Page 2 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior 6-5-15

2 High Desert Warrior
June 5, 2015
Leadership
NTC bids farewell to post CSM, hails interim
Story and photos by Leslie Ozawa
Public Affairs Office
In a ceremony here April 30, Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen
Travers relinquished responsibility of serving as the National
Training Center’s senior enlisted advisor to its commanding
general, Brig. Gen. Joseph Martin.
Assuming the duties of overseeing the policies, standards,
and conduct of all Soldiers serving on Fort Irwin is former
NTC Operations Group Command Sgt. Maj. Noe Salinas.
He now serves as NTC’s interim command sergeant major.
Travers’ next assignment takes him to Fort Eustis, Va., as
the senior enlisted advisor at the Army Capabilities Integra-
tion Center (ARCIC).
In addressing the more than 200 Soldiers, civilian employees
and military family members at a ceremony held at Sandy Basin
Community Center, Martin praised Travers, saying, “Steve,
you’ve helped guide NTC through a ‘goliath’ transition, a
transition from counter-insurgency training to decisive action,
[which] we lead the Army with that today.”
“Soldier Readiness and Resiliency – you established the
Desert Strong program, created an incredible handbook that
stands for resiliency for all installation Soldiers and families,” as an Infantryman in 1985. His previous non-commissioned
Martin said. “And for that, we are truly grateful.”
Martin noted how Travers had impacted the NTC: “Soldier
morale is high at NTC. Our Soldiers enjoy coming to work
each day.”
Martin also thanked Travers’ wife Kathi for her volunteer
work at the museum here, for helping raise thousands of dollars
for local charities and scholarships, and for being “a superb
mentor” for spouses and Fort Irwin’s Family Readiness Groups.
In his farewell speech, Travers thanked NTC subordinate
commands and the BOSS program for their work in support-
ing Fort Irwin Soldiers and families and commented, “Your
Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership. Not good
leadership, not OK leadership, not when-nobody’s-looking-
leadership, but outstanding leadership ... we are all responsible
… because that’s where it’s all about.”
Travers, a native of Massachusetts, entered the Army as an
Infantryman in 1986 and previously served at Fort Irwin as a
task force command sergeant major trainer with Operations
Group’s Tarantula Team, and as the 11th Armored Cavalry business administration.
National Training Center and Fort Irwin Commander Brig. Gen. Joseph
Martin congratulates Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen Travers. Travers received a Commander Brig. Gen. Joseph Martin presented
Legion of Merit award for his service to the NTC as post command sergeant
major from November 2013 to April 2015.
For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil
www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin
Interim post command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Noe Salinas High Desert Warrior, a civilian enterprise newspaper, is
Regiment command sergeant major.
Salinas, a native of Brownsville, Texas, entered that Army
officer assignments have taken him to Fork Polk; Camp Casey,
Korea; Fort Hood, and; Ledward Barracks and Grafenwoehr
in Germany. He deployed to Operation Just Cause, Kosovo,
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
His military training includes the sniper course, air assault
course, battle staff course, drill sergeant course, rappel master
course, Bradley master gunner course, basic mountaineering
course, and Army combatives level 1-2.
Salinas’ awards include the Legion of Merit, four Bronze
Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, six Meritorious Service
Medals, six Army Commendation Medals, and seven Army
Achievement Medals. He is a member of the Order of Saint
Maurice and the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. He has a
bachelor of science in business administration from Tuoro
International University and is pursuing a master’s degree in
National Training Center and Fort Irwin
a Commanders Award to Kathi Travers, spouse of
Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen Travers.
WHO WE ARE
Brig. Gen. Joseph Martin
Commanding General
Command Sgt. Maj. Noe Salinas
Post CSM
Col. Jon P. Braga
Garrison Commander
Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos Esmurria
Garrison CSM
Pamela Portland
Public Affairs Director
High Desert Warrior Staff
Gustavo Bahena, Editor
(760) 380-2452
Leslie Ozawa, Staff Writer/Photographer
(760) 380-3450
Jason Miller, Staff Writer/Photographer
(760) 380-3073
Agustin Rodriguez, Editorial Assistant
agustin.rodriguez1@us.army.mil
Aerotech News
Emma Uribe, Graphic Designer
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