BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 10, 2006 - A platoon sergeant with Company A, 801st Brigade Support Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, is bidding farewell to the Army as an enlisted soldier to become a flight warrant officer.

SSG Marlon Stewart, who will have 10 years in the Army in June, will leave his unit to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot.
Stewart joined the Army in 1996 as a truck driver, and said he thought he would do his term and get out. To him, the Army was a place where he could get college money and an education, but his thoughts soon changed.

Born in Jamaica in 1978, he immigrated to the United States 13 years ago. After finishing high school in Fort Lauderdale, FL, he said he wanted to go to college on an ROTC scholarship but was ineligible because he wasn't a US citizen.

He then joined the Army shortly after graduating high school and said he figured he would complete his term and move on to school. After completing advanced individual training and airborne school at Fort Benning, GA, he moved on to Fort Bragg, NC.

"I ended up liking it. I liked jumping, Bragg and everything in the military, so I stayed in," said Stewart.

Following his initial assignment, he has traveled all around the world - wherever the Army would take him.

"I've been stationed at Fort Bragg, Korea and Fort Campbell over the last 10 years," he said. "I realized about eight years ago that I wanted to be a pilot, but I would have to get my citizenship first," said Stewart.

The first step to realizing his dream came true in 2004.

"I received my citizenship in September 2004 and procrastinated about six months before putting together my packet," said Stewart. He said the hardest part of the packet for him was the resume, which took him almost four months to complete.

"It went through so many hands," he added. "I wanted everyone to check it and make sure it was okay. The resume ended up being 10 pages long," said Stewart. With that finished, he put all the materials together and sent it in to the warrant officer board.
Stewart submitted his packet in November, just in time for the January Board. "They posted an unofficial list, and my name was on it," said Stewart, "I was in shock! I had to look at the list several times to believe it - and I still don't believe it."

He found out in January that he had made the list and is now getting ready to say goodbye to his soldiers. "The hardest part of leaving the unit is leaving my soldiers," said Steward. "I had 49 of them, but they are being left in good hands with SSG Matthews. I am going to miss my team and going on convoys with my soldiers."

"He was the best NCO I have ever had," said SPC Christopher Morris, a petroleum supply specialist with Company A, 801st Brigade Support Battalion. "I would still be a private if it wasn't for him. I was always getting in trouble, and he mentored me and because of him I stayed out of trouble."

SPC Carlos Chevez, another one of Stewart's soldiers, said he believes Stewart is one of the greatest NCOs to work with and for.
"He takes care of his soldiers and always places us before himself, and he is also always on top of things," said Chevez.