Oldest NCO Academy Honors Grafenwoehr GM
The Army’s oldest Non-Commissioned Officer academy recently honored Grafenwoehr Exchange General Manager Brian Smith.
In January, Command Sgt. Maj. James Holmes, commandant, 7th Army NCO Academy presented Smith with a special plaque for the Exchange’s outstanding service and support for academy trainees.
“The plaque we received is called the ‘Backbone’ award because the Exchange helps carry them,” Smith said. “We are leaders serving leaders. It was an honor to have received it.”
Command Sgt. Maj. James Holmes, commandant, 7th Army NCO Academy, presents Grafenwoehr Exchange General Manager Brian Smith with a “Backbone” award for the Exchange’s outstanding service and support for academy trainees. “[It’s] called the ‘Backbone’ award because the Exchange helps carry them,” Smith said. “We are leaders serving leaders. It was an honor to have received it.”
Twice a week for three hours a day, the Grafenwoehr Exchange team opens the Normandy Express exclusively for trainees to shop for snacks, personal hygiene items and other essentials. The Express serves nearly 129 Soldiers each day.
Besides the Express, the Soldiers have limited access to shopping during training. Luckily for the troops, the Normandy Express is conveniently located directly across the street from the NCO Academy.
Smith credits Main Store Manager Kyle Omler for making sure trainees can find what they need.
“While I accepted the award, it’s a complete community effort from my team,” said Smith, who celebrated 25 years with the Exchange on Feb. 8.
The Normandy Express is not the only way the Smith’s team takes care of trainees. The Exchange offers a barbershop and a SIM card movie program. The service provides the installation a memory card preloaded with 16 movies each month, improving the quality of recreation time and boosting morale.
“Our job is to make our service members feel at home,” Smith said. “It’s an honor to fulfill the Exchange’s ‘we go where you go’ promise.”
