He has also been volunteering in community services as military coordinator of Rota’s mayor’s office.
During its recent session, the House of Representative recognized and commended Atalig for being selected as the CNMI instructor of the year, and for his numerous contributions to the Rota community.
“It would be extremely difficult to find a person with similar compassion and devotion to his country and public service, like that of Sergeant Major (Retired) Herman Manglona Atalig,” Rep. Teresita A. Santos said.
Santos, who introduced the commemorative resolution to commend Atalig, described him as a man who has “dedicated his life to his country and to the residents of this great commonwealth, most especially to the children and community of Rota, contributing with all generosity and unselfish dedication of his precious time.”
Atalig had a distinguished military career that began when he enlisted in the Army in 1968 and he served his country for a total of 28 years from 1968 to 1996.
He served as an infantryman “in a myriad of leadership and staff billets of ever increasing responsibility as a member of the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam.”
Atalig, the resolution stated, also served:
• As a senior drill instructor and instructor at the Korea Ranger School and at the U.S. Army Recondo School.
• As an operations sergeant major for the U.S. Army Forces Command and as a staff inspector general for a corps-sized unit.
• As a college Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor at the Rutgers University and finished his career as the senior Army enlisted advisor for the Army Reserve component on Guam.
Atalig, moreover, attended various military training and schools which included the basic non-commissioned officer’s academy, Recondo School, Republic of Korea Rangers Course, Jungle Warfare Training, Northern Warfare Training, Infantry Advanced NCO Academy, and finished courses on battle staff, total quality management leadership assessment, first sergeant, inspector general, crisis management and international terrorism counteraction course.
In addition, he conducted the first flag-folding ceremony for the Rota community.
Santos said Atalig has been the senior instructor for the Rota High School JROTC program for the past 12 years.
“Atalig strongly believes that the greatest testament of a teacher’s accomplishments can best be assessed by the accomplishments of the students under his/her guidance,” she said.
She said Atalig led the Buck Battalion last year in the rigorous formal inspection conducted by the JROTC Cadet Command Headquarters from Ft. Lewis, Washington, achieving a grade of 97 percent which placed them in the top 10 percent for all JROTC programs nationwide.
The Buck Battalion garnered the overall championship in the CNMI MSU Inter-island Drill and Ceremony Competition and were awarded two 1st place trophies out of three events at the CNMI MSU Inter-Island Cadet Leadership Challenge, the resolution stated.
It added that Atalig has volunteered over 100 hours each year of community service on Rota during special events including fiestas, candlelight vigils, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, state funerals and inaugural ceremonies.
