Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, U.S. Central Command, hands the NCO sword to Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill during an assumption of command ceremony held at Mac Dill AFB, Fla., Jan. 30.
MAC DILL AFB, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2009) – Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, U.S. Central Command, passed on the saber to Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill in an assumption of responsibility ceremony Friday.
Days prior to taking officially taking over as the new senior enlisted leader, Hill said his intent was to gain an appreciation for what the personnel assigned to USCENTCOM do in support of the fight and for them to gain confidence in him and his commitment to them.
“First and foremost, my goal is to expand the impact that the commander has in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility and to ‘Give Energy’ to the force. Some of my actions will be in the form of assisting the staff in anticipating the needs of the troopers engaged in the fight,” said the Memphis, Tenn. native. “I want noncommissioned officers to use their experiences to make life better and increase the likelihood of mission success for our warriors.”
As senior enlisted leader, Hill explained how his duties would include positively influencing the readiness, welfare and morale of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians and families of USCENTCOM.
“He is an absolutely outstanding noncommissioned officer and is going to be a tremendous command senior enlisted leader for CENTCOM,” said Petraeus. “And I should know because we’ve done this gig before.”
Petraeus went on to tell the audience how they have been long time air-assault buddies and Hill is the best NCO wingman he or any commander could have.
“It is an awesome feeling to have the trust and confidence of General Petraeus,” Hill said. “To have a say-so on some of the decisions made that affect the lives of our warriors is an incredible feeling. I am honored to be charged with this level of responsibility.”
During the ceremony Hill noted he will promise three things.
“I’ll do what’s right, I’ll do the best I can and I’ll treat others the way I want to be treated. I’ll do this by being available, accessible and approachable,” he said.
Hill, who is coming to USCENTCOM after a tour as Command Sergeant Major of Multi-National Force-Iraq from April 2007 to November 2008, will now take charge of a command where the Area of Responsibility covers over 4.1 million square miles and 20 countries, with approximately 203,600 service members deployed throughout two warfronts.