Known as the backbone of the force, the United States Army Noncommissioned Officer was honored with the Association of the U.S. Army’s highest award for selfless service.

Representing all NCOs, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer accepted AUSA’s George Catlett Marshall Medal on Oct. 16, the final day of the association’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition. The Marshall Medal is named for the Army officer and statesman who led the Army, the State Department and Defense Department.

“This award is for every NCO, past, present and future,” Weimer said in his remarks. “This award … rightfully belongs to every NCO across all three components, active, Guard and Reserve, the total Army.”

This is not the first time the George Catlett Marshall Medal has gone to a group instead of a person. In 2020, the Marshall Medal was awarded to The Army Family. It was awarded to The American Soldier in 2004.

The awarding of the Marshall Medal represents everything the NCO corps has accomplished and everything that’s yet to come, Weimer said. “This will be an enduring responsibility,” he said. “Warfighters have always moved to the sound of the guns, and over the last year, we’ve demonstrated an unwavering commitment.”

From the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East to Europe, soldiers and NCOs have deterred aggression, strengthened partnerships, built readiness and supported the joint force, he said.

“The future fight is not to be taken lightly,” Weimer said. “To be clear, I’m talking about war, and the character of war is changing and has changed, but the NCO is steadfast.”

The threats facing the Army are unlike any other in history, he said. “Almost every day, near-peer adversaries take actions that threaten to destabilize regional security. … China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are constantly trying to find a new competitive advantage that will tip the scales in their favor.”

The Army is “constantly” competing on a global stage, he said. “When competition turns to crisis, we will be ready,” Weimer said. “The Army will be ready, and NCOs are the foundation of that readiness.”

To build on that readiness, Weimer said the Army is transforming to maintain a competitive overmatch. “Now more than ever, NCOs are the driving force behind transformation,” he said. “We are innovative. We are creative. We see challenges instead of problems. We are boots on the ground, in the dirt, experimenting with new tech and ideas.”

Unlike its adversaries, the Army invests in its NCOs, from education to training to professional development. “We do all this with the knowledge that the future is not known, and it can look uncertain,” Weimer said.

“But for the NCO corps, the future is not uncertain,” he said. “When called upon, we will fight, and we will win.”