USAREUR names top soldier,
noncommissioned officer of the year
Special to Stars and Stripes
Arthur McQueen, USAREUR PAO
USAREUR's Commanding General, Montgomery C. Meigs, pins the Army Commendation Medal on
Pfc. Brandie R. Padel, United States Army Europe Soldier of the Year.
Arthur McQueen, USAREUR PAO
Staff Sgt. Benjamin A. Barnes receives a hug from his wife after being named
USAREUR's Noncommissioned Officer of the Year at the Tenth Annual Soldiers' Banquet in
Heidelberg, Germany. |
HEIDELBERG, Germany — U.S. Army Europe named its top soldier
and noncommissioned officer of the year Friday at the 10th annual Soldiers’ Banquet.
Pfc. Brandie R. Padel, 13th MP Company, 22nd Area Support Group of
Vicenza, Italy, was named soldier of the year.
She attributed her success to motivation: "I learned to be
disciplined, to appreciate what I had, and strive to do better."
Staff Sgt. Benjamin Barnes, 5th Quartermaster Company of the
21st Theater Support Group in Kaiserslautern, Germany, was picked as the top
noncommissioned officer.
Said Barnes, a parachute rigger: "It hasn’t really sunk in
yet."
Padel and Barnes received Army Commendation Medals from USAREUR
Commanding Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, who said: "As we celebrate these outstanding
soldiers, remember that they are the special tip of a large iceberg of great
soldiers."
The two winners received other rewards as well, including $3,000 in
savings bonds from several sources, vacation time at a luxury hotel, a set of dress blues,
and — like all eight finalists — commander’s coins from Meigs.
Three other soldiers and noncommissioned officers attended the banquet
as finalists, representing several commands within USAREUR.
The USAREUR Chorus provided entertainment, with renditions of "When
We Were Needed," "Proud To Be An American" and "I Will Be Your
Shield."
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