FORT KNOX, Ky. –
For the third year in a row, an instructor from the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention College has earned the title U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Noncommissioned Officer Instructor of the Year.
Sgt. 1st Class Joel Sanchez, based at Fort Knox, has served in U.S. Army Recruiting Command since 2012 as a recruiting NCO, station commander and now instructor.
In order to compete for the TRADOC title, Sanchez had to submit a command endorsement, develop a lesson plan, and provide a video of himself instructing. The competition was steep, with instructors from every training command across the Army vying for the honor.
“I really wanted to keep the streak alive of the RRC winning. It is great to continue to add to the legacy of the RRC producing the best instructors in TRADOC,” Sanchez said. “The toughest part was competing against my fellow instructors here at the college. We have a really talented group of instructors, and I am honored to be among them.”
Zennon Zacharyj, the Faculty and Staff Division chief for the RRC, said Sanchez was this year’s best NCO instructor.
“His ability to display exceptional educational sciences and theory in the classroom were recorded, measured, and evaluated by top level judges,” Zacharyj said.
Sanchez earned the top score against 32 complex and strict rated teaching areas.
“It was nerve wracking,” Sanchez said. “Waiting for the results, not wanting to be the instructor that broke the streak was truly an ordeal by itself.”
Sanchez said he most enjoys imparting the knowledge he has gained to the students he instructs.
“The first call from a former student was the hook,” Sanchez said. “Once I received that first call, I was so gratified. I knew that being an instructor was important and enjoyable work.”
Sanchez, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, joined the Army in 2007. After Basic Combat Training, he attended Parachute Rigger School at Fort Lee, Virginia. In 2008, he headed to Fort Benning to become an infantryman. Then nine years ago, recruiting duty changed his path. He has since served as a station commander in both the Atlanta and the Miami Recruiting Battalions and now brings his experience to the classroom at the college.
Sanchez has earned a Bachelor of Science in business management and is currently working toward a master’s degree in business management.
He says he plans to spend the rest of his Army career with USAREC. His goals are to continue to make those around him better and to become a senior leader in the command.
Sanchez will join the rest of the winners at a recognition ceremony that will be held during the TRADOC Commander’s Forum in August. Each winner will receive a commander’s four-star note, a certificate of achievement, and a plaque from the TRADOC commanding general.