The officer's saber symbolizes the heart of the organization and stands as a reminder of past glories and traditions, present endeavors and a guide to the future for military forces.
For Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michelle Struemph, that saber also symbolized her more than 30-year Army National Guard career, especially the nearly last five years as the state command chief warrant officer of the Missouri Army National Guard and first female appointed to that position.
Officially retired, she passed that saber on to Missouri National Guard Adjutant Gen. Stephen Danner at a change of responsibility ceremony Thursday.
Danner then presented the saber to Chief Warrant Officer 5 Patrick J. Muenks, now taking on Struemph's former position that plays a key role in overseeing the morale, welfare, training, administration, selection and management of all Guard warrant officers and serves as an adviser of all warrant officer issues, policies and initiatives on the adjutant general's professional staff.
Fellow Guard officers, leaders, enlisted soldiers, family and guests nearly packed the Guard headquarters' Fallen Warrior Memorial Auditorium for the special event, which honored both Struemph's service and Muenks' appointment.
Struemph first enlisted in the Idaho Army National Guard in June 1985, serving as a personnel information specialist at Gowen Field in Idaho.
She later transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to begin her active duty Guard career at the regional training site as an administrative specialist in 1986. In 1990, she transferred into the Missouri Army National Guard to again serve as a personnel information systems specialist. In May 1995, she graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker to receive her appointment to warrant officer one. During her career, she served in several key assignments, some of which include the administrative officer for headquarters state area command, SIDPERS branch chief and secretary of the general staff.
Struemph also competed in many military competitive events, participating in biathlon for more than 10 years and successfully placing in many tournaments.
She became the first Missouri Guardsman to make the Biathlon All Guard Team, participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics and competed in the South American International Biathlon Championships in Argentina and Chile in 2003.
Danner joked in his speech at the ceremony that Ginger Rogers always danced the same way as Fred Astaire but backwards and in high heels.
"You are going to need some big high heels," he said in jest to Muenks. "But I have no doubt you are going to be very successful and take the warrant officer corps very seriously."
Muenks, a native of Linn, enlisted in the Missouri National Army Guard in 1980 and was commissioned through the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps, University of Missouri in 1984. He graduated from the Army Medical Department Officer Basic Course at Fort Sam Houston in Texas as a medical service corps officer in 1985 and attended U.S. Army Helicopter Flight Training at Fort Rucker in 1986. He completed UH-1H pilot qualification in 1987 and received his warrant officer appointment in 1992.
During Muenks' aviation career, he served as a maintenance test flight examiner, standardization instructor pilot, instrument flight examiner and aviation safety officer. He also has served in combat deployments, including Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (1991), Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq (2004 and 2008) and Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan (2014). He has also received more than 15 military awards, and continues to reside in Linn with his wife, Mary, and two children.
"I'm only one person," Muenks said. "I realize it takes a team. My promise to you is I will work hard each and every day in representing the Missouri Army National Guard; in serving as the (state command chief) warrant officer to mature and develop within our ranks the highest level of technical accomplishment and professionalism so that combined we form that indivisible team. One team."