administered the commissioning oath to Jacqueline.
“Everybody has been to a commissioning ceremony, and we have all been to an appointment ceremony,” Sacolick said. “But I’d have to check in the annals of Army history to see if a commissioning and appointment has been done for the same family at the same time.”
Peter Sabo received his appointment to command sergeant major as he departs USAJFKSWCS after a year serving as the command’s senior Army Reserve enlisted advisor. Sacolick praised Peter Sabo for the work he has done to increase the number of Army Reserve instructors teaching at the Center and School as well as being selected for appointment to command sergeant major.
Speaking of the day’s events, Peter noted that the ceremony “shows the dedication of our family to the defense of the nation.”
A Civil Affairs noncommissioned officer, Peter lamented leaving USAJFKSWCS and the Civil Affairs community. The Sabos, both of upstate New York, will next move to Ft. McCoy, Wisc., with their son, Jackson, where Peter will serve as the command sergeant major for 4th Battalion, 339th Regiment, 84th Division headquarters. Jacqueline will work as a budget analyst for the 88th Regional Readiness Command and will attend Battle Assembly with her unit at Ft. McCoy.
“I’m really happy we were able to do this together,” said Jacqueline, who served as a human resources noncommissioned officer prior to her commissioning. She will continue her service as a personnel officer.
Col. Benjamin McDonald, the USAJFKSWCS Senior Army Reserve Advisor, said that the Sabos will be missed at the Center and School and within the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Community.
“I hate seeing them go; they are good Soldiers,” McDonald said.
–usasoc–
I love that line. I’ve used similar lines on my underlings.
I had a great CSM in Korea, as I worked in the S3 Shop, I had many an opporuntity to chat with him, I remember when one of our First Sergeant’s had gotten promoted to Command Sergeant Major and was leaving the battalion, he said of this event, that 1SG So-and-so had come full circle. I asked what he meant by that and he said:
When you come into the Army as a Private you are worried about 3 things; Are your boot shined? Do you meet uniform standards, including haircut, and is your Area of Operation (AO) squared away, as in is it neat and tiddy.
As a Command Sergeant Major, you are worried about 3 things, Does the men/women in your command have shined boots? Are their uniforms to standard, and is their AO’s neat and tiddy, as in Police Call.
I had to laugh, as he was right.
[:)]
Ha! One of my favorite movies also, here’s a quote you won’t find anywhere, but it’s the one that sticks with me, being a former NCO.
Division CSM Zack Carey addressing the division senior NCO’s (SFC and above):
“…What I mean by that is that we keep our problems in house, because you better believe that if a problem reaches the 800lbs. gorilla with the two stars on his collar…well gentlemen, lets just say that shit rolls down hill. You keep him off me, and I will keep him off you.”
“Your command sergeant major is all alone in the parade ground!”
– James Garner playing Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Zack Carey in the movie Tank
Good for them.