FORT BLISS, Texas –
St. Louis native Wesley Langston was promoted to the rank of sergeant in the United States Army Reserve during a ceremony at Fort Bliss, Texas, March 31, 2021.
Sgt. Wesley Langston currently serves as a billeting noncommissioned officer with the 647th Regional Support Group (Forward), Fort Bliss Mobilization Brigade in the facilities section.
The 647th RSG (Forward) assumed authority of the Fort Bliss Mobilization Brigade in January 2021 and is responsible for managing, planning, and coordinating support services related to mobilization and demobilization. It serves as the pre-mobilization liaison for U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers by providing administrative and logistical support prior to, during, and after mobilization.
Making the rank of sergeant is a significant milestone in one’s military career and requires self-discipline, hard work, and continued military education. There are required prerequisite courses before a Soldier is considered eligible for promotion.
“I went to the promotion board a month before I mobilized in 2020,” said Langston. “During the mobilization, I improved my Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) score and received multiple awards which gave me more promotion points. Half-way through the mobilization, I attended the Basic Leader Course (BLC).”
The Basic Leaders Course is the first course required for promotion to sergeant and the first of several courses NCOs are required to complete for promotion consideration. The other courses include the Advanced Leader, Senior Leader, Master Leader, and Sergeant Major Academy.
“I hope to continue to learn from the leaders above me and plan to use the skills the Army has taught me to be successful,” Langston said. “I believe in being self-aware and practicing servant leadership will be the key to living up to the creed of the noncommissioned officer.”
The creed of the noncommissioned officer was developed to give noncommissioned officers a “yardstick by which to measure themselves.” The NCO Creed begins its paragraphs with three letters, N-C-O.
“Promotion to sergeant means leading and training Soldiers, taking the skills I have learned to help mold my Soldiers into future leaders and maintaining good order and discipline,” said Langston.
“I will start taking the steps to promote to staff sergeant, further my career, and will finish my second mobilization by the end of the year,” said Langston. “After the mobilization, I will transition to a new unit and will continue to build on the skills I am learning here at Fort Bliss.”
Since enlisting on Sept. 11, 2011, he has completed the required training for the combat and horizontal construction engineer military occupational specialties at the U.S. Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
“My ultimate goal is to move up the ranks and retire after 20 years of service,” said Langston. “I am third generation military, my grandfather served in the Army Air Corps during World War 2 and my father was in the Air Force.”