November 5, 2012
By Recruiting Command Public Affairs
FORT KNOX, Ky. — U.S. Army Recruiting Command’s top NCOs and civilian employees for Fiscal Year 2012 collected their trophies during a ceremony Nov. 2 at Patton Museum’s Abrams Auditorium.
The Army Reserve Recruiting NCO of the Year is Sgt. 1st Class Mariela Richardson of the Denver Recruiting Battalion.
A combat medic assigned as a medical recruiter in Indianapolis, Sgt. 1st Class Krystal Jarrett is the Regular Army Recruiting NCO of the Year.
Recruiting Center Commander of the Year is Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Barbaresi of the Lynchburg, Va., Recruiting Center.
Serving in Recruiting Command since March 2011, the First Sergeant of the Year is 1st Sgt. Jonathan Jackson from the Gainesville, Fla., Recruiting Company.
Also during the ceremony, which was broadcast across the command by VTC, USAREC Commanding General Maj. Gen. David L. Mann and Command Sgt. Maj. Todd Moore inducted 24 Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) members.
“Today I can stand here and, without hesitation, certify these individuals not only meet, but they exceed the credentials to be Army Professionals,” said Moore, who presided over both the annual awards and SAMC boards. “I challenge all of you, Civilians and Soldiers, to get back to your units and make a difference. Sharpen your Soldiers and your units. The future of our Army begins with you; invest the time in forging your formations and they will forge our Army.”
The Outstanding Supervisory Employee of the Year, Vennice Furlow, is chief of the Distributed Learning Division for the Army Recruiting and Retention School – Forward at the USAREC headquarters.
Hardinsburg, Ky., native Denise Clark, who’s worked in the USAREC Headquarters Civilian Personnel Management Division since 2009, is the Outstanding Technical/Program Support Employee of the Year.
The Outstanding Administrative Support Employee of the Year is Karen Neumann, the executive assistant at Albany Recruiting Battalion since 2006. Also from Albany is the Outstanding Professional Employee of the Year, Joe Newfrock, an education services specialist.
The Outstanding Program Specialist Employee of the Year is Charone Monday, a public affairs specialist with the Columbus Recruiting Battalion.
The SAMC inductees represent 20 of USAREC’s 44 recruiting battalions.
1st Recruiting Brigade
Staff Sgt. Michael Mastrangelo, Harrisburg Recruiting Battalion
Staff Sgt. Anthony Tricarico, Albany Recruiting Battalion
Sgt. Sandra Cook, Syracuse Recruiting Battalion
2nd Recruiting Brigade
Staff Sgt. Jonathan Currea, Tampa Recruiting Battalion
Staff Sgt. Branden Nethken, Columbia Recruiting Battalion
Staff Sgt. Desire Orta-Sanchez, Jacksonville Recruiting Battalion
3rd Recruiting Brigade
Sgt. 1st Class Erik Andresen, Nashville Battalion
Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Diediker, Minneapolis Recruiting Battalion
Sgt. 1st Class Dennis Robinson, Cleveland Recruiting Battalion
Staff Sgt. Finees Agrait, Chicago Recruiting Battalion
Staff Sgt. Carmelo Angel-Neri, Columbus Recruiting Battalion
Staff Sgt. James Zumhingst, Indianapolis Recruiting Battalion
Sgt. Gary Ripka, Indianapolis Recruiting Battalion
5th Recruiting Brigade
Staff Sgt. Mellissa Ward, Houston Recruiting Battalion
Sgt. Katie Boesch, Kansas City Recruiting Battalion
6th Recruiting Brigade
Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Jones, Sacramento Recruiting Battalion
Staff Sgt. Kandy Flores, Portland Recruiting Battalion
Staff Sgt. Pedro Mckinnie, Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion
Sgt. Gary Piontek, Seattle Recruiting Battalion
Medical Recruiting Brigade
Sgt. 1st Class Miah Saunders, 2nd Medical Recruiting Battalion
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Voldarski, Special Operations Recruiting Battalion