Photo by Louis E. Bass, Directorate of Information Management First sergeants of Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Center Brigade participate in reveille on Veterans Day in front of the Heaton Pavilion at WRAMC to honor those who served, are serving, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

The ceremony is usually conducted by junior noncommissioned officers and Soldiers. However, on this day, the senior noncommissioned officers who participated in the ceremony said they did so to honor those who served and are serving in the U.S. military, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their service.

‘‘I know personally the pain of losing a Soldier in combat, and the terrible silence after calling their memorial roll call,” said Master Sgt. Richard E. Bates, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of operations for Walter Reed’s Medical Center Brigade.

‘‘What better way to say ‘thank-you’ for their service than to get up on Veterans Day and raise the colors of our great nation?,” added 1st Sgt. Elizabeth Everett, of Headquarters Company.

MCB Command Sgt. Maj. Stoney N. Crump said the brigade’s first sergeants are always making things happen behind the scenes, and the reveille ceremony was no exception.

‘‘They lead from the front, and will demand no more from their Soldiers than they are willing to give of themselves,” Crump said. ‘‘They teach, coach, mentor and provide direction to the staff NCOs and junior enlisted Soldiers, who were also part of this event.”

‘‘One definition of leadership is to motivate and inspire,” Crump added. ‘‘I feel they accomplished this on Veterans Day, as well as every day they serve the Soldiers and civilians of Walter Reed. They are truly committed and dedicated to the mission, unit and welfare of Soldiers.”

Crump said the first sergeants are what some people call the ‘‘mothers and fathers” of the units. ‘‘They are responsible for the readiness, training, morale, esprit de corps, safety and welfare of Soldiers and their families.

‘‘They have to maintain the good order and discipline in the unit, while ensuring their Soldiers have the utmost confidence that they will never lead them astray,” Crump said.

‘‘The first sergeant is the epitome of selfless service,” said 1st Sgt. Isaac Day II of Charlie Company. ‘‘Taking care of each Soldier is a must, regardless of if he or she is enlisted or officer. Every Soldier has a mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter who expects for us to take care of their loved one.”

First Sgt. Carl Vickers, of Bravo Company, said that as a young private, he set a goal to become a first sergeant. ‘‘As a young private, I had an awesome first sergeant, and I told myself that one day, I would be a first sergeant so that I could help Soldiers just as he had done.”

‘‘Leadership is something that is grown, mentored and developed; it is not something that happens naturally,” Vickers said. He added that part of his leadership philosophy is to ‘‘respect Soldiers as people first.”

‘‘Soldiers must see you walk the walk, sharing the same hardships and dangers as they do; only then will you be a leader,” said Bates, who was a first sergeant in a Forward Support Company with the 101st Airborne Division and led more than 100 mounted and dismounted patrols in Afghanistan last year.

‘‘I believe that a NCO should be on TOP of everything,” Day said, explaining that TOP stands for Train (your Soldiers to accomplish the mission); Observe (your Soldiers); and Perform (‘‘all NCOs must be able to perform all the tasks they are training their subordinates to perform”).

First Sgt. Timothy C. Crutchfield, of Alpha Company, said he advises his troops to always strive to be the best that they can be. ‘‘Everyone has a huge repository of potential that needs only to be tapped into. Allow people the opportunity to try. No one can be successful unless given the opportunity.”

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., said NCOs have been the glue that keeps the Army together, which is why this year is being celebrated as the Year of the NCO.

‘‘The NCO is the backbone of the Army,” Everett agreed. ‘‘The U.S. Army is what it is today because of the NCO Corps, and celebrating the Year of the NCO is a good way to recognize the excellence of NCOs, past and present, and motivate those of the future.”

Casey said the Army set out to show its appreciation this year to NCOs on three tracks — to recognize them for what they provide the Army and country; to inform the country about what a national asset it has in NCOs; and to enhance what the Army can do for NCOs.

‘‘When you go around the world and talk to different armies, they say they want to be like us, like our sergeants,” Casey said.

‘‘NCOs are a vital part of this Army,” said 1st Sgt. Ted A. Lewis of Student Company. ‘‘As NCOs, our job never ends. As long as NCOs are in the Army, we will continue to provide the training, welfare and professional growth to Soldiers and officers.”

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston said the Year of the NCO provides an opportunity for the Army to showcase the contributions of the NCO Corps. ‘‘It’s those noncommissioned officers out there every day who are not only winning the fight on the global war on terror, they’re also the ones who directly influence their piece of the Army by being the first line supervisor for Soldiers who they are responsible for. They’re the ones who create command climate and train the Soldiers in their occupational specialties.”

‘‘The U.S. Army is one of the greatest organizations on this earth, and I am proud to be just a small part of it,” Lewis said.