Ohio National Guard News

Ohio Army National Guard Soldier inducted into the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club

JOINT BASE BALAD - Staff Sgt. Lawrence Hillebrand of the Kettering-based 371st Sustainment Brigade, Ohio Army National Guard, has been inducted into the United States Army’s Sgt. Audie Murphy Club (SAMC). In a March 5 ceremony held at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Command Sgt. Maj. Willie Tennant, Jr recognized the Medina native as one of the exclusive club’s newest members.

The Sgt. Audie Murphy Club was established to recognize outstanding non-commissioned officers (NCOs) whose dedication to leading and training Soldiers is characteristic of Audie Murphy. The club’s charge is professionalism, caring, discipline, and loyalty. The goal is to improve Soldiers under the NCO member’s charge, their Soldier’s families, and their community. The club was founded in 1986 by the Commander and Command Sergeant Major of the Third Infantry Division (3rd ID) at Fort Hood. The 3rd ID is the division Murphy served under during his wartime tenure.

Selecting new members means identifying NCOs that are a “cut above the rest.” Even before an NCO can be considered for the club, he or she must meet certain requirements. The first requirement is that the candidate must be nominated by a senior NCO or a current member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. Sponsors also consider the candidate’s physical fitness and GT scores, his or her weapons qualification, leadership aptitude and other measurements of soldier proficiency.

First Sgt. Michael Hay’s nomination gave Hillebrand his chance before the Audie Murphy Board. “If I wasn’t sleeping, working or exercising, I was studying for the board,” Hillebrand said. “I only had a week to prepare for the brigade board – most
Soldiers have three months to prepare – so I had to bone up on Audie Murphy facts, Army regulations and troop leading procedures. It’s good I put the time in, because the board came fast and furious, taking turns demanding answers to problems in real world examples.”

Success at the 371st Sustainment Brigade Audie board sent him onto Balad for the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Audie Murphy Board. There he was grilled again by four command sergeants major, a staff sergeant major and a master sergeant already in the club. “In an hour, I had to recite the NCO and Soldier creeds, sing the Army and 3rd ESC song, do 84 sit-ups in two minutes and provide the Audie Murphy biography verbatim – all the while answering numerous situational questions posed to me,” said Hillebrand. “They want to see how you react under pressure. Evidently, I did well.”

Out of six division candidates, four made the club on this day. Hillebrand appreciated the study help from his unit, and the rare opportunity to compete for a place in such an exclusive club. “I plan on staying 20 years, so the Club is definitely a career boost,” Hillebrand reflected. “But, it’s about service and about giving back. I am proud to part of an organization that continually gives back to the community by providing scholarships, establishing food banks, conducting highway beautification, and maintaining the good name of Audie Murphy.”

Hillebrand is the son of Polly A. Robinson and step-son to Melanie Hillebrand of Medina. He is currently serving in Iraq with the 371st Sustainment Brigade, an Ohio Army National Guard unit. Hillebrand is returning from his overseas service in mid-April.

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