Staff Sgt. Easton P. Purkiss, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Headquarters Company, graduated from the Battle Staff Noncommissioned Officer Course, class #002-13, NCO Academy, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., Dec. 21. Purkiss began the course on November 30 and graduated with 14 other Soldiers after successfully completing all requirements to become an efficient and successful Operations NCO.

The Battle Staff NCO course is a single-phase, functional course used to prepare Staff Sergeants through Sergeants Major for duty as Operations NCOs in battalion- and brigade-level staff positions. The challenging and intensive course places emphasis on leadership skills to prepare Soldiers to be effective Operations NCOs. Utilizing small-group instruction methodology, the course focuses on planning future operations and managing current operations of a battalion- and brigade-level command post. Subject areas include Mission Command, Staff Operations, Brigade Combat Team, Stability Operations, Urban Operations, Graphics and Overlays, Military Decision Making Processes, and Plans, Orders and Attachments, among others. Students must complete an intensive staff exercise as a culminating event prior to graduation.

Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin B. Stuart, USAMRMC Command Sergeant Major, as well as the USAMRMC HQ Company command team, Capt. Sumesh Sagar and Sgt. 1st Class Amadeo J. Fuentes, attended the graduation to congratulate Purkiss and to wish him continued success in the Army as an Operations NCO.