Belting Ceremony IHO SGM Melissa C. Solomon

United States Army Drill Sergeant Academy
Fort Jackson, South Carolina

Belting Ceremony

in honor of

Sergeant Major Melissa C. Solomon

Monday, April 11, 2022
11:30 am Drill Sergeant Statue

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Welcoming Remarks
Invocation

SGM Campbell’s Remarks
Belting Ceremony

SGM Solomon’s Remarks
Closing Remarks

SGM Thomas E. Campbell

Sergeant Major Thomas E. Campbell is a native of Center, Texas,
and entered the service in 1989 on the delayed entry program. He
attended Combat Engineer One Station Unit Training (OSUT) and
then three years later changed his MOS to Infantry and attended
Infantry OSUT at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Sergeant Major Campbell’s assignments include Driver/Training
NCO HHC, 3rd Engineer BN, 24th Infantry Division; Machine
gunner, Rifleman, Team Leader, and Squad Leader, 1-327th
INF, 101st Airborne Division; Drill Sergeant, 2-58th INF, Infantry
OSUT, FT. Benning; Rifle Platoon Sergeant and Operations
Sergeant, 1-501st Parachute Infantry Regiment; Rifle Company
First Sergeant, 3-509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4-25th
Brigade Combat Team (Airborne); Embedded Training Team
Leader, 5th Kandak, 2nd Zone Afghan Border Police;
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, United States Army
Sergeant’s Major Academy; Provincial Reconstruction Team
Sergeant Major, Kunar, Afghanistan; Operations, Plans and Training Sergeant Major for the US
Army Center for Initial Military Training, Training and Doctrine Command; Pohakuloa Training Area
Garrison Command Sergeant Major, Operations, Plans, and Training Sergeant Major for the
Human Resources Command, 1-306th Infantry Regiment Command Sergeant Major, and the
188th Combined Arms Training Brigade Command Sergeant Major. SGM Campbell is currently
serving, again, as the US Army Center for Initial Military Training Operations, Plans, and Training
Sergeant Major and is the interim Commandant of the US Army Drill Sergeant Academy.

Sergeant Major Campbell is a graduate of the following military schools: US Army Air Assault
Course; US Army Airborne School; Rappel Master Course; Jump Master Course; Pathfinder Course;
Military Mountaineering School; Cold Weather Survival Course; Combat Life Saver Course; Drivers
course; Demolition Training Certification; Primary Leader Development Course (Commandant’s
List); Basic Non Commissioned Officers Course (Commandant’s List); Drill Sergeant School
(commandant’s List); Advanced Non Commissioned Officers course (Commandant’s List).
Command Sergeant Major Campbell also graduated from the United States Army Sergeants Major
Academy (Commandant’s List), class 61, and during this time, graduated from Excelsior College.

Sergeant Major Campbell’s awards and decorations include: Bronze Star (3rd award); Meritorious
Service Medal (6th Award); Army Commendation Medal for Valor; Army Commendation Medal (5th
award); Army Achievement Medal (6th award); Valorous Unit Award (3rd award); Department of
State Meritorious Honor Award; Army Good Conduct Medal (8th award); National Defense Medal
(with Bronze Star); Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terror
service medal; NCO Development Ribbon (with numeral 5); Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service
Ribbon (with Numeral 4); NATO Medal; Multi National Force and Observer Medal; Drill Sergeant
Badge; Combat Infantry Badge; Expert Infantry Badge; Pathfinder Badge; Senior Parachutist Badge;
Parachutist Badge; Air Assault badge; and the Driver Badge. He was inducted into the Orders of St.
Maurice and St. George. He was also inducted into the Drill Sergeant Hall of Fame.

Sergeant Major Campbell is married to Teresa Campbell and they have two sons and three
daughters, and two granddaughters.

SGM Melissa C. Solomon

Sergeant Major Melissa C. Solomon was born in Milwaukee, WI on
April 26th, 1984. She graduated from Sandalwood High School,
Jacksonville, FL and entered the United States Army in August of
2001. She completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, SC in
August 2002 and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, GA
in February 2004 which included Health Care Specialist and
Licensed Practical Nurse training.

Sergeant Major Solomon has served in a variety of leadership and
broadening assignments to include Intermediate Care Ward
NCOIC, Drill Sergeant, U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of the
Year, Master Fitness Trainer Instructor, Total Force Integrator,
Plans NCO, First Sergeant, and Operations Sergeant Major.

Sergeant Major Solomon’s assignments include: Alpha Company,
345th Combat Support Hospital, Jacksonville, FL; Alpha Company
2nd/485th Battalion, Jacksonville FL; United States Army Reserve Drill Sergeant School, Fort
Jackson, SC; Initial Military Training Center of Excellence, Fort Eustis, VA; Doctrine Training
Development Division, Training Support and Schools Directorate, Fort Jackson, SC; Delta Company
1st/321st Battalion, Concord, NC; U.S. Army Physical Fitness School, Fort Jackson, SC; U.S. Army
Reserve Noncommissioned Officer Academy Parks, Dublin, CA; and 5th Medical Brigade,
Birmingham, AL.

Sergeant Major Solomon’s military education includes the Sergeants Major Academy, Company
Commander and First Sergeant Course, Training Planning and Development Course, Battle Staff
Noncommissioned Officer Course, Master Resilience Training Facilitator Course, Master Fitness
Trainer Course, Critical Incident Peer Support Training, Combatives Level Two Course, Small Group
Leader Instructor Course, Total Army Instructor Course, Drill Sergeant School, Licensed Practical
Nurse, and Combat Medic Advanced Skills Training. Sergeant Major Solomon received a Bachelor of
Arts in Leadership and Workforce Development from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff
College.

Sergeant Major Solomon’s awards and decorations include: Meritorious Service Medal (4OLC), Army
Commendation Medal (3OLC), Army Achievement Medal (1OLC), Army Good Conduct Medal (2
knots), Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (3OLC), Army Superior Unit Award, Global
War on Terrorism Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (M device), NCO Professional Development
Ribbon (Numeral 5), National Defense Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Drill Sergeant Badge, and
Basic Rifle Marksmanship Badge (sharpshooter).

Sergeant Major Solomon lives in Columbia, SC and does not have any children.

DRILL SERGEANT CREED

I am a Drill Sergeant

I will assist each individual
in their efforts to become a
highly motivated, well disciplined,
physically and mentally fit Soldier,
capable of defeating any enemy on
today’s modern battlefield.

I will instill pride
in all I train.

Pride in Self, in the Army,
and in Country.

I will insist that each Soldier
meets and maintains the Army standards

of military bearing and courtesy,
consistent with the highest traditions

of the U.S. Army.

I will lead by example,
never requiring a Soldier to

attempt any task
I would not do myself.

But first, last, and always,
I am an American Soldier,
sworn to defend the Constitution
of the United States against
all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

I am a Drill Sergeant!

“THIS WE’ LL DEFEND”