A Special Operations soldier will be recognized for his dedication to teaching the future leaders of the Army during a ceremony at the Association of the United States Army Annual Conference here at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3.

Command Sgt. Maj. Dave Bruner will receive the Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland Leadership Award from Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston.

The Strickland Award is presented annually to a noncommissioned officer who exemplifies the Army’s vision and mobilizes others in shaping our future leaders while practicing excellent stewardship of the Nation’s most precious resource.

“Command Sgt. Maj. Bruner’s number-one priority is, and always has been, training and educating soldiers for war, the most sacred duty a soldier has,” says Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Hall, United States Army Special Operations Command Sergeant Major.

Hall wrote the letter of recommendation nominating Bruner for the Strickland Award. In it he noted that immediately after assuming his current position, as the United States Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School Sergeant Major, Bruner realized to meet the Global War of Terrorism needs on the battlefield, education priorities had to be changed. He was instrumental in making changes to the educational and training methodologies at the Special Warfare Center and School to provide soldiers enhanced combat readiness and personal development.

To defeat our nation’s enemies, Bruner incorporated new ideas using lessons learned and linked the program of instruction to the battlefield which empowered the Soldiers trained to win the Global War on Terrorism. According to Hall, “Command Sgt. Maj. Bruner has set the standard and, most importantly, has enforced them.”

Sgt. Maj. Larry L. Strickland was the deputy chief of staff for Army personnel sergeant major on Sept. 11, 2001, when he lost his life in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. According to the award selection information paper, Strickland was an outstanding soldier who deeply cared about mentoring members of the enlisted force and who believed “if you educate the NCO, you educate the soldiers they lead.”