From TheTelegraph.com:
By CYNTHIA M. ELLIS
ALTON – It never crossed Brett “Monty” Ellington’s mind when he entered the U. S. Army more than two decades ago what he could accomplish.
“I never expected to stay in as long as I did, but I never doubted that I couldn’t do it,” Ellington said.
The 45-year-old, who grew up in Alton, recently joined the ranks of the enlisted elite when he became one of the branch’s top non-commissioned officers. The highly decorated soldier earned the rank of sergeant major and now is in the top 1 percent of the Army’s enlisted personnel.
Ellington graduated from the United States Army Sergeant Major Academy on June 15 at Fort Bliss, Texas, and is headed to Fort Riley, Kan.
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Besides Army school and life, Ellington earned an associate’s degree from Excelsior College and is working toward his bachelor’s degree. He is a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and proudly lives by its motto, “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity.”