Photo by Louis E. Bass, DOIM Photo Lab Northern Regional Medical Command (Provisional) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center Command Sgt. Maj. James Diggs, and Commanding General Maj. Gen. Carla G. Hawley-Bowland present the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club medallion to Staff Sgt. Gustavo Ruiz during the SAMC induction ceremony Nov. 13 in Bldg. 1’s Vorder Bruegge Auditorium.

The club is named after the most highly decorated U.S. Soldier of World War II. He earned the Medal of Honor, military’s highest award for valor, along with more than 30 other U.S. and foreign medals and citations during his 27 months of combat action.

‘‘[SAMC] is about giving,” said Command Sgt. Maj. James Diggs, Norther Regional Medical Command (Provisional) command sergeant major. ‘‘They’re motivated, they’re super leaders, and they’ve taken on the rigor of going through a series of boards and were inducted into a prestigious club.”

Just a small number of Soldiers make it through the rigorous set of evaluations. Knowledge required for the boards includes how to care for people, regulations and post policies, how to be legally, ethically and morally correct in anything that you do, and your willingness to give back to the community. Much of this knowledge is intangible.

‘‘These are individuals that routinely give back to the community and to the generations that have gone before us. I would venture to say that you won’t find another club that is more dedicated in regards to that respect than the prestigious Audie Murphy Club itself,” Diggs said.

Each of NCOs was introduced by one of their Soldiers who gave testimony to the leadership of the inductee.

‘‘[Master Sgt. Keisha] White is the kind of NCO whose actions speak for her,” Staff Sgt. George Foster, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the Blood Donor Center, said of the B Company Soldier. ‘‘She’s always poised, calm, and collect no matter the situation... she’s real. What you see is what you get.

‘‘She put me in charge of my section without micromanaging. I want to thank you because that style of mentorship is really effective.”

Staff Sgt. Scott Schumacher, NCOIC of Ward 65, knew his SAMC-inductee when he was a specialist training for his LPN. ‘‘Sgt. 1st Class Shaun Miles is the only NCO I know that’s able to squeeze 25 hours out of a 24-hour day,” Schumacher said.

‘‘I honestly don’t know how you do it and find the time, but I honestly thank you for what you do because you have made me a better Soldier and this is a better installation because of it,” he said.

Spc. Wonetta Thomas, Nutritional Care Division, was having trouble passing the two-mile run portion of the Army Physical Fitness Test when she was sent to her SAMC-inductee, Sgt. 1st Class Todd Turner, for help.

‘‘I began to lose faith in my ability and had really gotten down on myself,” she said. ‘‘[Turner] helped me reestablish my faith in myself. He exercised patience and understanding with me consistently.

‘‘I would not be HQ Soldier of the Month, going to promotion board or attending [Warrior Leader Course] if it were not for the contributions of Sgt. 1st Class Turner.”

Sgt. Rudolfo Agustin, WRAMC brigade command, was especially proud of his Sgt. Audie Murphy Club inductee for being accepted into the prestigious club as a then-sergeant.

‘‘I saw him studying so hard,” he said of Staff Sgt. Anton Arbatov, HQ Co. ‘‘You’re mentorship and your dedication is something everyone should aspire to.”

As a patient at WRAMC, Master Sgt. David Little’s SAMC-inductee is his squad leader Staff Sgt. Shad Lorenz. For the last nine months Lorenz has been helping Little with the administrative portions of his recovery.

‘‘He is doing everything he can to get me back on my feet and back in the fight,” Little said. ‘‘Everyday he tackles his mission as if it’s the only thing that mattered... I can assure you and every member of the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club that Staff Sgt. Lorenz will not let you down.”

Sgt. Tamika Wright is equally proud of her SAMC-inductee Staff Sgt. Gustavo Ruiz, Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Clinic, Ft. Meade, Md.

‘‘He expresses his loyalty daily,” she said. ‘‘Especially for being here today after pulling a 24-hour duty last night.”

‘‘He doesn’t tell his Soldiers to simply pass their PT test, but he personally runs with each and every one of his Soldiers; sometimes twice a day.”