Eleena Fikhman Brig. Gen. Sean J. Byrne, commanding general, Human Resources Command and Command Sgt. Maj. John F. Gathers, HRC command sergeant major, sign the proclamation naming Oct. 23, 2009, the ‘‘Day of the Noncommissioned Officer.”

The event took place in the Hoffman movie theater complex, where a slide show of HRC Soldiers played on the big screen as Soldiers and civilians made their way over from the Hoffman Building in Alexandria, Va. Fourteen NCOs dressed in uniforms from the Revolutionary War to the Persian Gulf War, as well as special units like the Buffalo Soldiers and Tuskegee Airmen, added extra atmosphere to the ceremony.

The inspiration for the proclamation came from Joint Resolution 111-61, which was signed by President Barack Obama Aug. 19, ‘‘recognizing the service, sacrifice, honor and professionalism of the noncommissioned officers of the United States Army.”

Byrne spoke about what such a resolution said about the Army’s noncommissioned officer corps.

‘‘Clearly, the declaring of 2009 as the Year of the NCO is an acknowledgement from the American people of the trust and respect they have for our noncommissioned officers, and the role that you have played for well over 230 years in building, developing and improving our country and ensuring it stays free,” Byrne said.

As a Soldier who was drafted and rose to the rank of sergeant before becoming an officer, Byrne spoke from experience about the changes the NCO Corps have undergone since the ’70s.

‘‘I came into an Army [whose] noncommissioned officer corps had lost credibility,” Byrne said. ‘‘But I’m proud to say I was in an Army that transformed itself completely. We rebuilt the noncommissioned officer corps ... We developed a professional noncommissioned officer corps, of which you are all leaders.”

After Byrne spoke, he signed the proclamation along with Gathers, who spoke afterwards about the role NCOs fill today.

‘‘Noncommissioned officers have always had a role inside our Army. The role you fill today is a legacy of many noncommissioned officers who gave all, and some gave a lot. Some gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Gathers said.

A specific NCO was honored at the ceremony, as Master Sgt. Terry Constantine was awarded the Army Achievement Medal. Working at the Atlanta Personnel Assistance Point in the Atlanta Airport, he saved a life of a fellow servicemember.

A woman lost consciousness while in the office, and was not breathing when Constantine arrived. Constantine performed CPR on the servicemember until medical help arrived.

‘‘It was a nice surprise to be recognized here,” said Constantine. ‘‘As an NCO, I’m also proud that our skills are being recognized this year.”

In his concluding remarks, Byrne remembered the change undergone by the NCO corps in the past decades, and expressed great pride in what it has become.

‘‘The noncommissioned officer corps that the United States Army has is the pride and envy of armies all around the world,” Byrne said. ‘‘What I saw in the noncommissioned officer corps is just as relevant to me today as they were a lot of years ago: great leaders doing great things in a professional Army. That’s what you are all about.”