Photographs of a young Brig. Gen. Billy Don Farris

Photographs of a young Brig. Gen. Billy Don Farris flash on the screen at French Theater, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, June, 28, during Farris' retirement ceremony. After three decades of service the nation, Farris, 7th Infantry Division deputy commanding general for operations, is honored during a retirement ceremony hosted by Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, 7th Infantry Division commanding general. Farris, a 1983 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, has served six deployments in Operations Just Cause, Desert Shied/Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, as well as a tour in Korea. In his many assignments, Farris said he has found three things to be most admirable about the Army profession: team work, moral courage and a genuine care for fellow soldiers. Most importantly, he added, the noncommissioned officer corps is what makes the U.S. Army the greatest in the world. “There is just something uniquely special about an NCO in the American Army compared to the other armies. Our NCOs instinctively take charge in a crisis, they challenge leaders if our values our threatened, they approach training like a professional sports program and they have never quit regardless of the circumstances,” Farris said. “After six deployments, I have seen this time and time again. I hope we never lose that.”