JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence welcomed Command Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Jackson II as the 16th commandant of the Medical NCO Academy Institution of Excellence at a change of responsibility ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Jan 19.
Jackson comes to MEDCoE from serving as the 1st Medical Brigade Command Sergeant Major at Fort Hood, Texas. He replaces Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Earle at the helm of the Medical NCOA as he transitions to retirement.
J.M. Harmon III, MEDCoE deputy to the commanding general, officiated over the event held at the Army Medical Department Museum. Due to illness, Earle was not able to attend the ceremony in person.
“Though it is hard to say goodbye to such an outstanding leader, changes in responsibility are a time-honored tradition that ensures our mission and our values endure,” Harmon said. “Although the NCOA mission is daunting, I have to tell you under Command Sgt. Maj. Earle’s guidance, they are an extremely successful team.
“Your timing and professional demeanor were spot-on and just what the NCOA needed as we navigated the added stressors and challenges associated with the global pandemic over the last two years. CSM Earle, you have been a terrific commandant and great leader,” Harmon added.
Among his accomplishments as 15th Medical NCOA commandant, Earle developed training plans to ensure that each team member was trained in the cross-functional areas and remained competent, capable and inspired. These efforts resulted in uninterrupted training to AMEDD NCOs stationed across the globe.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this team created one of the first COVID-19 distancing protocols that were described as an installation best practice and subsequently implemented at the installation level during the first few critical weeks of the pandemic.
In addition, after the COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use, Earle and the team focused on ensuring the health of the unit, as well as that of the surrounding community, were protected by ensuring a near 100% COVID-19 vaccination rate within the NCOA.
“Command Sgt. Maj. Earle, good luck to you and your family as you transition to a well-deserved retirement,” Harmon said in his closing comments. “I know you will excel in anything you do in the future and will continue to be a friend and supporter of Army Medicine and the MEDCoE mission.”
“As I’m honored to serve as the 16th commandant of the Medical NCOA, being entrusted to this mission to provide the institutional development of our noncommissioned officers is a noble mission and one that I gladly accept,” Jackson said as he addressed the audience.
“I look forward to serving the Soldiers, and when I say Soldiers, everybody is a Soldier,” Jackson said. “It doesn’t matter what rank you hold on your chest; you are a Soldier to somebody. I am proud to serve with all the Soldiers and civilians at the NCO Academy and continue to provide the foundation needed for our noncommissioned officers. I’m looking forward to being part of the Medical Center of Excellence team. Backbone Seven signing on.”
The Medical NCO Academy Institution of Excellence provides sergeants, staff sergeants and sergeants first class with the technical, tactical, and leadership/trainer skills necessary to be successful in Army operations as squad/platoon sergeants and first sergeants in career management field (CMF) 68.
Leadership and professional skills are reinforced in a blended learning environment enhanced by technology. Courses consist of resident training, mobile training and distributed learning platforms designed to influence and provide the leadership foundation upon which the Army bases its future NCOs and is essential to growing a highly trained and effective fighting force.
To learn more about the Medical NCOA, visit https://medcoe.army.mil/ncoa-new.