Albuquerque MEPS' Sergeant Audie Murphy Club members serve at annual homeless shelter event

  • Published
  • By Maj. Craig Nordskog
  • Albuquerque MEPS
KIRTLAND AFB, NM --  On Dec. 20, Albuquerque Military Entrance and Processing Station staff members volunteered at Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest homeless shelter. The event at the Albuquerque Convention Center fed approximately 1,500 homeless and hungry people from across the metro area. Maj. Craig Nordskog, MEPS commander, Sgt. 1st Class Martin Lucero, MEPS Human Resources Assistant and Staff Sgt. Quentin Benally, MEPS Human Resources Assistant, participated in this annual event.

Joy Junction provides safe and warm shelter to as many as 300 homeless individuals every night, including as many as 60 to 80 children. Each month, the organization serves more than 16,000 meals. Each year, Joy Junction is able to serve about 200,000 meals thanks to the generous contributions of citizens and businesses throughout the city. In 2012, Joy Junction provided about 50,000 more meals to homeless individuals than in 2011, and 2013 exceed that total.

Lucero and Benally are upstanding and longtime members of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, a private U.S. Army organization for noncommissioned officers only. Those NCOs whose leadership achievements and performance merit special recognition may possibly earn the reward of membership. As a minimum, members must exemplify leadership characterized by personal concern for the needs, training, development, and welfare of Soldiers and concern for families of Soldiers. If an NCO meets these prerequisites, the soldier may then be recommended by his noncommissioned officer chain of command to participate in the rigorous board examination process.

This prestigious club is comprised of the top 2 percent of Army NCOs. They are selected to the club based on demonstrated leadership, professionalism, and overall general military knowledge. These NCOs demonstrate their excellence on a daily basis. Each sergeant is responsible for the training and welfare of the Soldiers in his or her care. These distinguished NCOs directly influence each person who works under them. Each member constantly displays a positive attitude at work and is an upstanding citizen in the community. It is an honor to be a member of this elite club.

Sergeant Audie Leon Murphy was one of the most famous and decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He was awarded every U.S. military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, and was decorated by France and Belgium. He served in the Mediterranean and European Theater of Operations. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for his defensive actions against German troops on January 26, 1945, at the Colmar Pocket near Holtzwihr, France. During an hour-long siege, he stood alone on a burning tank destroyer, firing a machine gun at attacking German soldiers and tanks. Wounded and out of ammunition, Murphy climbed off the tank, refused medical attention, and led his men on a successful counterattack.

The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club is a non-profit organization committed to contributing to the community. The club does charity work for the homeless, helps the elderly, assists the handicapped, and works to provide a better life for everyone in the community. The club continually raises money for activities either by donation or through fundraising activities.

Lucero and Benally work in the MEPS Operations Section, receiving and processing new applicants daily. They conduct aptitude testing and perform background screening to ensure moral character provisions are met for enlistment in the military services, while providing the means to access into the military services those applicants accepted for enlistment or commissioning by the sponsoring military service into active, Reserve or Guard military service. They thoroughly conduct quality reviews of enlistment documents and interview applicants to assist recruiting services in preventing fraudulent entry into the military services, and ensuring arrangements are made for the movement of enlistees from MEPS to reception or initial duty stations designated by the sponsoring recruiting service.

Sergeant Audie Murphy members are charged to uphold the longstanding traditions of volunteer support to their community. Lucero and Benally have set the example and are the epitome of Sergeant Audie Murphy's values.