people
COMMISSIONING
Story and photos by Cpt. Olivia Cobiskey, 1st Army Division, East
“He always had a goal. He was an awesome NCO. I know he will be a great officer.” — Master Sgt. Pamela Johnson, 3-411th Logistical Support Battalion
ABOVE: The Silver Dollar Salute: Master Sgt. Pamela Johnson, 3-411th Logistical Support Battalion noncommissioned officer in charge of the battalion personnel section, is the first to salute the newly commissioned 2nd Lt. Justin Mirkovich, immediately following his direct commissioning ceremony, held at the Sgt. Charles H. Seston U.S. Army Reserve Center, Camp Atterbury, Ind. Afterwards, following Army tradition, the newly commissioned second lieutenant presented her with a silver dollar. The coin symbolically acknowledges the receipt of respect due the new rank and position. While no one really knows the origins, many lieutenants prefer the “Ike dollar,” because its large size makes it easily identifiable as a “silver dollar.”
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WARRIOR–CITIZEN
cultivating leadership CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. — It took the former noncommissioned officer nearly a year to complete the process, but his hard work and dedication recently proved worthwhile, after Second Lieutenant Justin Mirkovich finally raised his right hand to take the oath of office at the Sgt. Charles H. Seston U.S. Army Reserve Center. “It’s a long process, but it can pay off—so stay the course,” Mirkovich said of the direct commission process. “In retrospect, it’s given me a career; it’s opened doors…a lot of doors for me.” Currently, the steps include an initial checklist with a career councilor, a physical examination, processing of paperwork through Army Reserve Careers Division, participating in a board of selection and, finally, setting up training for the individual. “It’s very competitive,” he said “If it’s something you are serious about starting, plan now, make sure all your NCOERs are in order, keep yourself in shape and meet with a career councilor.” It was a mentor, Cpt. Derrick Simpson, who encouraged him not only to stay, but to make it a career. “Everything kind of fell into place after I came to the 3-411th Logistic Support Battalion,” said
Mirkovich, who became a second lieutenant in a commissioning ceremony Oct. 11, 2012. “I was young. After my deployment, I thought I would get out and go into the Individual Ready Reserves, but Cpt. Simpson encouraged me to apply for the military technician position.” Mirkovich, of West Chester, Ohio, has been a military technician with the 3-411th LSB since 2010. After getting the unit-administrator job, Mirkovich said Simpson encouraged him to start on his master’s degree and apply for a direct commission in the Army Reserve. Lt. Col. James Elkins, commander of the 3-411th LSB, administered the oath. “He is supporting the unit and showing the way for a couple of other high-speed individuals.” Elkins expects to commission two more officers from the enlisted ranks of the LSB to help address the shortage in the Army Reserve of junior and mid-grade officers, a serious impediment to meeting operational force requirements. Mirkovich deployed to Balad, Iraq, in 2006, with the 209th Quartermaster Company, from Lafayette, Ind., and worked in mortuary affairs. He said that next on his list of goals is to finish his master’s in organizational leadership from Columbia Southern