12/22/2025
Iron Sharpens Iron: Leadership, Development, and Recognition at Fort Knox.
Professional development is the bedrock of our Army’s future. On Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, the Fort Knox Warrant Officer Association "Derby" Chapter hosted a high-impact Leadership Professional Development (LPD) session.
The class, led by Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tuchtenhagen, Senior Advisor to the Adjutant General, focused on critical career progression topics including promotions, the Master Board File (MBF), ASBS, board certification reports, and the PRR.
After the event, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Penny presented a coin of excellence to Sgt. 1st Class Bess. Although not assigned to their specific unit, Bess was recognized for stepping up to serve as the UPAR for the Chapter's LPD, promotion ceremonies, and the recent USARARGC military ball.
Sgt. 1st Class Bess reflected on the recognition and the mission:
"I have received a lot of coins since coming to this duty station from amazing leaders that I aspire to be like, but this one right here has to be the best-looking coin I have ever seen. It is very rare to see a Chief Warrant Officer 5 'roaming around in the wild' (inside joke), let alone receive a coin from one.
Leaders like Chief Warrant Officer 5 Penny and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robles strengthen my belief that the Warrant Officer Cohort is stronger than it has ever been. I also want to give a shoutout to the Warrants that I talk to periodically on Teams calls for hours about how we can make things better for Soldiers coming up in the ranks and the Army as a whole (Chief Warrant Officer 4 Darr, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andress, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ivers, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Lyles, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Donovan)
Lastly, I can’t forget about the 'Premier Schoolhouse of the Army Reserve.' Since taking on this additional duty four months ago, it has definitely been a wild ride.
Thank you for allowing me to stick a camera in your face and take pictures constantly. The car rides to Louisville to show up for a race at 6 am in the morning or a Jiu-Jitsu tournament were all worth it because I had the opportunity to tell your story and give the people in this organization their 'flowers' for all the amazing things you do on a daily basis.
Thank you to the command staff ,Lt. Col. Garcia, Sgt. Maj. Martin, Mr. Scholls, 1st Sgt. Cruz, and Capt. King for unapologetically pouring positivity into all the instructors under the 83rd footprint. Because of that, I can say we have the best instructors the Army has ever seen. This group of people under one roof is an anomaly; please enjoy it while you are here."
Always remember and make sure you remind the person to your left and right:
Premier Schoolhouse of the Army Reserve
Support The Warfighter
Lead with Lethality
We Are The Ready Team