BOUNDLESS CURIOSITY S SGT. 1ST CLASS ROBERT NICHOLSON
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: 923rd Contracting Battal- ion, 418th Contracting Brigade, Army Contracting Command TITLE: Acquisitions, Logistics and Technology NCO YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 8 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 16 DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in contracting
EDUCATION: MBA, Trident University International; M.A. in acquisitions and procurement management, Webster University; M.S. in homeland security, Trident University International; B.S. in chemistry, Southern Connecticut State University; certificates in health science laboratory technol- ogy from George Washington University and emergency and disaster management from Trident University International.
AWARDS: Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (4th Award), Army Achievement Medal (8th Award), Army Good Conduct Medal (5th Award), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (3rd Campaign), Korean Service Defense Medal, NCO Professional Develop- ment Ribbon (3rd Award), the NATO Medal (2nd Award), the Combat Action Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
gt. 1st Class Robert Nicholson has never met a topic that didn’t interest him. Science, sociology, contracting, technol- ogy, medicine, security, leadership—he will readily engage in earnest exploration and discussion at any opportunity. And
it shows. Te 16-year noncommissioned officer (NCO) holds three master's degrees and is currently pursuing a doctorate. In November, the Priory, Jamaica, native was selected for the 2021 Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) in the graduate-level student leadership cate- gory. Te awards are given by the BEYA STEM Conference each year, an event that highlights the contributions of African American leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
“I’m not actually an engineer, though,” he clarified. “Tat’s the name of the award, but it’s for any STEM field, not just engineering.” Nich- olson, a self-professed “Trekkie” and lifelong science geek, decided to enlist in the Army after coming to terms with his own suspected academic limitations. “I emigrated to the U.S. after attending commu- nity college in Jamaica. I completed my B.S. in chemistry in 2003, and it was then that I realized I may not have been destined to be a true ‘STEM pioneer.’ Don’t get me wrong—I love science, but I am just not one of those naturally gifted genius types.”
Gifted or not, he isn’t afraid of a challenge. Nicholson chose to join the Army, where he would reassess his priorities and decide on a new goal for his life. Once he discovered the ample education opportuni- ties for Soldiers, all bets were off. Four degrees later, he has no plans to stop. “I tell other Soldiers all the time, you have a great opportu- nity to grow in the Army. When you’re on deployment somewhere, you should always make the most of that time and continue your educa- tion. Never stop learning.”
He began his Army career at the U.S. Research Institute of Envi- ronmental Medicine, in Natick, Massachusetts. Tere, he spent eight years working as a biological research assistant and medical laboratory specialist. “Tat was an awesome job and my experiences there were extremely influential to me,” he recalled. “But I wanted to explore what else the Army had to offer, so I decided to apply to the 51C MOS,” the acquisition military occupational specialty for enlisted Soldiers. Particularly appealing to Nicholson were the competitive accession requirements, high academic standards and broad job description. “I had just returned from a U.S. Special Operations Command MOS immaterial deployment, so along with my educational background, I knew this field was where my all skills and personality would best be appreciated and utilized.”
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Army AL&T Magazine
Spring 2021
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