By ROGER M. RAEL
The Raton Range
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Leadership in the New Mexico National Guard is not measured by rank alone. It is measured by the soldiers guided, the standards upheld and the example left behind.
Sgt. 1st Class Robert Wingo formally relinquished his duties as senior enlisted leader of India Company, 141st Brigade Support Battalion, during a change of responsibility ceremony Aug. 22 at the Las Cruces Readiness Center.
Capt. Mallory Tucker, commander of India Company, presided over the ceremony as Wingo transferred responsibility to 1st Sgt. Juan Núñez.
The ceremony marked more than a change in leadership. It represented the passing of responsibility for the training, discipline, readiness, and welfare of the company’s soldiers. As senior enlisted leader, Wingo served as an important connection between the company commander and the soldiers carrying out the unit’s mission.
Military leadership often happens away from public view. It is found during long training days, difficult decisions, and the quiet moments when an experienced leader helps a younger soldier find direction. The Aug. 22 ceremony publicly recognized that responsibility and the trust placed in those selected to carry it.
Nuñez now assumes the responsibility of helping lead India Company into its next chapter while building upon the foundation established by Wingo and those who served before him.
For Wingo, the ceremony closed an important chapter but did not erase the influence of his leadership. The standards a senior enlisted leader establishes can remain within a unit long after the formal transfer is complete.
The uniforms, formations and traditions reflected the discipline of military service, while the presence of fellow soldiers and family members served as a reminder that no Guard member serves alone.
The ceremony lasted only a short time. The example Wingo leaves with India Company may endure much longer.
Information and photographs provided by the New Mexico National Guard. Photographs courtesy of Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Poccia, state command sergeant major.
