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Audie Murphy Club: It's about leadershipBy Starlene R. Parizek
FORT LEE, VA. (Army News Service, April 14, 1997) -- Taking care of soldiers. That's what it's all about. "It stands for something," said Staff Sgt. John W. Hopper, Fort Lee Provost Marshal Office. "It stands for the total leader concept. You take care of your soldiers, you provide for their families, you develop them, you lead them, you train them." That is what the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club is designed for. Initially only available to Forces Command soldiers, the Training and Doctrine Command has developed a Sergeant Audie Murphy Club to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of its noncommissioned officers. "The reason TRADOC is implementing the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club is to level the playing field for all soldiers assigned in the Continental United States," said Command Sgt. Maj. Howard V. Rathmann, Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee command sergeant major. "To give everyone a fair chance, TRADOC is determined to provide soldiers with a similar opportunity by developing a similar program." Named for the most decorated soldier of World War II, the program is almost identical to FORSCOM's Sergeant Audie Murphy Club and U.S. Army Europe's Sergeant Morales Club. "Our NCOs deserve to be recognized for their extraordinary contributions to TRADOC and the Army," said TRADOC Command Sgt. Maj. James C. McKinney in a TRADOC news release. "Induction into the TRADOC Sergeant Audie Murphy Club will also make our NCOs competitive with their counterparts in FORSCOM and USAREUR. "Membership in the Audie Murphy Club can be a discriminator when equally qualified NCOs are being considered for promotions and for career enhancing assignments and training," McKinney continued. "Now our high quality NCOs will have a chance to be competitive with other commands' NCOs who have won these honors." "I think being a Sergeant Audie Murphy Club member assisted me when I was being selected to sergeant first class," said Master Sgt. Samuel D. Sims, Directorate of Information Management communications information supervisor. Belonging to one of the clubs is not only beneficial to the member, but also to future members. "When I was inducted into the Sergeant Morales Club in 1981, there were very few females in the club," said Sgt. Maj. Greta Brayboy-Polk, Fort Lee Adjutant General sergeant major. "I think my membership in the club helped encourage future females to go through the boards."
How it Works Command sergeants major at TRADOC installations will manage the local Audie Murphy Club programs. Soldiers with the rank of corporal through sergeant first class are eligible for membership. Army National Guard and Army Reserve NCOs attached or assigned to TRADOC units can also become Sergeant Audie Murphy Club members. "The soldiers who I see selected to the Sergeant Morales Club are NCOs who truly care for their soldiers, and look out for their welfare while providing exceptional leadership and superior training," said Rathmann, who has been a Morales member since 1980. Commanders must nominate eligible soldiers who have consistently demonstrated the highest leadership qualities, professionalism and care for their soldiers' welfare. "It's taking care of soldiers and knowing them. It's knowing how to motivate them individually," said Brayboy-Polk. "Some soldiers just do the mission. There are some who you have to give an incentive to get the job done. And there are others you have to lead by the hand. You need to know what motivates your soldiers." "It's not designed because you want to get promoted someday and you think that's the way to do it," said Hopper. "That's not what it's about."
Not Your Typical Board Nominees will meet a screening board. Those who are selected by that board then go before a board composed of command and staff sergeants major, according to TRADOC's news release. The board process is to be recommended by the chain of command, then soldiers must appear before boards at battalion, brigade or group, and finally at the MG command level, said Rathmann. These boards are different from other boards as soldiers must be unanimously selected by all members of each board or they do not go any further. The questions asked are situational, giving difficult leadership problems by way of scenario and asking for the correct response. "It's a hard process. At each board Ñ it is not like a typical board, like a promotion board Ñ they ask you questions that there's not an automatic reply for. For example, they don't ask what regulation covers the appearance of the uniform," said Hopper. "They dig a little deeper. They ask you situational questions. You're stationed in Europe, for example, you have a soldier who just got there. You didn't know he was coming; he just landed at the airport. He has a wife, two kids and a dog; he has no money, no POV and no housing arrangements set up: What do you do for him? They ask questions like that. Something that as a leader you would have to search in your mind to figure out what to do with this guy. And you don't have a lot of time to reply. Because if you're actually applying that stuff and using it on a daily basis, you're going to know the answer." The leaders who sit on the boards are all prior club members, so they know what they're looking for. "I think that if you're Sergeant Audie Murphy Club material you automatically carry yourself differently," said Sgt. Craig Joseph Kelly, 555th Military Police Company. "You're a step ahead of everyone else."
Recognizing Outstanding Achievements What the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club comes down to is a way to reward good leaders for taking care of their soldiers. "The clubs are a way to identify NCOs that have demonstrated leadership qualities," said Sgt. 1st Class Terrence Culler, Fort Lee Provost Marshal Office. "It identifies a soldier who really takes care of his soldiers, takes care of himself and takes care of the mission. It is not just succeeding, but excelling." Membership in either of these organizations is an outstanding achievement; membership in both represents a truly stellar level of NCO performance, according to a Sergeant Audie Murphy Board FORSCOM circular. Hopper is a member of both. "You have to take care of your soldiers, know their welfare Ñ you have to know your soldiers inside and out," Hopper said. "You have to know, for example, simple stuff, like if you have a soldier who is married, you have to know his wife's birthday and their anniversary. So if at all possible, you can get that day off for them." NCOs chosen for the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club receive certificates of achievement and membership. The achievement certificates can become part of the soldiers' personnel files. A membership card and medallion, which can be worn at club functions with the Class A uniform, are also awarded. "The clubs are for people who really enjoy the Army," said Kelly. "Those who really enjoy training soldiers, who have high standards and motivation."
Anybody Can Do It "You have to know your soldiers' basic needs: simple things ... you'd be surprised at the things in the leader's book. It might sound kind of silly, but it all rolls into one," said Hopper. Brayboy-Polk agreed. She kept a leader's book on all the soldiers she supervised. "But, it's more than that, too. The book would give you statistics, but the things you really needed to know you learned from your interaction with the soldier." When Polk was stationed in Europe, she and her fellow soldiers bonded together because of the foreign environment they were in. "We worked together, went to the field together and socialized together," she said. Getting involved with their soldiers' lives is a common denominator with each club member, whether overseas or in CONUS. "We have to cover all the basics," said Sims. "Taking care of soldiers covers everything ... insuring that soldiers are well-trained; involving yourself with their jobs; making sure they are physically fit; keeping them up-to-date in weapons qualifications, common-task training; enhancing their military careers and civilian educations; and knowing about their families. We have to involve ourselves in every aspect of their lives." "Anybody can do it; all they have to do is start applying themselves: taking correspondence, going before boards," said Hopper. "Then once they're in a supervisory capacity Ñ even an E-4 can be a supervisor Ñ then the important thing is to take care of your soldiers." History of the clubs
The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club and the Sergeant Morales Club are similar in many respects, both being elite clubs for exemplary NCOs who meet the challenges of leadership and caring for soldiers.
Sgt. Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy was the highest decorated soldier in American history. He was a legend in his own time: a war hero, movie actor, country-and-western song writer, poet. He was refused enlistment into the Marines and Paratroopers during World War II for being too small (just under 5'6') and underweight (110 pounds). On his 18th birthday he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Army training commanders wanted to make him a cook or clerk, but Murphy insisted on an infantry assignment. In 1943, he was shipped overseas as a member of Company B, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. He fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany and was decorated after nearly every battle, receiving just about every U.S. medal, including the Medal of Honor, and several from other countries. After the Army he went to Hollywood at the invitation of James Cagney. He acted in 44 films, starring in 39 of them, most of the westerns. His most notable role was in a combat film, 'To Hell and Back.' He played the part of Audie Leon Murphy. He wrote the lyrics to 16 country-and-western songs, the most popular of which was 'Shutters and Boards.' Murphy died in a private plane crash on May 28, 1971 in the mountains overlooking Roanoke, Va. His body was recovered two days later ... on Memorial Day. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sgt. Morales The Sergeant Morales Club is an exclusive organization of noncommissioned officers whose demonstrated performance is characterized by that of Sgt. Morales, a fictitious NCO who, as a squad leader, consistently demonstrated the highest qualities of leadership, professionalism, and a regard for the welfare of the soldier. Sgt. Morales was the proverbial 98-pound weakling, did not finish high school, and had only a limited command of the English language (he was of Puerto Rican descent), but he strove for and achieved the highest caliber of leadership. He kept a leader's notebook containing personal data (problems, family, background, education, etc.) and a soldier's job book describing the proficiency of each soldier. He began his duty day by joining his soldiers at their barracks each morning. Morales participated in physical training with them, ate his meals in the unit dining facility, organized and supervised work details and prepared the squad for the day's training requirements. Morales led by example. He showed true concern for his soldiers and their family members. He took great pride in his soldiers, his unit, his country. He was a leader. (Author's Note: Since the initial research for this article, Sgt. 1st Class Terrence Culler has retired and is residing in Georgia, and Staff Sgt. John Hopper is fulfilling his short-term goal in drill sergeant school at Fort McClellan, Ala.)
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