Summer 2013

Transcription

Summer 2013

1775
Summer
2013
Table of Contents
AGCRA Officers.............................................................................. 2
From The Editor ............................................................................ 2
Section I: Regimental Leadership
Notes from the Chief of the Corps ............................................. 3
Notes from the Chief Warrant Officer of the Corps ............... 5
Notes from Regimental Command Sergeant Major ............... 6
Section II: AG and HR Professional Reading, Dedicated to
HRC's 40th Anniversary
AG Officer Branch Update .......................................................... 7
AG Warrant Officer Branch Update .......................................... 9
AG Enlisted Branch Update ...................................................... 11
HRC Turns the Big 4-0! ............................................................... 12
Former HRC CGs and CSMs Recall their Tenure ................ 15
Soldier Record Accuracy ........................................................... 18
Army Human Resource Metrics ............................................... 20
Understanding the Prepo Board Results Process................ 22
Five Key Steps for Army Drawdown ....................................... 24
Transition Strategic Outreach (TSO) ..................................... 26
Section III: Around the Corps
HRC CG Addresses Military Comptrollers ............................ 28
On the Future of Army HR ........................................................ 29
The Importance of Mentorship................................................. 35
How ARFORGEN affects ARNG Readiness ........................... 36
1st TSC Soldiers Train on Postal Operations........................ 39
USAR Warrant Officer HR Integration Program ................. 40
AG Student Officers Build Teamwork .................................... 42
AG Corps 2013 Hall of Fame ...................................................... 44
The 2013 National AG Regimental Ball .................................. 46
AG Corps Regimental of the Year Winners............................ 47
The Faces of the 2013 National AG Ball.................................. 48
JBLM Celebrates First AG Ball in a Decade ......................... 49
Section IV: Army Bands
Supporting the Army Through Music – A New Brand ........ 50
US Army Bands Picture-Grams ................................................ 51
Section V: AG Corps History
The American Revolution, The Army AG at Work ............... 52
Revolutionary War General Escapes History’s Margins .... 54
Section VI: AGCRA
New COL Robert L. Manning Achievement Medal .............. 56
2013 AGCRA Third Annual Scholarship Winners ................ 57
AGCRA Spartan Chapter Re-activates ................................... 58
SSI NCO Academy attains 100% AGCRA Membership ........ 59
AGCRA AWARD Winners ........................................................... 61
Not Getting Your Mailed Copy of 1775? .................................. 64
Items for Sale in the Sutler Store ............................................ 64
1775 Summer 2013, www.AGCRA.com
1775, The Journal of the Adjutant General‘s Corps Regimental
Association, (ISSN 1551-8205) is
published by the Adjutant General‘s Corps Regimental Association, a non-profit organization,
headquartered at Fort Jackson,
South Carolina, and is devoted to
the advancement and professionalism of the Adjutant General‘s
Corps Regiment members.
Articles appearing in the journal do not necessarily reflect the
opinion of the officers and members of the Regimental Association, nor the Army‘s HR leadership.
Articles submitted by
members or civilian employees of
the US military services are expressions of personal opinion, unless otherwise stated, and should
not be interpreted as reflecting
the official opinion of the Department of Defense.
1775 is scheduled to be published three times a year. Articles
for submission are welcomed and
should be sent to the address below. The editor and publisher of
1775 also invite the submission
of photographs and illustrations
to accompany articles.
The editor reserves the right to
reject any articles and / or to
modify articles for clarity or
space limitations. Requests for
authorization to reprint 1775 articles should be sent to the address below.
VP, Publications, AGCRA
PO Box 10026
Fort Jackson, SC 29207
[email protected]
Visit us on the web at:
www.AGCRA.com
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The Adjutant General’s Corps
Regimental Association Officers
www.AGCRA.com
Officers
President ................................................................ COL Todd Garlick
Senior VP ............................................................... COL (Ret) Michael R. Molosso
Regimental Warrant Officer .................................... CW5 Coral J. Jones
Regimental Command Sergeant Major .................. CSM Christopher D. Culbertson
VP, Awards ............................................................. CW5 (Ret) David A. Ratliff
VP, Membership ..................................................... SFC (Ret) Kenneth M. Fidler, Jr.
VP, Plans and Programs ........................................ COL (Ret) William (Al) Whatley
VP, Sales and Sutler Store ..................................... CSM (Ret) Teresa Meagher
VP, Community and Corporate Affairs .................... LTC (Ret) Ward D. Ward
VP, Info Tech and Strategic Communications ........ LTC Troy W. Worch
Adjutant .................................................................. COL (Ret) Robert Ortiz-Abreu, Jr.
Secretary ................................................................ MAJ (Ret) William Villnow
Treasurer ................................................................ LTC (Ret) David A. Smoot
Webmaster ............................................................. CPT Michael Skiff
Webmaster ............................................................. SFC (Ret) Paul C. Hessert
Honorary Officers
Honorary Colonel.................................................... MG (Ret) Patricia P. Hickerson
Honorary Warrant Officer ....................................... CW5 (Ret) Daniel J. Logan
Honorary Sergeant Major ....................................... CSM (Ret) Michael L. Armstead
1775 Staff and Support
Editor, Layout and Graphics Design ....................... COL (Ret) Robert Ortiz-Abreu, Jr.
Assistant Editor....................................................... LTC (Ret) Ward D. Ward
Printing Services..................................................... Colonial Printing, Columbia, SC
From The Editor:
This edition of 1775 is dedicated to ―Human Resources Command‘s 40th Anniversary.‖ From the
old personnel automated processing system and punch cards, TACCS boxes, multiple versions of SIDPERS, the current legacy HR systems the AG Corps executes today (e.g., eMILPO, EDAS, TOPMIS,
DTAS, DCIPS and iPERMS), to the pending incremental fielding of IPPS-A that will bring all three
Army components under one personnel system, HRC has seen it all. Whether you knew the command
as MILPERCEN, TAPC, or DA PERSCOM, HRC has been the essence of our Army‘s HR Center of Excellence even before the term was coined.
Having served as a Brigade S-1 and Division and Corps G-1s, I came to truly appreciate HRC‘s
role and mission in leading the Army‘s personnel readiness mission. Additionally, through HRC mentors, I learned the ―art‖ of not only taking care of my command‘s full spectrum HR mission, but I also
learned how to support the wider Army HR mission, which sometimes meant my unit was not the priority depending on what stage of readiness we were in.
We hope you enjoy this edition of 1775 highlighted by articles depicting HRC‘s storied history
and current HR initiatives today.
Bob Ortiz, VP Pubs & Editor, 1775
Colonel (Retired), US Army, [email protected]
AG Corps Hall of Fame Class of 2013
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The Journal of the Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association
Section I: Regimental Leadership
Notes from the Chief of the Corps
By COL Todd Garlick, Commandant, AG School, Chief of the AG Corps, and Chief Army Bands
This edition of 1775 is dedicated to the Soldiers
and the Department of the Army Civilians who make
up Human Resources Command as they celebrate 40
years of service to our Army. The articles in this edition range from historical vignettes from former HRC
senior leaders to information on the roles and functions
that HRC performs in support of Soldiers, DA Civilians
and Family members. For this column, I‘m going to reflect back on my time at HRC, and the role that HRC
assumes as part of what I‘ll call the Human Resources
Enterprise triad, which is comprised of HRC, Army G1
and the Soldier Support Institute. In closing, I‘ll discuss some of the current initiatives that the enterprise
has undertaken in support of Soldiers.
As the Executive Officer to the Director of Military Personnel Management, Army G1, I was fortunate
enough to work in the enterprise and see how senior
Adjutant General officers and non-commissioned officers interacted with the Executive Office, Headquarters,
Department of the Army and the Army Secretariat. In
that position, I clearly saw the major functions of each
key player in the enterprise.
If you‘ll excuse my oversimplifications, it was
evident that Army G1 is responsible for plans, programs and policies for the Total Force; HRC manages,
sustains, distributes and transitions the Army while
focusing on and retaining the readiness of the force –
in short, HRC is the ―execution‖ arm of the Army G1;
and the Soldier Support Institute trains and educates
our Human Resources Human Capital, both Soldier
and DA Civilian, in Financial Management, Human
Resources, Army Music, Joint Postal, and Recruiting
and Retention.
SSI is our leader development arm of the Army
HR triad. Additionally, SSI is responsible as the lead
integrator for doctrine, organization, institutional
training and associated analysis for future capabilities
development. Each of the functions and missions listed
above are not mutually exclusive. Rather, Army G1,
HRC and SSI collaborate with each other on the host of
HR policies and programs that support our Army.
I hear of officers who are proud to say that they
never stepped foot in the Pentagon during their time in
Service, or they never served in TRADOC or at SSI.
While there are many paths to success in the Adjutant
General‘s Corps – G1, Recruiting Command, Garrison
Command, MEPS Battalion Command and others –
one thing is certain: in order to be an effective senior
leader in our Corps, an officer, warrant officer or noncommissioned officer has to understand the relationships that exist between Army G1, HRC and SSI, and
the only way to understand how the Army runs, and
how Soldiers are managed, is to serve at these locations.
During my time at HRC, I was impressed by the
level of experience and technical expertise exhibited by
our DA Civilians. I had the pleasure of serving as the
Chief of the DA Secretariat for Selection Boards, responsible for centralized promotion, command and
school boards for senior enlisted, warrant officers and
officers in the Active Army, Army Reserve and National Guard. The team at the DA Secretariat had over
120 years of cumulative experience in scheduling of
over 240 boards and board memberships annually,
conducting stand-by advisory boards, ensuring board
files were complete, and providing technical assistance
to the board recorders by creating final board products
and order of merit lists.
As I went around to the other directorates and
divisions within HRC, I found that was the norm with
every area I had contact with. Evaluations Branch
would do their magic for every board, ensuring every
OER that HRC knew about was submitted on time and
error free so it would appear in a Soldier‘s official personnel file. The branch chiefs were meticulous in how
they scrubbed their board population, ensuring every
Soldier eligible for a board had the best file possible.
Lastly, promotions, command branch, and leader development division would ensure the requirements of
the Army were met. This ―team of teams‖ within The
Adjutant General Division would make every board
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seem effortless, yet I saw and appreciated the late nights that Evaluations Branch maintained in order to keep a
board on time, the requests for information that would go to branches to answer board members‘ questions concerning a Soldier, and the professionalism exhibited in the conduct of each board.
The triad of HRC, Army G1 and SSI has a number of initiatives that they are working together on today
that every AG Soldier needs to be aware of as follows:
Soldier Records Accuracy. MILPER MSG 13-055 reestablishes clear and concise guidance on maintaining accurate Soldier Records, to include frequency, focus and purpose. As the Army begins its draw down of
forces, and as we look to retain our best and brightest, the Army will rely heavily on the previously mentioned
board process. At the heart of the board process is accurate information. Concurrently, as we begin to migrate
legacy system data into the Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A), we are undergoing a data
accuracy campaign to prevent having to update data once it is consolidated into IPPS-A.
Human Resources Metrics. The AG Council of Colonels, in coordination with the AG SGM Board of
Directors, Army G1, HRC and a number of operational units, collaborated to establish baseline HR Metrics, to
include HRC‘s recently published HR Metrics for Commanders Handbook. HR metrics provide us with the ability to see ourselves as S1s / G1s, and to help us focus in on areas where we may need retraining, improvement or
simply leader involvement.
iPERMS Auditability. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 requires that the Department of
Defense be financially auditable by fiscal year 2017. In order to accomplish that task, HRC, SSI and Army G1
have been working on policies, tools and procedures for S1s / G1s to audit individual Soldier files within
iPERMS for required financial documentation. Within iPERMS, a finance folder is being established that will
be populated with key supporting documentation, such as promotion orders, marriage certificates, and enlistment contracts – all documents that have a financial impact on Soldiers. HRC is also in the process of creating
a Records Review Tool (RRT) that will assist in automating the process of identifying documents that are missing and necessary to make a Soldier‘s file audit ready. Additionally, HRC, with support from Army G1 and SSI,
is in the process of updating AR 600-8-104, Military Personnel Information Management / Records, which lists
the documents required to be maintained in the Army Military Human Resource Record (AMHRR). SSI will establish the institutional training tools and the programs of instruction concerning auditability. This is a perfect
example of where the triad works together to ensure the policies, regulations, procedures and instructions have
been looked at in detail so that we create solutions for our G1s, S1s and HR professionals in the field.
In closing, these initiatives are merely a small, yet important sample, of the projects undertaken within
HRC, Army G1 and SSI in support of our Army. I want to thank each of you who work in these organizations
for your dedication in taking care of our Soldiers. Lastly, I want to congratulate HRC on 40 years of excellence
in service to our Army.
Total Army, Total Victory. Defend and Serve!
COL Todd Garlick, Commandant of the AG School
at Fort Jackson, presents
two International Officers
from Jordan and Gambi
their International Identification Badge during the
first week of AG Basic Officer Leadership Course in
the AG School’s Hall of
Honor.
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Notes from the Chief Warrant Officer of the Corps
By CW5 Coral J. Jones, Chief Warrant Officer of the Adjutant General’s Corps
This edition of the 1775 is dedicated to a key
player within the AG Corps –Human Resources Command (HRC). HRC provides a full spectrum of HR services to Soldiers, Veterans, Retirees, and Army Families.
HRC has a rich and distinguished history in serving our
Army. The Army realized the need to manage its personnel system worldwide; therefore, on 15 January 1973,
HRC was originally designated as the US Army Military
Personnel Center (MILPERCEN) in Alexandria, VA. The
primary purpose of MILPERCEN was to effectively manage the Army‘s personnel system. The DA Historical
Summary FY 93 states, ―Its creation reduced the number
of offices through which personnel actions flow; centralized the control of activities with similar functions; and
grouped some activities to deal with career management,
design and maintenance of the overall personnel management system, and the various support elements required to operate the system.‖
The lineage of HRC has evolved since the end of
the Vietnam War and has become a center of excellence.
MILPERCEN eventually redesignated as the US Total
Army Personnel Agency (TAPA) on 1 October 1987. Effective 8 December 1988, TAPA redesignated the US Total Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM). On 1 October 2003, PERSCOM merged with the Army Reserve
Personnel Command located in St. Louis, MO; hence, the
redesignation of these two personnel assets came to be
known as HRC. The merger established HRC as a single
organization that manages the careers of Active and Reserve Soldiers. HRC remains the field operating agency
for the Army G-1. In 2005, the Defense Base Closure and
Realignment Commission (BRAC) directed HRC to relocate to Fort Knox, KY, no later than 2011, thus came the
creation of the HR Center of Excellence. The HR Center
of Excellence is one of nine centers of excellence in the
Army. Because of the BRAC directive, HRC-Alexandria,
HRC-Indianapolis, and HRC- St. Louis are located together for the first time in history.
Although HRC relocated to Fort Knox, the functions and mission have not change. The HR core competencies have always been the foundation of a single
source agency to manage Soldiers' entire careers from the
day they enter basic training until retirement. As men-
tioned earlier, HRC is a key component within the AG
Corps. There are four major directorates of HRC: Enlisted Personnel Management Directorate (EPMD); Officer Personnel Management Directorate (OPMD); The
Adjutant General Directorate (TAGD); and Personnel
Information Systems Directorate (PERSINSD). All four
of these directorates implement military personnel management policies, programs, and systems directed by the
Army G-1. For example, EPMD and OPMD implement
policies, procedures, and systems that encompass the HR
core competency of Man the Force. Policies and programs such as tour stabilizations, AFORGEN manning
cycle, DA manning guidance, assignment eligibility,
availability codes, and personnel classification & reclassification all impact manning the force.
HR professionals and AG Soldiers assigned to
Corps / Division G-1s, BN and BDE S-1s must ensure
they are doing their part to support HRC. What this
means is slotting Soldiers properly on the HR Authorization Report (formerly known as the Unit Manning Roster), become familiar with the AFORGEN manning cycle,
DA manning guidance, and USR reporting procedures.
Additionally, G-1s and S-1s must update eMILPO with
timely and accurate data. Personnel information management is vital to reflect accurate Soldier data. Remember, if HR professionals and AG Soldiers are not updating Army HR systems in a timely and accurate manner, it degrades the data, which influences commanders‘
and leaders‘ decisions. In addition, HRC sees what the
G-1s and S-1s input into the system and that is how they
make decisions about manning the force.
The Adjutant General Directorate is the third
major directorate within HRC. The primary function of
TAGD is to manage Soldiers' records, promotion boards,
evaluation processing, personnel actions, entitlement
programs, and Veterans' support.
The Personnel Information Systems Directorate
(PERSINSD) provides information technology support to
command functions. Many of the TAGD and PERSINSD
policies and procedures encompass the HR core competency ―Provide HR Services.‖ For example the Casualty
and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center (CMAOC) and
the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA) implements
policies, procedures, and systems that governs casualty
and postal operations. In addition, TAGD Field Services
Division serves as the functional proponent for several of
our legacy HR systems, which include eMILPO, DTAS
and TPS. The TAGD Field Services Division will also
assist in the transition from legacy HR systems to the
Integrated Personnel Pay System – Army (IPPS-A).
In closing, for over 40 years, HR professionals and
AG Soldiers assigned to HRC continuously serve our nation and Army. These subject matter experts are committed to the excellence of the AG Corps. Thank you for
your commitment and dedicated service.
Defend and Serve!
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Notes from Regimental Command Sergeant Major
By CSM Christopher D. Culbertson, AG School &
Regimental Command Sergeant Major
Hello AG Family and Friends. This edition
of our professional magazine is dedicated to the
40th Anniversary of the US Army Human Resources Command (HRC), arguably the largest
and most diverse human resources organization
in the world.
Over the past forty years, the organization
currently known as HRC has changed its name
and location a few times, nonetheless executing
the mission of providing world class human resources programs, processes, and services to Soldiers, Veterans, Retirees and Families, and has
remained the cornerstone of HR support for our
great Army.
Most Soldiers, when asked what they know
about HRC‘s mission, respond by stating this is
the organization that is responsible for managing
all Soldiers careers and distributing Soldiers to
organizations and units throughout the Army. A
very true statement, however, managing an entire
Soldier‘s career from basic training until retirement is only a small fraction of the enormous responsibilities that fall under the scope and purview of the HRC Commander.
When visiting Soldiers in the field, I am often asked about my relationship as the Regimental CSM with the enlisted leaders and civilian
professionals within HRC. I have to admit, I have
never met a team of HR experts more dedicated,
passionate, responsive and committed to taking
care of Soldiers and their Families.
During my initial visit to HRC, I had the opportunity to receive an overview brief of the Adju6
tant General Directorate (TAGD). I could not believe the many branches and offices or the varied
missions that make up this gigantic directorate.
A few divisions of interest were, the Casualty &
Mortuary Affairs Operations Center (CMAOC),
specifically noting the casualty training and entitlements benefits briefings that are offered to
service members; the Army Continuing Education
Division (ACED) and how this program assists
with promoting lifelong learning opportunities for
Soldiers and the unique management of the tuition assistance program; the Field Services Division (FSD) and its efforts to continually improve
HR services with emphasis on supporting training
effectiveness throughout the Army; and finally
the Evaluation, Selections and Promotions Division (EPSD) and how its three distinct branches
work tirelessly ensuring responsive and reliable
support to the individual Soldier and the Army.
Again, only a small fraction of the hard work and
efforts of the many Soldiers and civilian professionals that make up this organization.
Additionally, I visited the other HRC directorates, such as, the Enlisted Personnel Management Directorate and all of its subordinate divisions and branches and my comments remain
consistent throughout. HRC is a first class organization that is totally committed to Soldier readiness and transforming and improving the Army
into the 21st Century and beyond. Thank-you MG
Mustion, CSM Lee and Team HRC for your commitment and service to our Soldiers, Families and
our Army. Happy anniversary!
AG Family and Friends, although my comments were mainly directed towards the 40th Anniversary of the Human Resources Command, I
want to continue to say thank-you for all the hard
work that is being done by Soldiers and Civilians
to better our great AG Corps. Without a doubt,
we are a better Corps because of your efforts.
Continue to tell your AG story, it is definitely
worth hearing. May God continue to bless our
Soldiers and their Families, especially the one‘s
deployed around the globe in support of contingency operations, the AG Corps and our Army.
Defend and Serve!
SECTION II: AG and HR Professional Reading,
Dedicated to “HRC’s 40th Anniversary”
AG Officer Branch Update
By LTC John Lawrence, AG Officer Branch Chief
I am honored to serve as your new AG
Branch Chief and look forward to the year ahead
as I settle into the job here at Fort Knox. Together we make the difference for our Corps as well as
for the Commanders, Soldiers and Families we
serve. I would also like to take a moment to
thank LTC(P) Mike McTigue for the incredible
support he provided to the field over the last year,
and wish him well during his War College fellowship. Our topic this month is tailored specifically
for our Army Reserve AG Officers and ―building
the bench‖ while developing career paths for professional development. Many of these same challenges are universal for all our AG officers and I
believe mentorship is one of the keys to our success as a branch. – LTC John Lawrence.
Army Reserve AG Leadership is Looking to Build the Bench (POC is MAJ Brett Robinson). In February of this year the most senior
AG officers in the Army Reserve met via teleconference to discuss the ―state of our branch in the
Army Reserve.‖ Among the main points of discussion were the lack of a deep bench (both AGR and
TPU) and how AG officers are being mentored
and developed professionally. Both of these issues
have the potential to significantly impact AG
company grade and field grade officers, as well as
future potential general officer selects from AG
Branch.
In the simplest terms, ―the Bench‖ is that
pool of officers that someday will be in consideration for selection to the highest levels of leadership in the Army Reserve. Like every other common command structure, it narrows more and
more toward the top. Essentially every Second
Lieutenant in the Army Reserve is on the bench
at its base. The top half of Captains could be considered potential bench material. About one third
of Majors would make the cut. Only the top ten or
fifteen percent of Lieutenant Colonels should be
considered, and so on.
Some of the most significant challenges
that face AG Branch and Reserve AG Officers in
terms of bench building and professional development are:
1. Ensuring the Army Reserve command
structure supports the professional development
of AG Officers (both AGR and TPU). Over a period of years AG positions have gotten ―watereddown‖. Some positions have been generically
named on manning documents with titles such as
Senior Human Resource Officer or Personnel
Management Officer, instead of more definitive
titles like Deputy G1, G1 Plans and Operations
Officer, or Battalion Adjutant. Generic terms like
―Personnel Management Officer‖ do not fit into
any career progression model. It is too loosely defined.
Also, some TDA units have been able to allow other branches to serve in AG positions by
changing their manning documents to reflect
―branch immaterial / 01A‖ instead of 42B/H.
Granted, branch immaterial S1s used to be the
norm across the entire army. Brigades and battalions used to fill these positions from within with
whomever the Commander found worthy. There
is a reason we changed that practice.
2. Ensuring that AG officers are able to
develop themselves through mentorship with senior officers that understand the current trends in
the Army Reserve. Junior officers need to seek
out mentors and senior officers need to reach out
to subordinates. This could be tough for some junior officers to navigate. Not every senior officer
has the potential to be a good mentor, but every
good officer should try to ensure that their subordinates have a mentor that they can work with
when they need guidance.
A good mentor will understand the importance of numerous AG positions. They should
know what each position does and when / where a
junior officer should go next. They should be able
to discuss a career timeline spanning at least five
years in complete detail.
3. Honest evaluating. Ultimately, the
bench will be determined by the manner of per-
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formance of the ―gene pool‖ of officers in the prospective population. This makes honest evaluating
of the utmost importance.
The best officers
should consistently be considered in the top third
of their peer group. The officers that will ultimately be members of the bench will consistently
be rated in the top ten percent. Senior raters, AG
mentors, and AG officers have a responsibility to
make sure that AG officer evaluations accurately
portray the potential of the rated officer.
It may be an uncomfortable conversation to
have, but officers who feel they are among the
best should not settle for a simple ACOM evaluation. They need to ask the senior rater to enumerate their performance and potential against that
of their peers. A good mentor may help facilitate
this as well.
Building the bench in the Army Reserve
presents myriad obstacles, only a few of which are
discussed here. But the totality of obstacles is not
so large as to overshadow the benefit that such an
endeavor will inevitably create. Bench building
is a phrase that is relatively new in operation to
the Reserve Component AG community. To this
point, bench building has likely been a phrase
that a Reserve Component AG officer may have
heard in passing, but probably gave little thought
to. It has not been a primary focus of the Army
Reserve AG leadership until now. We should all
expect to hear much more about it in the coming
months.
Other AG Officer Branch topics follow:
Deployment Equity / Dwell. AG Branch
is maintaining visibility of total deployed time
and then dwell when considering officers for deployments or taskers to ensure additional tour equity. If you have 12 months or less deployed in
support of the overseas contingency operations,
anticipate assignment to a deploying unit or Joint
manning document requirement.
Physical Capabilities. Officers with T2
and P2 profiles can be assigned against deploying
positions. AG Branch will certainly take your limitations into considerations when finding the
right job, but all profiles are not equal. Be sure
your MEDPROS and PULHES information is accurate. If you have received a permanent P3 profile and have not gone through the MEB / MAR2
process, you must do so before we consider additional assignment opportunities.
High School Senior Stabilizations. As
we execute summer assignments, AG Branch has
received multiple requests for high school senior
stabilization. We will make every effort to support HS senior stabilizations, but it is important
to apply NLT the March before your son / daughter's junior year (earlier the better). Doing so will
allow ample time for us (you and AG Branch) to
review how best to support your request for stabilization and Army requirements. Sometimes it is
better to PCS between your child‘s sophomore and
junior year so that you can remain stabilized for
the final two years of high school.
AG OFFICER BRANCH ASSIGNMENT OFFICERS
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AG Warrant Officer Branch Update
By CW4 Yinusa A. Adeoti, AG Warrant Officer Branch Manager
It has been a year now since I took over the
AG Warrant Officers assignment desk. We continue to make progress in spite of all the challenges we face in our daily professional Army HR
arena. In addition, we are also adjusting very
well to the new manning cycle procedures.
With all the progress and improvements, I
cannot stress enough on the important areas that
we need to continue to improve upon. Among
them are, professional military education, current
DA photo, current ORB, degree completion program, training with industry, effects of homesteading and the impact of the drawdown.
Professional
Military
Education
(PME). The HRC 2013 guidelines are provided
below for WO PME. You must meet the criteria
below to apply for PME attendance.
 WO Senior Staff Course
 CW5s
 CW4s on the promotion list
 CW4s with 3 years TIG
 Remaining CW4s cannot enroll until
120 days before class starts
 WO Staff Course
 CW4s
 CW3s with 3 years TIG
120 days before class starts
 WOAC
 CW3s
 CW2s with 3 years TIG.
120 days before class starts.
DA Photo. Many of you are still without
an updated DA Photo especially those recently
promoted to CW2 / 3 / 4 / 5. As a reminder you
must take a new DA photo not later than 60 days
after promotion to your new rank. You must also
have an updated photo on file in order to be considered for any type of nominative assignment.
Assignment Considerations.
Assignments to the east coast and / or special assignments are among the most highly sought after
WO assignments. Keep in mind that the Army
has a global mission and every assignment is instrumental in fulfilling that goal. The east coast
and special assignments consist of only a small
fraction of the overall AG WO need and only a few
Warrants will be selected to fill these opportunities. I highly recommend you communicate your
desires to your assignment officer who can assist
with your career moves and formulate a strategic
assignment plan to ensure you stay competitive
for promotion. Understandably, not everyone is
going to be assigned to the east coast or even nominated for a special assignment. Remember,
your expertise is needed wherever you are assigned and you should perform them as if they are
a special assignment, because they are.
Educational / Broadening assignment
Opportunities. AR 621-1 outlines opportunities
for the Degree Completion Program (DCP). The
program (fully and partially funded) is a full-time
educational opportunity for active duty officers
and NCOs who attend an accredited educational
institution that offers degrees for both undergraduate and graduate level studies. A very limited
number of candidates will be considered due to
shortages of 420As, so I highly recommend you
apply early to take advantage of this opportunity.
In addition to DCP, Training with Industry (TWI)
is another available and valuable education opportunity. TWI exposes WOs to civilian industry
operations and business practices of corporate
America. During these embedded assignments,
the officer receives hands on training coupled
with real world application through military resources. Our first TWI candidate will begin training in August 2013. The selected officer will train
with the designated industry for a period of one
9
year with a follow on military assignment for applicable implementation. Please contact me if you
are interested in either the DCP or TWI program.
Mentorship. Mentorship has always been
a very important part of our personal and professional development. I challenge the senior Warrant Officers to become mentors and foster an environment where junior Warrant Officers learn
how to execute the role of the Army AG Warrant
Officer. I highly encourage the junior Warrant
Officers to seek out the senior Warrant Officers
for mentorship, to assist in career decisions, advice and review evaluations to ensure OERs are
written to precisely reflect your ability, contributions and potential. Mentorship offers a unique
opportunity for both parties as it allows for a
sharing of knowledge, camaraderie, mutual respect and a bond of commitment. We are our
brother‘s and sister‘s keeper, as we sow, so shall
we reap.
Communication with Assignment Officer. Regular communication with your assignment officer is crucially important. Building a
communication relationship allows the assignment officer to get a clear understanding of your
professional and personal related factors (MACP,
HAAP, HS, etc.) that could impact your career
moves. Communicate to me your assignment desires early and often. You should contact me as
soon as possible and definitely before the manning cycle conference is held.
Manning Cycle. Remember, all assignments are based on the utilizing manning cycle.
There will be some flexibility in your PCS, however, it is driven by YMAV and DEROS. Effective
October 2013 the cycle will be bi-annual for
YMAV / DEROS (October-March) and (AprilSeptember). It is vitally important to communicate your desire before the manning cycle conference is held. You will need to contact me NLT
October 2013 if your YMAV / DEROS is AprilSeptember 2014. Your communication is important and will be considered, but no assignment
will be guaranteed.
Congratulatory Message for New 420A
WO Selectees. Please join me and congratulate
the following 420A WO selectees listed below.
They were selected by the May 2013 Warrant Officer Selection Board to attend Warrant Officer
Candidate School. Congratulations to you all!
SSG Carl Puckett, 420A
SSG Richard Vandeway, 420A
SFC Tyjuan Rodgers, 420A
SSG Matthew Williamson, 420A
SFC Tanishka Manuel-Wharton, 420A
SSG James Bradshaws, 420A
SSG Nicole Hatcher, 420A
I thank you for all you do for the AG Corps
and our great Army.
AG WARRANT OFFICER BRANCH ASSIGNMENT OFFICERS
10
AG Enlisted Branch Update
By SGM Teda Cooks, Enlisted Soldier Support Branch SGM
Greetings, my fellow Army Human Resources Professionals. I am filled with great pride
and honor that I have been given the opportunity
to serve as the Army Human Resources Command, Enlisted Soldier Support Branch Sergeant
Major. I count this as one of the highlights of my
career, right up there with being a Drill Sergeant
and First Sergeant! I am very humble to have
been selected to serve in this capacity and you can
rest assure that I will not take my responsibilities
lightly.
I would like to first share that in my assumption of this leadership role, I am excited to
be working with an exceptional group of Human
Resources Professionals already assembled here
in the Branch. These military and civilian professionals passionately manage enlisted careers and
assignments for Soldiers in the Human Resources, Army Band, Finance, Judge Advocate
General, Chaplain and Retention fields. I also
look forward to the arrival of our new Enlisted
Soldiers Support Branch Chief, LTC Dana Allmond in August 2013. I am confident that together we will provide the outstanding customer
service and support to which you deserve and
have become accustom to. I truly believe Soldiers
are our mission and our strength.
Secondly, I look forward to providing you with
Branch updates and information via this 1775 fo-
rum, the HRC SSB webpage, our Branch Facebook page, and periodic leader personnel updates.
It is very crucial and important that as we embark on the challenges that our Branch will face
during the continued transformation of the Army,
we provide professional development information
and guidance that will lead to career progression
and advancement.
Lastly, I urge HR leaders at all levels to
continue to mentor, coach, and train HR Soldiers
on our core competencies and the importance of
maintaining their personnel records. To remain
competitive, they must always be willing and
qualified to accept the most challenging yet rewarding positions of our branch when called upon
to do so. This includes special duty positions such
as Drill Sergeant, AIT Platoon Sergeant, Recruiter, IG, EO, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Sexual Harassment / Assault Response and
Prevention Victim Advocates, and nominative positions which all now require a more intensive
qualification screening process.
Again, I am honored for the opportunity to
serve as the Corps‘ Enlisted Branch SGM. May
God bless the AG Corps, our Soldiers and their
Families.
Defend and Serve!
HRC’s Enlisted Soldier Support Branch
11
HRC Turns the Big 4-0!
By Andrea Wales and Bill Costello
US Army Human Resources Command Public Affairs Office
FORT KNOX, KY — The U.S. Army
Human Resources Command observes its 40th
anniversary in 2013, celebrating many years of
serving America‘s Soldiers, Veterans and their
Families. ―HRC‘s enduring mission in the last 40
years has been the same. It‘s all about readiness
and managing the force,‖ said MG Richard P.
Mustion, the HRC Commanding General. ―The
difference is how the strategic and operational
environments change over the years.‖ HRC‘s
CSM Bruce A. Lee agreed. ―Some basic things
that were important 40 years ago are still
important today, such as manning the force,
providing personnel service support and finding
ways to better take care of Soldiers and Families
worldwide,‖ CSM Lee said.
What’s in a name? HRC‘s predecessor,
the U.S. Army Military Personnel Center, or
MILPERCEN, was established in 1973, when, in
accordance with General Order No. 1, dated 1
January 1973, several agencies and activities in
the nation‘s capital consolidated to centralize personnel management operations for Army officers
and
enlisted
Soldiers.
Coming
under
MILPERCEN were the Officer Personnel
Directorate, the Enlisted Personnel Directorate
and the Personnel Management Development
Directorate, which had all been part of the 1960‘s
era Office of Personnel Operations. Other
elements included the Personnel Information
Systems Directorate and the Personnel Actions
and Records Directorate, which included most of
12
the elements that had come from The Adjutant
General‘s Office (TAGO). Those TAGO activities
concerned with separations, personnel records,
promotions and awards were absorbed by
MILPERCEN in this consolidation. MILPERCEN‘s Commanding General at the time, MG
Sidney B. Berry, thus became the first of 22 CGs
to lead the Army‘s premier human resources
organization.
The Adjutant General (TAG) Center was
created
as
a
parallel
organization
to
MILPERCEN in 1973 to meet the demands for
initiatives and developments in the fields of
administrative management systems, using the
latest management science techniques in
operation research, computer sciences, systems
analysis, behavioral sciences and management
information systems design. TAG and HRC have
had a long association, and, along the way, TAG
became an integral part of HRC. The Adjutant
General of the US Army serves as the head of The
Adjutant General Directorate at HRC; and the
Executive Director of the Military Postal Service
Agency. Until recently, the TAG was also the
commander of the US Army Physical Disability
Agency (USAPDA). USAPDA is currently aligned
under the Army G-1.
In 1988, MILPERCEN was once again at
the center of sweeping changes to Army personnel
management. The consolidation of MILPERCEN,
the Army‘s Civilian Personnel Center, the Army
Physical Disability Agency, and the US Army
Drug and Alcohol Operations Agency formed the
US Total Army Personnel Agency, later renamed
the Total Army Personnel Command, or TAPC.
Eventually, it became known as DA PERSCOM.
On 1 October 2003, DA PERSCOM merged with
the US Army Reserve Personnel Command, or
AR-PERSCOM, in St. Louis, and the US Army
Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center, or
EREC, in Indianapolis. This merger yielded today‘s US Army Human Resources Command. Its
main elements became known as HRCAlexandria,
HRC-St.
Louis
and
HRCIndianapolis.
In 2005, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission identified the three main
elements of HRC to collocate at a new facility to
be built at Fort Knox, KY, as part of the congressionally mandated base realignment and closure,
or BRAC, process. Although 15 September 2011,
was the deadline for BRAC moves, by October
2010, HRC had completed its move into the LTG
Timothy J. Maude Complex, a nearly 900,000
square foot state of the art facility that is the
largest office building in the commonwealth of
Kentucky.
Into the Digital Age. As the organization
matured over the last four decades so too did the
means and methods employed to conduct human
resources management. After decades of shuttling paperwork back and forth among various
units, headquarters and installations, personnel
transactions eventually became handwritten entries on forms that were hand carried by organizations to be key punched onto punch cards that
were fed into room sized computers. Throughout
the 1980‘s, as computer hardware began to shrink
in size and the computing power of software increased, HRC's predecessor organizations continued to embrace desktop computing and the World
Wide Web to conduct personnel management.
The Standard Installation / Division Personnel Reporting System went through several
iterations to make personnel accounting and force
management more and more efficient. Other
human resources automation systems later joined
the pantheon of HR automation.
SIDPERS‘
successor, the Regional Level Application System,
or RLAS, for example, was meant to be a Total
Army system that meshed with the Defense
Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or
DEERS. The Total Officer Personnel Manage-
ment Information System, or TOPMIS, was also
introduced in the mid-1980s and improved as
TOPMIS II in the mid-1990s. On the enlisted
side of the house, the Enlisted Distribution and
Assignment System, or EDAS, debuted in 1991.
―EDAS led to efficiencies and effectiveness in
meeting the Army manning requirements and automated capabilities to get the right Soldier at the
right place at the right time,‖ said Louis Henkel,
the Deputy Director of HRC‘s Enlisted Personnel
Management Directorate. ―Prior to 2000, we
manned at the installation level, and installation
personnel managers were responsible to man
down to the lower formations.‖
The 34th Chief of Staff of the Army
changed all that. GEN Eric Shinseki, who served
as CSA from 1999 to 2003, mandated that DA
PERSCOM begin to prioritize and man divisions
to 100 percent, and so, at that point, DA PERSCOM began to man each division on the installations, Mr. Henkel said. In 2007, brigade-level
manning was implemented which required HRC
to be more precise in distribution to deliver personnel readiness. DOD and service leaders still
intend to revolutionize HR automation systems by
enabling them to ―communicate‖ with other HR
systems within a military service and crossing
service lines. The Army version of the system
currently being developed is the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army (IPPS-A). The
IPPS-A website at https://www.ipps-a.army.mil/ is
billing it as one-stop shopping for Army HR professionals, a powerful tool for leaders to better
manage their Soldiers and an effective way for
Soldiers to get paid accurately and on time.
In today‘s current information technology
environment, HRC's personnel information systems are backed by an army of computer programmers and other computer scientists and
technicians that keep them up and running and
doing their job, hence, modern technology supporting the Soldier.
The All Volunteer Army. The creation of
present day Army Human Resources Command in
1973 just so happened to coincide with the end of
the draft and the creation of the all volunteer Army envisioned by then President Richard M. Nixon. Retired LTG Michael D. Rochelle, a former
Army G-1, called the change one of the nation's
greatest management successes. According to
LTG Rochelle, the act of volunteerism is crucial.
13
It means young men and women want to serve,
want to be in their units, that they are willingly sacrificing themselves. A unit full of volunteer Soldiers, versus draftees, is far more cohesive and motivated, with lower discipline rates and higher morale. That desire of selfless service and willingness
to sacrifice oneself born in 1973 ultimately came to
define today‘s Army and the many military operations HRC has supported during the last 40 years.
Though the demand for thousands of Soldiers to
serve in Vietnam and Southeast Asia had ended, the
requirements shifted to locations and formations
throughout Germany and Europe to support the
continuing Cold War.
Over the years, HRC also ensured commanders were sufficiently manned to support seemingly
back to back to back overseas contingency operations starting with the airborne invasion in Grenada
(1983) and Panama (1989-1990), ground combat in
Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm (1990-1991),
humanitarian relief operations in Somalia (19921994), stabilization operations in Bosnia (19931995), peacekeeping operations in Haiti (1994-1995)
and nation-building in Kosovo (1999). Despite decades of supporting various combat operations, the
men and women of Human Resources Command
were never so close to the dangers of conflict as they
were during the 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon when the hijacked airliner directly struck the
office spaces of the Army G-1 and his staff. According to MG Sean Byrne, then the Director, Enlisted
Personnel Management Directorate, ―the members
of the command quickly, if not immediately, opened
their arms and hearts to the members of the Army
G-1 Family. We found space for the G-1 staff and
worked closely together with all personnel systems
remaining "green" while the offices in the Pentagon
were rebuilt. We were one team that focused on
keeping the Army moving and rebuilding our local
HR community. Never have I felt prouder of our
efforts.‖
Likewise, MG Dorian Anderson, then Director, Officer Personnel Management Directorate said,
―Our losses in the HQs and Army G-1 touched us
deeply. The years of conflict ushered in an era of
focused force generation manning priorities and war
based Soldier and Family programs. The high performing command worked harmoniously as a team
with a single focus, to support the Army, Soldiers,
and Families. It was a challenge and we met each
one as we 'adapted, adjusted, and drove on.' HRC
met each challenge resulting in genuine and meaningful outcomes because of the right people, in the
right places, at the right times, doing the right
things. People first – mission always!"
In recognition of its various personnel management functions and efforts from 1 October 1999
through October 2006, the military and civilian
teammates of the United States Total Army Personnel Command and the United States Army Human Resources Command were awarded three Army Superior Unit Awards for outstanding meritorious performance during peacetime in a difficult
and challenging mission. ―I‘m really proud of this
organization,‖ MG Mustion said. ―Though there‘s
still a lot to do, the teamwork in the organization is
inspiring. Everyone has the right priority and
commitment. It makes it fun to be here.‖
LTC Mel Romero, Ginny Schindler, Jeff
Bryson and MAJ Malikah Hudson contributed
to this Article. Compiled from Army sources.
For more information about U.S. Army Human
Resources Command, visit: www.hrc.army.mil
For a good portion of its 40 year history, US Army Human
Resources Command resided at the Hoffman Complex in
Alexandria, VA. The Hoffman Complex consisted of two
high rise office buildings named Hoffman I and Hoffman II
where subordinate elements of HRC operated from in
close proximity to The Pentagon and Army G-1. HRC
moved to its present location in 2010 at the LTG Timothy
J. Maude Complex on Fort Knox, KY.
14
Former HRC Commanding Generals
and Command Sergeants Major
Recall Their Tenure
Commanding PERSCOM and transitioning the command into US Army
Human Resources Command during a time when our Nation was at war in
Afghanistan and Iraq, conducting Nation Building Operations in Kosovo, and
other overseas contingency operations, was both an honor and humbling
experience.
Our losses at The Pentagon and Army G-1 on 9/11 touched us deeply. The
years of conflict ushered in an era of focused force generation manning
priorities and war based Soldier and Family programs. The high performing
command worked harmoniously as a team with a single focus, support the
Army, Soldiers, and Families. It was a challenge and we met each one as we
adapted, adjusted, and drove on. HRC met each challenge resulting in
genuine and meaningful outcomes because of the right people, in the right
MG (Ret) Dorian Anderson
places, at the right times, doing the right things. People first – mission
HRC CG
always!
Jun 2002 - Jul 2005
During all my tours with HRC, PT was a big part of our lives and even
when we didn't have facilities, we found ways to do our PT virtually every day.
Back in the day, if you were a green suiter, in order to survive in
MILPERCEN, you needed to be fit and we all believed we represented a good
cross section of the Army.
I remember during my first tour at the Hoffmann Buildings, regardless of
the time of day, if my boss came by and asked how my PT had gone that day, I
had better be able to tell him it went well, or be walking out the door to go to
PT, even if it was 1630 hours.
Following the tragic events of 9/11, the members of the command quickly,
if not immediately, opened their arms and hearts to the members of the Army
G-1 Family following the destruction at the Pentagon. We found space for the
G-1 staff and worked closely together with all personnel systems remaining
MG (Ret) Sean Byrne
"green" while the offices in the Pentagon were rebuilt. We were one team that
HRC CG
focused on keeping the Army moving and rebuilding our local HR community.
Oct 2006 - Oct 2010
Never have I felt prouder of our efforts.
I was fortunate to be in command of HRC through the transition and stand up at Fort Knox, where
we brought together, HRC-Alexandria, HRC-St. Louis, and the Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center
under one roof at the LTG Timothy J. Maude Complex. A major undertaking, that had many throughout the Army worried because we were manning and supporting an Army in so many ways while the
Army was fighting two wars. We had a great proactive team that developed a plan for the transition
that had us getting the key pieces such as automation and selected key leadership and action officers on
both military and civilian sides, in as early as the facility was available so, we could speed up the transition.
Probably the biggest complement we received was from GEN Martin Dempsey, at the time the
TRADOC Commander. During a VTC he was heading, he asked me how soon we would finish our transition and have everything up and running at Fort Knox, because he was very concerned about keeping
everything running and ensuring HR support needed was being provided. It was good to tell him, that I
was transmitting from Fort Knox and we had been up and running for a month, and to hear his simple
response, ‗I didn't know that, well done.‘
15
I was honored to be the first Commanding General of Human
Resources Command to take command at the Maude Complex at Fort
Knox, Kentucky. It was a privilege to serve with so many talented
Soldiers and civilians. We were warmly welcomed by Fort Knox and
the surrounding communities as we established operations in our new
home, and continued to support our Army at war.
MG (Ret) Gina Farrisee
HRC CG
Oct 2010 - Aug 2012
My tour of duty with PERSCOM (a.k.a., HRC) was both educational
and rewarding. As a combat arms CSM, I learned a great deal from the
dedicated team of HR professionals, which was how the Army works and
how to best take care of Soldiers and their Families. It made me a more
effective NCO and I would like to think, a better person.
CSM (Ret) Jimmie Spencer
PERSCOM CSM
Nov 1990 - Nov 1991
My first thoughts of my tenure were that I didn't consider it an
individual achievement to be selected to be CSM of PERSCOM, but
rather I considered it a Regimental achievement, as the position had,
for several series of CSMs, been occupied by combat arms background
CSMs. My selection began a continuing series of selections of Adjutant
General background CSMs to be the PERSCOM senior enlisted leader,
thus providing a career pinnacle position within the nominative CSM
arena for AG CSMs and up and coming young AG NCOs. I was
honored and humbled to be selected, but also extremely proud to be an
AG background CSM in a position in which I could apply all my
experience and knowledge of the AG operations that I learned as an AG
Soldier.
CSM (Ret) Keith Miller
PERSCOM CSM
Jun 1993 - Dec 1995
16
One of my highlights at HRC was assisting the Army G-1 immediately
after 9/11, providing resources for the G-1 to continue their mission while
working out of the HRC buildings at the Hoffman Complex in Alexandria, VA.
A most significant highlight was seeing how well the Soldiers and Civilians
of HRC performed on a daily basis during this critical time of early war time
operations on ensuring effective manning of the Army and continued
sustainment for combat operations.
Another significant point was being able to travel throughout the Army
and around the world during a time of war, visiting leaders and Soldiers at
every level to gain a better understanding of their needs and how HRC could
be of assistance.
CSM (Ret) William Hoffer
HRC CSM
Jun 2000 - Jan 2005
HRC was formed on Oct. 1, 2003, by merging
the personnel assets of US Total Army
Personnel Command (PERSCOM) and the
United States Army Reserve Personnel
Command (AR-PERSCOM). Establishing HRC
as a field operating agency of the Office of the
Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, G-1,
enhanced the potential of every federal Soldier
in the Army. A single organization would now
manage the careers of Active and Reserve
Soldiers. MG Dorian Anderson and CSM
William Hoffer conducted the command
merger ceremony in the Pentagon court yard
on 1 October 2003.
Past HRC Commanding Generals:
- MG Richard P. Mustion, Aug 2012 - Present
- MG Gina S. Farrisee, Oct 2010 - Aug 2012
- MG Sean J. Byrne, Oct 2006 - Oct 2010
- MG Rhett A. Hernandez, Aug 2005 - Oct 2006
- MG Dorian T. Anderson, Jun 2002 - Jul 2005
- MG Lawrence R. Adair, Jun 2000 - Jun 2002
- MG Thomas W. Garrett, May 1997 - Jun 2000
- MG Leo J. Baxter, Jul 1996 - May 1997
- MG John C. Thompson, Jul 1994 - Jul 1996
- MG Gerald G. Putnam, Jan 1992 - Jul 1994
- MG Robert L. Ord III, Feb 1990 - Jan 1992
- MG James W. Crysel, Jul 1988 - Feb 1990
- MG Donald W. Jones, May 1987 - July 1988
- MG Bobby B. Porter, May 1986 - May 1987
- MG James R. Hall Jr., Jun 1985 - May 1986
- MG Vincent Falter, Jun 1983 - Jun 1985
- MG Robert Arter, Aug 1981 - May 1981
- MG Robert M. Elton, Jan 1980 - Aug 1981
- MG Charles K. Heiden, Feb 1977 - Jan 1980
- MG Robert G. Gard Jr., Jan 1975 - Jan 1977
- MG Harold Moore, Aug 1973 - Nov 1974
- MG Sidney B. Berry, Jan 1973 - Jul 1973
Past HRC Command Sergeants Major
- CSM Bruce A. Lee, Apr 2011 - Present
- CSM John Gathers, Jan 2005 - Apr 2011
- CSM William A. Hoffer, Jun 2000 - Jan 2005
- CSM Charles Nunley, Aug 1997 - Jun 2000
- CSM Ted Weekley, Dec 1995 - Aug 1997
- CSM Keith R. Miller, Jun 1993 - Dec 1995
- CSM James Randolph, Nov 1991 - Jun 1993
- CSM Jimmie Spencer, Nov 1990 - Nov 1991
- CSM Joseph Himelick, Feb 1985 - Nov 1990
- CSM Ray Martin, 1980 - Jan 1985
- CSM Robert P. Keairness, Sep 1979 - 1980
- CSM Frederick Eisenbart, Jul 1976 - Aug 1979
- CSM Charles J. Barber, Jul 1973 - Jun 1976
17
Soldier Record Accuracy:
Record Reviews, Goals and TTPs for
the HR Professional
By MAJ Jonathan Holland
Ever since soldiering became a profession
2,600 years ago, the military personnel record became the most important set of documents for the
individual Soldier and the Army alike. Whether
the record was kept in cruciform, parchment, paper form, or as electrons in a 21st century database in the cloud, the same basic truth still remains; the Soldier‘s official military record
represents that Soldier‘s experiences and professional qualifications in the eyes of the Army.
Maintaining the accuracy of service records
is the cornerstone of overall Soldier readiness and
has a significant impact on both the individual
Soldier and the Army. Records accuracy not only
impacts promotions, career development opportunities, and assignments for Soldiers, it also impacts the overall quality and strength of the Army. The governing regulation for Soldier Records
is AR 600-8-104, Army Military Human Resource
Records Management, 2 August 2012. This regulation states that Soldiers are responsible to review and update their personnel records on an
annual basis, but this is a team effort. Soldiers,
with the help of S1‘s and HR professionals, must
ensure their individual record is correct, complete,
free of errors, and accurately reflects their military service.
Record reviews normally occur during
in/out-processing, promotion board preparation,
and Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP). However, if none of those events occur within a 12 month
period for a Soldier, then he or she must conduct
an annual record review with their supporting
personnel office. During these reviews, Soldiers
should check each document in the interactive
Personnel Electronic Records Management System (iPERMS). The HR professional acts as the
honest broker for the Army, verifying documents
in iPERMS and the data entries in eMILPO.
When assisting with records reviews HR
professionals must ensure that officers scrutinize
their Officer Record Brief (ORB), and NCOs and
enlisted Soldiers scrutinize their Enlisted Record
Brief (ERB) as these are the documents which
18
summarize their service record. HR professionals
must also review the same documents, cross
checking entries with supporting documents (e.g.,
awards citations, evaluations, etc.) to ensure all
entries are valid and have the required documents filed in the Soldier‘s iPERMS Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). The most common
items which require updates in a Soldier‘s service
record brief are: current address, awards, assignment history, overseas service, deployment
history, and dwell time.
To meet the needs of the Army, the HRC
Assignment Officers and Professional Development NCOs rely heavily on the Soldiers‘ record to
determine the best possible candidates for their
next assignment. Assignment managers often do
not have the luxury of time and frequently review
the Soldier‘s record at face value when placing
Soldiers on assignment instructions. HRC Assignment Officers and Professional Development
NCOs often have requirements to fill with specific
―must have‖ criteria. An accurate record must reflect which Soldiers have the assignment qualifications to fill the upcoming assignment.
A Soldier‘s service record also plays a critical role in the promotion process, especially for
those records being reviewed by Army promotion
boards. During centralized promotion boards, the
Soldier does not directly interface with the board
members and therefore the Soldier‘s service
record is critical because it solely represents him
or her. If that record is missing critical information about the Soldier, or has unsupported information on the records brief, the Soldier in question could be at risk for non-selection or have an
unfair advantage for promotion, due to missing
derogatory information.
In addition to promotions, accurate and
complete records are imperative during this time
of force reduction. This is especially true for those
records being reviewed by Qualitative Service
Program (QSP) boards. The QSP‘s mission is to
determine which specific Soldiers have the best
potential to continue in Army service. Those not
selected for continued service are notified of their
pending separation, or retirement, based on their
time in service. Since these boards only review
the Soldier‘s records (e.g., ERB, evaluations, etc.)
when making their determinations it‘s crucial
that these records accurately reflect the Soldier‘s
character of service and show their potential for
continued service.
Unit HR leaders play a critical role in
managing the records review process. The Soldier‘s HR team must have situational awareness
and influence how and when the annual record
review occurs. HR professionals must manage an
appointment schedule and other resources to ensure mission accomplishment in the most efficient
and expeditious manner possible. HR leaders pay
careful attention to the customer load and
throughput of the HR work center (e.g., S1 Sections, Installation MPDs, etc.). Initially, it may
seem easiest to organize, and schedule, record reviews based solely on birth month but after further mission analysis, it may make more sense to
follow training schedules. Every company, platoon, squad or section could have a blocked time
on the schedule for accomplishing their annual
record reviews.
One of the best tools an HR leader can use
is the ―My Board Certification Report.‖ By entering their Unit Identification Code (UIC) via the
HRC
homepage‘s
direct
link
at
https://www.hrcapps.army.mil/IWS/?page_id=129
28, commanders and S1s can access the My Board
File certification report tool. This report provides
a list of Soldiers in their unit identified as eligible
for an upcoming selection board and includes
rank, name, and certification status of their board
file. This report can then be used to help initiate
records reviews with these Soldiers. Soldiers can
also find their ―My Board File‖ under ―Popular
HRC Resources‖ on the U.S. Army Human Resources
Command‘s
home
page
at
www.hrc.army.mil.
In the future, the Army is expanding
iPERMS with a Records Review Tool (RRT). The
RRT will enable Soldiers to conduct an online
record review and certify the accuracy of each
item in their official record, maintained in the
Army‘s iPERMS data base. Once certified, these
documents will be electronically date stamped
and signed by the Soldier via their Common
Access Card or CAC. This ―reviewed on‖ date will
be visible to both the HR professionals, with required access to the files, and to the individual
Soldier. The RRT will save Soldiers valuable time
during subsequent records reviews as they will
only have to certify those documents added to the
OMPF since the last review. HRC anticipates delivering the RRT update into iPERMS at some
point in early to mid FY 14.
Finally, Unit Commanders and First Sergeants must lead their Soldiers to success, and
play a key role to ensure every Soldier completes
a record review every 12 months. The Soldier‘s
HR team must proactively coordinate with their
supported units to make the right things happen
and enforce this standard (see AR 600-8-104).
There are plenty of opportunities to get this done
during a simple desk side record audit using
iPERMS and eMILPO. By taking proactive steps
to plan, schedule and extend influence, the HR
team can ensure a ready formation for the Total
Force.
About the Author: MAJ Jonathan Holland is the Chief, HR Integration Branch,
Field Services Division, US Army Human Resources Command.
Soldiers can use their “My Board File” on HRC’s home
page to check their official military personnel file.
19
Army Human Resource Metrics
By LTC Tracey Clyde and CW3 Frankie Roit
The Human Resource (HR) Metrics has two basic purposes: to serve as a quick reference for
commanders to measure and assess the levels of HR support and readiness at both the unit and the installation levels; and to provide a common understanding of the HR standards of performance. These
metrics contribute toward command involvement by Senior Commanders, Garrison Commanders and
Unit Commanders (at all levels) to achieve peak performance in HR support. This HR support is critical to sustaining trained and ready units and installations but to be effective, HR organizations (including G1s, S1s, installation DHRs and MPDs) must have trained personnel to perform the core competencies and major functions described in Field Manual 1-0.
At its inception, these metrics had a three-fold purpose; assist in the early detection of HR issues
and/or training deficiencies, serve as an assessment/assistance tool to identify training requirements
and additional resources at brigade-level and higher and finally, facilitate the Army‘s Human Resources Command (AHRC) in identifying trends while measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of
Army HR policies, procedures and systems.
In the Spring of 2011, the Field Services Division (FSD), within the Adjutant General Directorate
(TAGD), developed a set of HR metrics for the measurement and analysis of sixteen (16) data points
derived from commonly executed tasks within our HRC systems (EDAS, TOPMIS, IWRS) and HR field
systems (eMILPO, iPERMS, DTAS, TPS, DCIPS, DEERS-RAPIDS). These metrics were also aligned
with our HR core competencies and intended to be measureable at the brigade and DMSL (Distributed
Management Sub-Level) levels. These metrics, when viewed in their entirety, were intended to identify
possible areas of concern for the S1 such as identifying a need for training and clarification of policies
and/or procedures.
HR metrics continues to be a fluid mechanism but it remains central to improving personnel readiness and measuring key performance indicators impacting the quality of HR support within a specified command or installation. In fact today, accuracy of data coupled with continuous updates on HR
information systems gives our HR leaders a holistic picture within their formations ultimately ensuring
continuity of service and support to Soldiers, their Families and DoD civilians whether they are deployed or at home station.
HR metrics can be analyzed using a weighted average methodology or by trend over a specified
period of time. The weighted average analysis allows a command team to quickly and consistently
identify top to bottom performers within their command while a trend analysis is likely best suited for
staggered reviews such as quarterly or semi-annual updates. The fundamental goal of these metrics is
to allow command teams at all levels to see a large amount of information in an abbreviated space highlighting areas pertinent to the command.
Table 1 on the next page is a ―snapshot‖ of the eighteen (18) baseline metrics developed by AHRC
and intended for eventual distribution to Senior Army Leaders on a recurring basis. The entire table is
available within Chapter 2 of the HR Metrics Guide for Commanders. The guide is accessible on ―milSuite‖ at the following link:
https://www.milsuite.mil/wiki/Human_Resource_Metrics_Guide_for
_Commanders.
The guide is also accessible on the S1Net at the following link:
https://www.milsuite.mil/book/docs/DOC-82823.
Measurements of other areas in addition to the 18 baseline AHRC metrics is expected in order to
support standards required by Army Regulations and/or by the unit and installation command teams.
In some instances, Corps-level headquarters utilize over twenty-nine (29) data points as part of their
metrics. While at the same time, division and below headquarters may isolate some metrics as they execute Army or command-directed initiatives such as the exception to Direct Ground Combat Assignment Rule (DGCAR) or identifying Soldiers (SPC/SGT) with blank or expired APFT entries in eMILPO
which affects promotion eligibility.
20
In its simplicity, HR metrics leverage our HR weapon systems, in a deployed or home station environment. Whether or not AHRC uses the 18 baseline metrics found in the HR Metrics Guide for
Commanders, these performance indicators help shape the HR support we execute at the tactical, operational and strategic levels.
For more information about HR metrics, please contact Field Services Division, TAGD, HRC by
email at [email protected] or by telephone (502) 6138083/8110 (DSN 983).
21
The Importance of Understanding the
Prepositioned Selection Board Results Process
By LTC Randy J. Gillespie, Chief of Officer Promotions Management
Adjutant General‘s Corps officers are expected
to continually expand and hone their technical and
tactical prowess to provide manpower, Human Resources (HR) and band support across all echelons to
enhance the readiness and operational capability of
the total force and ensure success across the full spectrum of military operations as defined by DA Pamphlet 600-3, Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management, paragraph 36-1(a),
dated 1 February 2010. Likewise, it is clearly evident
that maintaining the ability to access prepositioned
selection list results and effectively managing the associated information is one of the essential personnel
services as outlined in our pertinent AG doctrine,
Field Manual 1-0, Human Resources Support, April
2010.
Failure to properly gain access to selection
board results scheduled for public release can be an
emotionally significant event for a HR Professional at
the G1 or Brigade S1 level and can cast serious doubt
into your professionalism and overall ability to perform your assigned HR mission. All HR Professionals
must understand the following four general facts regarding prepositioned lists: (1) the purpose of prepositioning selection lists; (2) who is authorized access to
preposition selection lists; (3) how to gain associated
access to prepositioned lists; and (4) the ―Close Hold‖
nature of the selection information before the officially
scheduled release date.
The official purpose for prepositioning officer
promotion / selection lists is to afford the officer
records work centers for individual flag officer commands or organizations the opportunity to screen the
respective list for their assigned personnel and to notify any of their non-selected officers the day prior to the
official release date in accordance with AR 600-8-29,
Officer Promotions, paragraph 5-1(d). Of course, the
prepositioned period is also unofficially used as an opportunity for HR Professionals to prepare official congratulatory messages to selectees by the respective
key senior leader(s). As such, the implied intent is to
get these subsequent messages prepared, signed and
post-marked on the effective date of the respective
board‘s release.
Access to prepositioned promotion lists is limited to selected Pentagon officials and Commanders
(ARCOM / DRCOM / Division / Installation Commanders of Troops) with either General Officer or Senior Executive Service (SES) leadership. It is important to note, that if you are a HR Professional at the
22
Brigade S1 level or lower it is an implied task to coordinate with your higher HR echelon to determine your
organization‘s preposition battle rhythm. The internal
command preposition process may vary from command
to command.
Each subordinate HR Professional
should ensure that their commander meets the nonselection notification requirement(s), the associated
congratulatory messages are prepared and that they
can advise their respective commander / unit on preposition related inquiries.
Currently, prepositioning promotion / selection
results are only released via the Electronic Total Officer Personnel Management Information System
(eTOPMIS) for all Active Component (AC) commands /
organizations. For the Reserve Component (RC), prepositioned results are currently released both via email distribution and via eTOPMIS. However, effective 1 July 2013, with the release of Military Personnel (MILPER) Message, 13-098, dated 11 April 2013,
the United States Army Human Resources Command
(HRC) will only preposition centralized selection list(s)
results in eTOPMIS for both the Active and Reserve
Components. This initiative is being implemented as
a means to better safeguard prepositioned centralized
selection lists and to proactively reduce / prevent undue spillage / early releases.
In order to gain access to prepositioned lists,
the first general officer or senior executive in the respective authorized unit must request their organization‘s one primary and one alternate designees (i.e.,
limit is two personnel per command or organization)
be authorized access to preposition centralized selection list(s) and associated removal of any personnel
who no longer require access to the respective information (the preposition request format can be found
on HRC‘s website). Each individual (primary and alternate) designated for preposition centralized selection list(s) access must already have a valid eTOPMIS
account. Individuals who need to establish an eTOPMIS account must coordinate access through their local Information Assurance Security Officer (IASO) or
Personnel Automation Section (PAS) Chief with a DD
Form 2875 (August 2009), System Authorization
Access Request (SAAR), and submitted via the HRC
Identity
Management
System
(HIMS)
at
HTTPS://SPEX.USAAC.ARMY.MIL/. Designated primary / alternate representatives are also required to
review the preposition centralized selection list handling procedures (again, see preposition guidance on
HRC‘s website) and complete / submit an acknowled-
gement memorandum of understanding (MOU), to ensure that they are in compliance with ―Close Hold‖ requirements. The command requests should be forwarded
to
the
following
e-mails:
[email protected]
for RC applications, or usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-acofficer-promotions@mail .mil for AC Applications.
Typically processing time is 1-3 days provided the
candidates already have access to eTOPMIS as explained above.
The final point referenced above is for all HR
Professionals to fully understand the ―Close Hold‖ nature of the selection information and requirement to
safeguard the respective information until the official
scheduled release date. All HR Professionals involved
in the preposition process from the official command
primary / alternate representatives to the battalion
level professionals should realize the repercussion if
they violate the "Close-Hold" directive. They will immediately lose prepositioned list access, potentially
compromise their ability to perform their assigned job
/ position and may face grounds for relief. Moreover,
as a Soldier, they may also be subject to local Uniform
Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and adverse administrative action; or as a civilian, they may also be subject
to appropriate administrative action. It is important
to note that prepositioning selection results only currently only applies to the officer and warrant officer
populations because the practice was discontinued for
senior enlisted promotion lists with All Army Activities Message (ALARACT) 251-2010, dated 19 August
2010, due to failures to properly safeguard the associated board information.
Over the past two years, both the Fiscal Year
(FY) 2012 Chief Warrant Officer Three, Chief Warrant
Officer Four and Chief, Warrant Officer Five, Promotion Selection Board and the FY 12 Captain, Army
Competitive Category (ACC), Promotion Selection
Board were unduly ―early released.‖ Note, the difference between a selection board report being compromised and a selection list being ―early released‖ is
when the information is released in relation to the approval date of the respective board. If the selection
board report has not been approved by the appropriately designated authority and the information is
released, then the respective board has been compromised and may be required to fully re-convene. Whereas, a selection board report becomes a selection list
once it has been approved by the designated authority
and if it is ―early released‖, the board findings are secure but the individuals involved in the spillage may
have career ending ramifications.
In the event that a command or organization
determines that spillage has occurred regarding a prepositioned selection list, the associated senior HR Pro-
fessional should contact the HRC Officer Promotions
Proponent at either [email protected]
for
AC,
or
[email protected]
for
RC, and provide the proverbial five W‘s to include the
level of spillage and containment status. If the party
involved in the spillage is one of the organization‘s
primary / alternate designees, then that individual
will immediately lose their preposition list access
permanently and be subject to the above referenced
military / civilian punishment at the local level. However, the associated organization will not be allowed to
replace their preposition list designee until they conduct an informal investigation and provide the Officer
Promotion Proponent with the subsequent findings
and corrective action / training.
As a HR Professional, fully understanding,
learning and practicing the aforementioned four general points will ensure that you remain relevant and
on the tip of the proverbial personnel support spear.
In order to gain access to prepositioned lists, the first
GO or Senior Executive in the authorized unit must request their unit’s primary and alternate designees.
23
Five Key Steps for HR Professionals
as Army Drawdown Commences
By CPT Mike Skiff, DA Board Recorder, HRC, Fort Knox, KY
Four years from now, about one in ten of
those reading this article will no longer wear the
uniform, perhaps even more. As has been widely
reported, the Army plans to reduce its end
strength from 570,000 to 490,000 by the end of
2017. The Army plans to accomplish this reduction by utilizing several methods. According to
the defense strategy released 26 January 2012,
one specific measure planned is the elimination of
eight Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) from the Active Army force structure (including two armored
BCTs in Europe). In addition, several other options which exist may be implemented at the discretion of DOD leadership. These include:
 Involuntary (most-likely courses of action):
 Controlling accessions (limiting number of
Soldiers allowed to join the Army)
 Selective Early Retirement Boards (SERBs)
 Reduction in Force (RIF)
 Voluntary (less-likely):
 Voluntary Retirement Incentive
 Voluntary Separation Incentive
 Special Separation Bonus
 Temporary Early Retirement Authority
 Voluntary Early Release / Retirement Program
 Early Out
All of these options aside, the Army is also
focused on a very simple, front-line approach to
the drawdown: enforcing standards already in
place. For example, Soldiers who fail the Army
Physical Fitness Test, or are not in compliance
with Army Height / Weight standards as outlined
in Army Regulation 600-9, are in jeopardy of being eliminated from the Army. Soldiers who have
derogatory information in their Army Military
Human Resources Record (AMHRR – formerly
known as the OMPF) are also in jeopardy.
Anecdotally, as an observer of the Army‘s
centralized promotion system, I can attest to the
importance of ensuring you do not present yourself to a promotion or selection board as ―lowhanging fruit.‖ In other words, failure to uphold
standards places you at significant risk for recommendation for elimination by a centralized
board.
In February 2012, the Army leadership
published a letter focused on retention signed by
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh, Army
Chief of Staff GEN Raymond T. Odierno, and
24
Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III. As evident in the letter, the focus is on retaining quality Soldiers, "This is not intended to
be a race to meet the target... It is about retaining
quality and keeping the right Soldiers in the Army…Commanders must carefully assess their
Soldiers and ensure only our best Soldiers are retained to meet the needs of our Army."
So what can we do as Human Resources
(HR) professionals to help ensure Soldiers in our
formations are prepared for the drawdown? What
is our role in this process, and how can we make
sure those we serve are in the best possible position to avoid elimination?
First, make sure you practice what you
preach. Too often as HR professionals we are laser focused on those we serve, and yet neglect to
ensure our own house is in order. Start with an
audit of yourself and your own personnel records.
Next, grab a copy of MILPER Message 13-055 –
Soldier Record Accuracy. This message outlines
several key topics of importance in ensuring accurate, up to date records, and our role in the
process as HR professionals. As outlined in the
message, there are some key actions that HR professionals need to take. Here are five recommendations specific to Battalion / Brigade S1s as outlined in the message:
1. Schedule and ensure annual records reviews (formerly known as the birth month audit)
for Soldiers in your unit. Creating and maintaining a system to ensure this occurs is critical to
success. Although the review should not be limited to this list, the most common items in need
of an update include:
 Address
 Awards and Decorations – to include documentation in the AMHRR
 Assignment History – Entries such as Incoming
Personnel, Surplus Soldier, etc., should be corrected
 Overseas Service
 Deployment History
 Dwell Time
 DA Photo (often outdated – required every five
years, upon promotion to SSG or higher, upon
promotion to 1LT or higher, upon award of the
Army Commendation Medal or above, as directed by the LTC commander in the Soldier‘s
chain of command, and as needed for centralized promotion / selection boards)
2. Support the annual record review by uploading and verifying receipt of authorized documents in iPERMS. Implement procedures to ensure Soldiers are scheduled for their annual
records review. Ensure these record reviews are
tracked to completion.
I cannot stress this
enough; this should not just be a ―check the block‖
event as these documents are thoroughly reviewed during a centralized promotion / selection
board process. Often times a centralized board is
forced to make a selection between two very qualified individuals. The difference can often be the
completeness (or lack thereof) of a Soldier‘s file
that determines the outcome.
3. Assist Soldiers in updating, validating,
and uploading substantiating documents as
needed to ensure each Soldier‘s record is accurate,
free of errors, and representative of their service.
For example, a Soldier may have an entry on their
record brief that indicates they are a graduate of
a specific military course. However, the substantiating document, such as an Academic Evaluation Report, for that course is missing from the
file. These types of checks must be included in
the annual record review to ensure complete accuracy of the file.
4. Use the ―My Board File (MBF) Certification Report.‖ Centralized promotion / selection
boards are of utmost importance to those you
serve. The MBF certification report provides the
ability to track Soldiers in your population who
are eligible for an upcoming centralized board.
Similar to the Interactive Web Response System
(IWRS) for evaluations, the MBF certification report allows you to query the system by Unit Identification Code (UIC) to view the board certification status of these Soldiers. In addition to the
annual records review, you should ensure you
track all upcoming centralized promotion / selection boards (they are published and publicly
available on the Human Resources Command
website). As MILPER messages are published
announcing the eligibility for these boards, ensure
you scrub your population for eligible Soldiers.
Once identified, conduct a record review with eligible Soldiers and ensure they take the time to
not only view, but to certify their board file before
the deadline. Often overlooked, this simple step
will ensure Soldiers present the absolute best im-
pression to the board. Centralized boards only
have the Soldier‘s file by which to judge them.
Often times the DA Photo is referred to as your
―handshake‖ with the board member. The composition of the file is the first and lasting impression
a Soldier makes in a centralized board.
5. Ensure you maintain an appropriate
level of access to HR systems. Without proper
access to the HR systems of record (e.g., iPERMS,
eMILPO, TOPMIS, EDAS, etc.) you are unable to
accomplish any of the recommendations listed
above, rendering you ineffective as an HR professional.
Fortunately, the Army‘s reduction in end strength
is not all doom and gloom; there is good news for
those who perform and truly give their best.
Beyond the ―low-hanging fruit,‖ the Army is employing several other methods to carefully manage the reduction in order to retain quality Soldiers. Recruiting targets will decrease, retention
standards will toughen, eligible Soldiers will retire, and under performing Soldiers will suffer.
One thing is clear, the quality of those retained is of utmost important to Army leadership.
Manner of performance remains the number one
priority and the number one factor in determining
whether a Soldier should be retained (or promoted).
As HR professionals, we play a critical role
in this process. Ensuring we are executing annual record reviews, centralized promotion / selection board record reviews, and staying up to date
on the latest changes are all keys to our success.
Our success as HR professionals is crucial, after
all, our success or failure can impact the success
or failure (or retention) of another Soldier. Make
sure you aren‘t an accomplice to another Soldier‘s
elimination. Do the work and provide world class
HR support to your commander and Soldiers.
Defend and Serve!
25
Transition Strategic Outreach (TSO) provides an
Immediate Impact Connecting Employers
to Transitioning Soldiers
By Colonel Robert J. Yost, Director, Transition Strategic Outreach
Established in August of 2012, the U.S.
Army Transition Strategic Outreach (TSO) office
is the primary conduit for employers to access
transitioning Soldiers, our ―Army Talent.‖ The
mission of TSO is to connect employers, and outreach assistance partners, to Soldiers from all
three components: Active, Guard, and Reserve.
The office enables a successful transition from the
Army to civilian employment while creating a mutual understanding of industry opportunities and
Soldier skill sets. TSO was created by the Army
senior leadership to engage businesses of all sizes
while ensuring they: a) have access to our talent,
b) are actively offering employment opportunities,
and c) fully understand the benefits of hiring Soldiers.
When the ―Veterans Opportunity to Work
to Hire Heroes Act‖ (often referred to as the
―VOW Act‖) went into effect, there was no Army
office responsible for engaging employers. The
TSO staff helps employers navigate the Army
network of personnel professionals by sharing information and developing lasting relationships.
This targeted effort then builds the foundation for
numerous long term, value added associations between the business community and the Army.
TSO falls under The Adjutant General Directorate of the US Army Human Resources Command.
The TSO Team. TSO is a team of strategically focused Human Resources (HR) professionals, dedicated to serving as the single point of contact for civilian industry leaders, while facilitating
the connection between transitioning Soldiers and
potential employers.
As a one stop shop for business, the TSO
office fuses together various outreach efforts of
our transition assistance partners, known as ―The
Fusion Cell.‖ This seamless, coordinated flow of
information is shared between: Army Commands
and Directorates, the National Guard, Army Reserve, Veteran and Military Service Organizations (VSOs and MSOs), and numerous Federal /
26
Civic / State and Educational organizations. During bi-weekly fusion cell meetings, participants
share valuable information and current strategic
initiatives. TSO uses this opportunity to obtain
and disseminate, via the Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) and social media, new opportunities, employer announcements, and advisories
of upcoming engagements.
Transition Strategic Outreach Lines of
Effort. TSO uses five lines of effort (LOEs) in order to accomplish the mission of connecting employers to transitioning Soldiers. Those LOEs
are: Strategic Initiatives; Employer Outreach;
Strategic Communications; the Fusion Cell; and
Virtual Platforms.
―Strategic Initiatives‖ include the support
of various employer led efforts to streamline the
recruiting and on boarding of transitioning Soldiers. These involve several national badging,
credentialing, licensing, and certification programs. Some examples include: the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
(NAEMT) project; the White House Information
Technology Pilot; and the National Association of
Manufacturers / General Electric ―Get Skills To
Work‖ Program.
LTG Howard Bromberg, Army G-1, shares the benefits of
using the Hero2Hired (H2H.Jobs) website during the CocaCola Corporation's Corporate Leadership Council Summit
on 25 February 2013 in Alexandria, VA.
The ―Employer Outreach‖ LOE includes involvement in military hiring strategy sessions; large
scale consortium participation; and Army talent awareness events.
Our ―Strategic Communications‖ lane is both internal to the Army and external to military supportive employers. Four distinct streams within this LOE are used: branding and marketing; print media; synergies with the Office of the Chief, Public Affairs (OCPA) and HRC Public Affairs; and our TSO
website which contains relevant information for all employers.
The ―Fusion Cell‖ LOE was previously detailed in the section above.
―Virtual Platforms‖ is the fifth LOE. While it naturally includes the information available on the
ACAP and TSO websites, the primary driver is a powerful connection tool, ―H2H.Jobs.‖
Making it Easy for Employers of Choice: Hero 2 Hired (H2H). The Army provides employers of all sizes with a labor pool of talent. Our Soldiers offer the most sought after skill sets and
attributes: proven leadership; dedicated discipline; and a strong work ethic. Soldiers are uniquely
equipped to adapt to any situation in today‘s fast paced, high stress work environment and display the
ultimate in corporate citizenship. They are truly dynamic members of a team.
Through TSO‘s efforts, employers find that Army specific occupational specialties actually do
translate to core competencies needed in the civilian sector. As members of the workforce, transitioning
Soldiers provide maximum shareholder value to employers worldwide and TSO conveys that message at
every opportunity.
A tremendous resource for employers is H2H jobs. This tool and web site provides hiring managers with direct access to qualified candidates who already have background checks and security clearances. Proven analysis demonstrates employers initially struggle to match job requirements, and industry standards, with Army military occupational skills (MOSs) and training equivalents. Similarly,
many Veterans do not understand civilian job skill terminology and titles. H2H leverages a unique military to civilian skill translation technology that matches the talents and experience of Soldiers to civilian careers. The result is a fast, accurate match to jobs, plus an immediate recognition when additional credential training, or certifications, are required. Employers interested in promoting their company,
advertising job opportunities for transitioning Soldiers are encouraged to visit www.H2H.jobs.
HR Professionals: Making a Difference for Transitioning Soldiers. The TSO web page is
located within HRC‘s website at www.hrc.army.mil/ArmyTalentPipeline. As an Army HR Professional,
you are encouraged to visit this site for valuable information, links to TSO documents and news stories,
useful reference materials, and associated videos. Then, please help The Adjutant General Directorate
increase program visibility by spreading the word about our efforts and collaboration between the Army
and employers who want to hire Soldiers. It only takes a few moments to share the TSO story with employers and Soldiers alike. Yet, the information you provide is invaluable to those who are transitioning to civilian careers.
Thank you for making a difference. Army Strong!
27
Section III: Around the Corps
HRC CG Addresses Military Comptrollers
By Andrea Wales,
US Army Human Resources Command Public Affairs Office
The Commanding General of US Army Human Resources Command spoke at the American Society of
Military Comptrollers monthly luncheon 17 April 2013 at the Saber & Quill's Bullion Room on Fort Knox, KY.
MG Richard P. Mustion talked about force shaping and the strategic defense focus. ―We make tough decisions,
prioritizing and operating in a constrained fiscal environment,‖ MG Mustion said. In keeping with the national
defense strategy, the Army of 2017 is being built now, MG Mustion went on to summarize. However, although
the Army is drawing down from 539,000 in the Active Component to 490,000 by fiscal year 2017, it‘s vital that
new recruits keep joining the Army. MG Mustion went on to say, ―We must sustain our Army‘s accessions. It‘s
the life‘s blood of the Army.‖
The Army is determined to learn from the lessons of the past. ―Our Army is committed to retaining our
very best without jeopardizing operations,‖ MG Mustion said. ―With drawdowns in our past, we have not exercised enough care and compassion and have unfortunately sacrificed readiness.‖ After Operation Desert Shield /
Storm, 100,000 Soldiers voluntarily left the Army in one year, he said. They had 90 days to prepare for their
transition to the civilian world. ―We lost some of our best. It took us about 20 years to recover from that,‖ MG
Mustion said. This time, ―we‘re going to do it with precision. Trying to maintain balance (among military occupational specialties) is the main job of HRC.‖
Natural personnel losses and normal attrition aren‘t enough to draw the Army down to desired levels;
that would only achieve an end strength of 514,000, MG Mustion stated. More must be done to achieve the targeted end strength of 490,000. MG Mustion said the Army is focusing on several ways to approach the drawdown related to the withdrawal of combat forces in Afghanistan as provided below:
1. The Army will adjust accessions so that approximately 30,000 fewer Soldiers are recruited.
2. Career advancement opportunities will be reduced (i.e., competitive promotion selections) so that 3,000
Soldiers will leave the Army within three to five years.
3. The Army will waive military service obligations for some officers.
4. The Army will employ the Qualitative Service Program through which enlisted Soldiers are administratively separated if they have remained too long in their present ranks and aren‘t promotable.
5. And the Army will implement officer Selective Early Retirement Boards for the first time since 1991.
The challenge is that, while some of these drawdown tools are being considered by the Army senior leadership, some will require legislative approval. The new drawdown allows Soldiers more time to prepare for reentry into the civilian world than the drawdown following Operation Desert Storm. ―Soldiers have had an excess
of 12 months (to prepare for separation from the Army). As they transition, they do so as ambassadors for the
Army,‖ MG Mustion said. ―The Army is committed to doing the drawdown right.
We‘re vitally committed to taking care of our Soldiers,‖ he added.
MG Mustion‘s second topic focused on the fiscal constraints under which the
Army is currently operating, which include: the absence of a Continuous
Resolution Authority, or CRA, for a longer time than expected; the effects of
Sequestration; and the increased Overseas Contingency Operations, or OCO, costs.
He said the Army is dealing with these challenges by: saving on energy
costs; deferring maintenance projects planned for FY 13; reducing training (such as
flight hours) and leader development programs; and deferring reset (the movement
of equipment from Afghanistan to American posts).
―The Army needs to continue to operate, maintain and develop its
installations to grow the future,‖ MG Mustion said. ―It‘s all about organizing and
making tough decisions as we operate in a tightened fiscal environment.‖ It‘s not MG Richard P. Mustion, the HRC CG,
so much the fiscal constraints, he said. He sees it as an opportunity. ―We‘ve all got addresses the American Society of
to find out how to become more efficient,‖ MG Mustion stated.
Military Comptrollers at its monthly
luncheon 17 April 2013 at Fort Knox.
28
On the Future of Army HR
By LTC James J. Galluzzo, III
Chief, Proponency and Leader Development
Adjutant General School
“The success of future strategic initiatives and the ability of the US to shape a
peaceful and prosperous global environment will rest more and more on our ability
to understand, influence, or exercise control within the human domain.”
– GEN Raymond T. Odierno, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army1
As the United States Army closes out operations in two major theaters of conflict and transitions to a home
station based force it‘s easy to assume the future AG Corps is simply returning to a pre-9/11 trained and ready posture
able to support the force against any threat across the globe. The Adjutant General‘s Corps should be cautious in
making a case for returning to a structure or mission that overly simplifies the problem facing Army human resources
(HR) in the next 10 years. Focusing on metrics, records accuracy and training AG units at home may get nods from
senior leaders both inside and outside the Corps, but it only gets at symptoms and fails to recognize a greater strategic
problem. Such a limited scope is likely to chart a course that will ultimately lead us to being unable to provide the capability the Army will need of the AG Corps most – to leverage and shape the human talent and capital of the future.
To move Army HR ahead, there are four guiding principles we must examine to meet the future needs of the
force. These four steps are a methodical and comprehensive plan and, to be successful, must be built around the HR
professionals in our Corps: 1) Determine the HR needs of the Army of 2020 and beyond; 2) Be relevant in supporting
those needs; 3) Understand the overarching impact HR has in the Army; and 4) Develop HR leaders at all levels, but
in doing so, understand that the conditions today mandate we do not look to the past as the model for the future. The
solution will ensure the relevance of the AG Corps and integrate the Corps‘ capabilities into the Army now shaping
itself for the next conflict. The Army must embrace the dynamic modernization effort of the HR community not so
much with more money, or even more people, but rather taking a systemic approach to the design of Army HR that
touches systems, training, leader development and force modernization in a synchronized approach.
The HR needs of the Army of 2020. According to Richard Hooker, Dean of the NATO Defense College in
Rome, strategy begins with determining what we must do, the cost to do it and how we will use what we currently
have.2 What we must do is provide human resources support to a globally postured, expeditionary force that must be
more efficient in its human capital demands than in any other time. The future Army needs more than just the warriors in a kinetic fight. In fact, modern strategists like Thomas Barnett argue that the United States‘ most effective
fighting force will be one that has the ability to integrate areas of the world that have been lost in the technological
and ideological gap of globalization.3 These are not just combat Soldiers, but a diverse group of broadened individuals
that are more like prevention specialists attacking the sources of conflict before actual fighting breaks out.4 In this
kind of Army, commanders will need to be able to customize and tailor a force and this requires a level of in depth personnel information that has not existed in the past.
While the National Defense Strategy may attempt to focus on the Pacific and other areas that have been largely overlooked while engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must also keep our ability to project a presence in the Middle
East and surrounding areas affected by it, such as Africa and Central Asia. Energy resources, terrorist networks and
regimes seeking or possessing WMD capability reside heavily in these regions and so the United States will not simply
walk away.5 Much of this area does not have the required infrastructure to place a large force for an extended period
of time. Therefore, the need to be expeditionary is paramount. Human resources elements that can deploy worldwide,
have early theater opening capability, and can execute our core competencies6 must remain in the Active Component
to effectively support these varied contingency operations.
Finally, while we plan for the future force, the Army will still have the steady state administrative burden of a
large, complex corporation. Many of today‘s Soldiers will transition from service. There are a rapidly expanding number of command interest programs that touch all areas connected with human resources including sexual harassment
prevention, suicide prevention, and the integration of women into previously closed military occupational specialties
and units. The principle advisor to commanders on these and other programs regarding the overall impact on the human dimension of the force will be AG Corps leaders trained in both the art and science of HR.
So the Army of 2020 needs an HR system that can quickly and accurately show the available human capital.
More importantly, it must assist commanders in effectively managing that talent to conserve resources and tailor the
29
force necessary to accomplish any number of specialized
missions. The HR structure of the future must remain
rapidly responsive and deployable to any theater. It
must be modular, yet not to such a degree that it remains
in a perpetual cycle of rotation and unable to synchronize
with the force it supports. In the structure it must have
organic assets that can perform any HR task regardless
of the echelon it supports. It requires trained HR professionals, with an expansive body of knowledge that goes
beyond simple HR tasks. They must be technically and
tactically sound but be equally skilled in the art of HR
delivery. The art is the means by which the HR professional, as the trusted agent of the commander, uses their
inherent ability to connect with others in a deep and direct way to discern the significance of what is being said.7
The HR professional of the future is capable of operating
in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA)
environment.8
Being Relevant and Necessary. After more
than a decade of persistent conflict the Army faces the
specter of a resource constrained environment which inevitably leads to a manpower drawdown, limitations on
training opportunities and a slowing of technological innovation commensurate with the pressure the citizenry
places on Congress to shift money to other pressing concerns. I have said that a commander will only take to
combat that which is necessary to prosecute the fight and
nothing else. If it‘s not necessary or relevant, a commander doesn‘t want it and will replace it with something that is. The Army of the future must be efficient to
meet the commander‘s objective. After the first Gulf War
in 1991, troop strength in the Active Army steadily declined. Simultaneously the Army built capabilities based
on the perceived successes in Iraq while eliminating programs thought to be obsolete for the next major conflict.
Today, the active Army aims to reduce its standing force
to 490,000 by 2017.9 Adding pressure to reduce the size
of the force is the sequestration that has greatly impacted the budget and may ultimately force the Department of Defense to make cuts even beyond their comfort
level. The Army will capitalize on those capabilities
viewed as successful in the last conflict; but to do so in a
zero sum Army, it will sacrifice existing force structure in
a trade.
More often than it should, to buy new structure or
units the Army will cut, reduce or shift HR capability.
Many argue that because HR units execute wartime
functions such as postal or casualty operations, that at
home station are largely performed by other agencies,
they can be transferred to the Reserve Component. The
lack of a secondary garrison mission makes simple justification to cut this capability from the active force in favor of something else. This would be ridiculous if we
were to make the same standard for combat units that
were not fulfilling the daily mission of patrols and engaging the enemy. Of course, their mission at home is to
train for the next fight and be ready in an expeditionary
30
force. The same applies to HR units. The problem isn‘t
that they must train, but ―how‖ to train them. Senior
leaders may look back to a time prior to this conflict and
think the future steady state exists in returning to the
way things were before 9/11. The implication is that
changes that we made to the force were in part only out
of necessity for this period of time and that the new mission either no longer demands such a force or is too expensive to maintain in peacetime or both. Even accepting that premise as true, it assumes that we were on the
right track prior to this detour.
Personnel Services Delivery Redesign (PSDR) decentralized
HR operations to embed support down to brigade and battalion level. Starting in 2006, PSDR supported modular
conversion within the Army and brigade-centric operations.
Some discussion within the AG Community envisions a return to a corps and division centric Army where
personnel organizations like the Personnel Services Battalion (PSB) and personnel group existed prior to 2006.
Many assume that these organizations went away because of the Personnel Services Delivery Redesign
(PSDR) that occurred in 2006 that resulted in HR professionals having organizational presence in battalions and
brigades. In fact, those two events occurred concurrently
but as the result of separate circumstances. The first
was the Army‘s decision to reduce force structure by cutting the PSB and personnel groups. The second was the
technological advancements and consolidation of personnel information that enabled brigade and battalions to
have access to HR data and be responsible for its input
and management at the edge of the battlefield. This critical capability allowed HR trained professionals to be
placed at the point where HR information was now
available to commanders to integrate this critical information with other mission command systems.
PSDR is one of the greatest successes that resulted as a response to the Army‘s adaptation of modular
brigade combat teams and the desire to embed HR capability directly with the commander. Placing HR professionals at every echelon from tactical to strategic as the
S1 or G1 staff principle brought a HR technical subject
matter expert delivered at the point of need. S1s now
have far greater control over the HR picture in real time
compared to running disks back and forth to a centralized point that was once the PSB.
However, the PSDR was only half a solution for
the organizational Army. It created a gap at home station with institutional structures, garrison commands,
training units and reduced oversight responsibilities at
the higher echelons once brigades had direct access to
Human Resources Command (HRC) for personnel management. It also assumed that the HR professional had
the necessary training and expertise to function virtually
independently from any other HR resource in support of
the brigade-centric Army.
To address the gap we must look now to operating as an Army in transition. We will maintain modular brigades, but consolidate under a centralized training and resource authority at division and corps, who will be responsible for ensuring deployment readiness. This includes the personnel readiness of the force. Our HR organizations that
coordinate and deliver HR functional capability in theater, such as the Human Resources Sustainment Center
(HRSC), Military Mail Terminal (MMT), Theater Gateway Personnel Accountability Team (TGPAT) and Human Resources Company (HR Co) can be leveraged in multiple training opportunities and real world scenarios. Some examples include mailroom inspections, casualty liaisons, HR staff assistance visits, HR experts as observer / trainers and
inclusion of more HR based scenarios in simulation and staff exercises, and inclusion of more HR training opportunities in mission command training programs (MCTP) or the national training centers. These functional capabilities are
resident in Sustainment organizations spread throughout the force. However, those organizations are led by logistics
experts who do not yet possess uniformly the knowledge or experience to employ them at home in the same manner
they do logistics units that have routine support missions to enable or enhance combat unit training. Combined Arms
Sustainment Command (CASCOM) and Sustainment Center of Excellence, which develops future training strategies,
simulations, technologies and leaders for the Sustainment Warfighting function, must have resident HR experts at
their headquarters at Fort Lee to provide input on implications and impact to Army HR during the design phase and
not just outsource it to the AG School or Soldier Support Institute after the decisions have been made.
The Overarching Impact of HR. As we shape the size of the force, the Army will attempt to use multiple
levers of recruiting, retention and separation but mostly through the well defined board process which inherently
places HR front and center in how the Army will man the future force. Ensuring records accuracy is the only way selection boards will have a complete view of the past performance and full potential of every Soldier under consideration. Anything less jeopardizes keeping the best qualified in our formations. While individuals have an inherent responsibility to maintain their personnel file, they cannot do so without the support and direct involvement of the HR
community.
HRC at Fort Knox and The Adjutant General‘s Directorate recently published metrics to
measure the effectiveness of units with respect to personnel readiness.10 These metrics are not
new. The Army has standards for every personnel action it requires, but enforcement and emphasis of those standards has been inconsistent to say the least. For example, officer evaluation reports are due error free to HRC 60 days after the through date, but over the last years
while in a state of persistent conflict some senior mission commanders took an attitude that
evaluations submitted late were fine as long as they reached the file before a promotion or selection board. It doesn‘t really matter if it‘s late to some arbitrary standard compared to other
important deadlines. This justification rationalizes that an administrative requirement is superseded by other more pressing issues concerned with deployment or mission execution and
therefore less important for a commander‘s time and effort. If this is allowed to persist across
hundreds of reports, and numerous commanders from company to division, the scope of the
problem shifts dramatically. Just publishing a book of metrics and saying now you must follow
them after a decade of lax enforcement will do very little if it is not matched with the command
emphasis to hold commanders accountable for failing to take care of their Soldiers in a timely
manner and recognizing the second order effect on overall records accuracy. However, even getting a handle on all the
out of tolerance metrics still only solves the symptoms but not the underlying problem with our personnel system of
today. Just having the metrics doesn‘t provide insight as to whether we are measuring the right things. There is no
correlating evidence or study that shows meeting a certain timeliness or percentage greatly improves the operational
effectiveness of a unit. And most important, if all are improved it only addresses the interim problem of the drawdown
and readiness but does not touch the strategic problem of talent management.
The term talent management11 is being overused in the Army and to some it means the managing of the field
grade slate so the right officers (read that as those that the commander wants to position for advancement) gets the
right set up job (G3 operations planner for instance). To others it‘s getting officers away from tactical units to do an
assignment that is not in the typical career progression model, also referred to as broadening, and over time they may
adapt ways of perceiving and understanding problems differently. A technical answer sees talent management as an
ability to query an expansive database to find someone with a specialized skill that can be called upon when needed
for a specific situation. But all of these are wrong. True talent management understands that every branch, position
and role in the Army has specific talent demands or needs that must be met to perform the duty satisfactorily and that
every individual in the Army has natural tendencies combined with knowledge, skills and abilities acquired over time
that make them the right fit. Matching up the job and the individual suited for it ensures the best performance, job
satisfaction and achieves a balance between the needs of the Army and the Soldier. The challenge is the scope and
size of the organization. With approximately 1,000,000 people to fit it seems impossible to obtain an optimal solution.
However, HR experts, armed with the right system, who understand all the points of the human dimension and are
trained to make these matches, can achieve the results the Army needs.
31
To illustrate how future talent demands may call for a radically different warrior that the Army may have
a challenging time grasping let us look at the emerging need for countering cyber threats. The Army views cyber
terrorism with great concern as a viable future threat and the cyber battlefield is definitely an emerging arena. 12
How we will structure the force to combat this threat is still under consideration, but the Army must view this
first and foremost as an HR problem. First, determining the knowledge, skills, abilities and other physical
attributes will require a paradigm shift in the way we view a Soldier. Is the Army truly prepared for accepting
an individual with advanced degrees in computer science, capable of hacking and programming in cyberspace,
yet may lack the physical qualifications generally associated with today‘s military image. How would such an
individual be accepted as a peer amongst the more traditional Soldier?
This is already being tested, though with a slightly different factor. The removal of combat restrictions
and the assignment of females to previous closed positions is a great opportunity for our Corps. 13 With roughly
half our junior officers and NCOs being women, the likely first pioneers into this new structure will be the AG
Corps as practically every unit in the Army has an HR professional assigned. These capable and well trained HR
professionals are ready to be key advisors on issues that not only affect the human dimension such as SHARP
training, but ones that they will bring a fresh perspective to organizations that have previously lacked the diversity of thought. Every hot button issue today has at its centerpiece some impact on Soldiers; command interest
programs grow and so does the requirement to manage them and advise commanders. The AG community must
be the ‗go to‘ expert commanders seek to facilitate understanding.
Developing our future HR leaders. There are some leaders across the Army that have viewed HR as
administrative in nature, something necessary but not really required for a warfighter to be successful. Their
recollection of the S1 is more likely to be reminiscing back to the individual that managed the cup and flower
fund while waiting to go into an important job like command. They simply have no reference to the awesome potential that a fully equipped and trained HR professional could bring. One of the most significant changes coming forth in the new DA Pam 600-3 for career development of our HR officers is that the only key developmental
(KD) position for an AG Captain is Battalion or Brigade S1. This has been met with extreme resistance by leaders even within our Corps. They insist that company command, which is a staple of the Army, clearly recognized
by other branches, is essential to the development of our young officers and also must be KD.
Command is important and if the opportunity is available should be sought out, but we are training a future group of leaders to be experts in a different skill set and one should not equate not being a commander with
not being a leader or capable of being a commander. With this decision we can assure as a Corps that no matter
what development path an officer takes beyond their Captain years, every AG officer will have served as an S1.
It will be a common reference point and rite of passage for every HR professional. It also unequivocally sends a
message to the rest of the Army as to the strategic importance of these positions and that we as a Corps and profession equate the value of the S1 to the Army on the same level. This is the model today at higher echelons now
that centralized selection list G1 positions are on the same level as battalion command.
There is a desire to recreate the system, culture and environment that forged today‘s leaders as the solution to create the next generation but those opportunities have past. Today‘s HR professional has a wide array of
developmental opportunities but they are not the same as the ones a decade ago. A recent survey shows that today‘s military leaders feel the characteristics needed to develop tomorrow‘s strategic leaders fall into three categories: cognitive, interpersonal, and managerial style.14 We must mentor young HR professionals in the ―art‖ of
HR delivery. To do this is to support the Commander by anticipating needs. Its strategy focused on people not
materiel solutions. The study concludes success is achieved through ―cultivating sincere personal relationships,‖
that Army HR ―is a people business. Success in this comes from relationships.‖15 Most importantly, this is not
an officer centric solution but an integrated requirement that starts with the junior Soldier. The consolidation
over time to a single HR military occupational specialty (42A) inherits an expectation that the Soldier is an HR
generalist and capable of solving whatever HR problem presents itself. Again from the study, ―today‘s best leaders consciously guide and teach their juniors, through both explicit instruction and exemplary conduct.‖16
In the civilian world, businesses that are seeking an edge know that the key to success is an effective
workforce. To build and maintain that workforce requires HR professionals that are not only technical experts
but are integrated in the overall mission and vision of the organization. It is commonly referred to as the HR
business partner model. HR leaders do not just learn the standard HR functions and administrative duties, but
rather they work directly with the strategic leadership to aid in the crafting of the vision. Fortunately we are
better postured in the Army to do this because our HR military professionals are all Soldiers first, infused with
the same Army values and training to understand the unit‘s mission. All that is required is for the Army to leverage the resource.
32
The real problem – industrial age HR system is needed to support an information age based
Army. Our challenge facing us today is that while the Army seeks to transition to an information based organization, the HR structure that supports it is mired in the industrial age. The system lacks in depth technical capabilities needed for true talent management, the enterprise systems do not have the same development structure as other comparable systems and most training on HR is an afterthought and seldom resourced. When we
consider the pending changes that will have HR implications in just the short term future we see how far we
have to go. All of these possibilities require resources. To obtain those resources it also requires champions outside the HR community and inside the Pentagon. As Stephen Rosen points out in his book over twenty years ago,
Winning the Next War, ―Change will come about through the actions of those who have the power.‖17
To achieve the modernization of Army HR we need to use the same methodology to modernize HR as the
Army would a major weapons system. First, the mission command does not have a dedicated human capital integrator. HR is assumed, but never directly accessible in the command center. Commanders lack basic access to
detailed, real time information on the most important weapon system in their arsenal – each Soldier. They can
see vehicle position and status, logistics commodities, intelligence feeds, available air support and fires but only
static ―as of cutoff time‖ data for the human capital. Even more telling is that little focus is placed on HR in integrated training scenarios, exercises, simulations. The AG Corps lacks a TRADOC Capabilities Manager to
even coordinate such action and the AG School is chartered to develop institutional training, but does not have
the resources to tackle organizational training.
HRC is not structured to support this endeavor and its business practices must be modernized. It works
off assignment cycles and legacy distribution systems with little comprehensive information to go by makes
achieving the goal of talent management and HR asset visibility virtually impossible. There is no one looking at
the HR information as a combat system but as an enterprise system for management and the Army must learn
that it‘s both.
There is hope however. In his book Rosen reflects on the story of Rear Admiral William Moffett, who is
credited with the concept of aircraft carrier aviation for the US Navy and who died in 1933, well before his vision
was realized. However, he had planted the seeds in the younger generation to fix the problem and knew that the
pace of success would be at the pace of promotions.18 It‘s striking to see the correlations between Moffett and
Lieutenant General Timothy J. Maude19 whose subordinates then are our leaders now. They are shaping his
transformative vision for HR. But it‘s the next generation that will field it and are the key to the future of Army
HR. It is here where our focus must be and where we must place all the energy and effort for our Corps.
About the author: LTC James Galluzzo is an Adjutant General’s Corps officer
and has served the Army for 19 years in various staff and command positions including
Brigade S1, 3d Sustainment Brigade, Fort Stewart, Georgia and Military Entrance
Processing Station Commander, Fort Lee, Virginia. He earned his MBA in 2007 has
completed numerous military educational programs including the Program on Advanced
Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in
Germany. He holds a 6Z additional skill identifier as an Army Strategist and has served
for the past two years as the Chief of Proponency and Leader Development for the Adjutant General’s Corps at Fort Jackson.
Works Cited
Barnett, T. P. (2004). The Pentagon's New Map. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group.
Eastman, M. R. (2012, Autumn). Amerian Landpower and the Middle East of 2030. Parameters, pp. 6-17.
Hoffman, M. (2013, 05 14). Generals: 'Human Domain' Will Dictate Future Wars. Retrieved from
www.dodbuzz.com: http://www.dodbuzz.com/2013/05/14/generals-human-domain-will-dictate-future-wars/
Hooker, R. D. (2013, Winter-Spring). "The Strange Voyage": A Short Precis on Strategy. Parameters, pp. 59-68.
McKitrick, J., Blackwell, J., Littlepage, F., Kraus, G., Blanchfield, R., & Hill, D. (1998). Principle of War for the
Battlefield of the Future. In B. R. Schneider, & L. E. Grinter (Eds.), Battlefield of the Future 21st Century
Warfare Issues (pp. 65-97). Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Air University Press.
Millen, R. (2012, Summer). Cultivating Strategic Thinking: The Eisenhower Model. Parameters, pp. 56-70.
Rosen, S. P. (1991). Winning the Next War - Innovation and the Modern Military. Ithica: Cornell University
Press.
Salmoni, B. A., Hart, J., McPherson, R., & Winn, A. K. (2010, Spring). Growing Strategic Leaders for Future
Conflict. Parameters, pp. 72-88.
33
Schneider, B. R. (1998). Principle of War for the Battlefield of the Future. In B. R. Schneider, & L. E. Grinter
(Eds.), Battlefield of the Future 21st Century Warfare Issues (pp. 5-45). Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Air University
Press.
(2011). The National Military Strategy of the United States of America. Washington DC: Department of
Defense.
(Hooker, 2013, p. 59).
(Hooker, 2013, p. 59).
3 (Barnett, 2004, p. 50).
4 Ibid (p. 7).
5 (Eastman, 2012, p. 8).
6 Army Field Manual 1.0 dated 2010 defines the HR Core Competencies as Man the Force, Provide HR Services,
Coordinate Personnel Support and Conduct HR Planning and Operations.
7 The revision of Chapter 36 of Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-3, Officer Career Development and the
2013 Talent Priorities for the Adjutant Generals Corps by the Office of Economics and Manpower Assessment
(OEMA) at the United States Military Academy, West Point specifies these concepts in greater detail for determining the required knowledge, skills, abilities and other attributes.
8 The 29th Commandant of the Adjutant General‘s Corps, Colonel Robert L. Manning, frequently referred to the
changing operating environment of our Army as a ―VUCA‖ world and that AG leaders needed to be prepared for
such conditions in their day to day work.
9 Force size announced by the Chief of Staff of the Army, Army News Service, January 27 , 2012 to be accomplished over the next six years. For more information visit:
http://www.army.mil/article/72692/Odierno__Force_reductions_will_be_responsible__controlled/
10 For more information on Army HR Metrics see Human Resource Metrics Guide for Commanders, U.S. Army
Human Resources Command (ATTN: TAGD-FSD) Fort Knox, KY dated 8 March 2013.
11 The Army has yet to provide a clear definition of its expectations on talent management and so the author offers his suggestion.
12 The National Military Strategy of 2011 states ―should a large-scale cyber intrusion or debilitating cyber attack
occur, we must provide a broad range of options to ensure our access and use of the cyberspace domain and hold
malicious actors accountable.‖
13 (Lopez, 2012).
14 (Salmoni, Hart, McPherson, & Winn, 2010, p. 73).
15 Ibid (p. 74).
16 Ibid (p. 75).
17 (Rosen, 1991, p. 21).
18 Ibid (p. 80).
19 LTG Maude was a career AG officer and served as DCSPER of the Army. He was killed on September 11, 2001
in the attack on the Pentagon and was the highest ranking officer to be killed in the attack. Many of the senior
leaders of our Corps served with him as field grade officers and commanders and view him as a mentor. Many of
his ideas and his transformational views of HR and the Army are just now coming into existence as those he developed come into the positions where they can shape and execute his vision.
1
2
34
The Importance of Mentorship
By CW3 Arnold Guzman, CW2 Michael Falton,
CW2 Karen Smith, and CW2 Robert Wolfe
Not too many people make it to the top ranks of the Army without a good mentor along the way. Field Manual (FM)
6-22 defines mentorship as ―the voluntary developmental relationship that exists between a person of greater experience
and a person of lesser experience that is characterized by mutual trust and respect.‖ Mentorship in the Army is an essential
part of a leader development system. This necessary system greatly influences an individual‘s professional and personal
growth. When you mentor someone, you are helping our Army maintain a highly competent set of leaders.
Mentorship is not limited to a supervisor - subordinate relationship. Even though senior NCOs or Warrant Officers
do not outrank a junior Lieutenant, they may still serve as a mentor for that Lieutenant due to their extensive knowledge
and experience. Warrant Officers offer a great amount of mentorship to many leaders across the Army. Our extensive professional experience and technical knowledge qualify us as invaluable mentors for junior officers and NCOs. Many of us
have deployed multiple times and can share our deployment experiences. Competent, experienced Warrant Officers may be
given wide latitude to accomplish the mission, but we cannot neglect mentorship, as we rely on our senior leaders to mentor
us too. Mentorship is also not limited to members assigned to the same unit. A mentorship relationship may extend past
the point where an individual has left a unit. A good mentorship relationship can stay strong if both individuals remain in
contact with each other through e-mail or telephonic correspondence.
CW5 Galloway, the Senior WO Advisor to the Army Chief of Staff, recently visited our WO Advanced Course class to
address three key elements that will help our Army succeed as we move forward. The three elements he addressed were
professional military education, leadership, and mentorship. He addressed the mentorship element in detail.
Availability. If you are not available, the mentorship system will not work. A mentor must be proactive and always follow up on the professional and personal development of the mentored person. Do not let missed calls and e-mails
fall to the side. It might be a small task to you, but a big deal to the individual. Being available, however, may mean tha t
you need to tell an individual to come back later. This is appropriate because if you cannot give your full attention to the
conversation at that moment, the mentorship relationship will be degraded.
Communication Skills. Mentors need to be able to articulate their advice to their mentees and receive feedback.
Good communication skills are essential to achieve this. Take the time to listen to what people have to say. If there is a
problem, look for the root of the problem, and not the symptoms of it. Understand that individual barriers to good communication skills may occur due to cultural differences and different levels of experience, but these issues can be overcome with
deliberate effort and a commitment to the mentorship relationship.
Candor. Be honest and tell it like it is. If you are mentoring someone, you must use candor and be honest when
identifying deficiencies. A person will learn more when you are up front with them. If you are honest and direct, your me ntee will receive it more positively. On the contrary, the absence of candor might confuse your message, especially if your actions are not congruent with what you say.
Patience. This must go both ways. As a mentor, you should allow less experienced individuals the time to grow
professionally and personally. As mentorship is a deliberate process, you should also expect and demand they be patient
with you while you mentor them. Some people may take longer to let you know what they are trying to accomplish. Do not
try to rush them into understanding everything you know.
Respect. This must always be present. Do not assume that less experienced individuals deserve less respect. A
mentorship relationship should be personable but must also remain professional. FM 6-22 explains that ―the strength of the
mentoring relationship is based on mutual trust and respect.‖ The mentored person should carefully consider assessment,
feedback, and guidance. These considerations become valuable building blocks for the foundation of the growth that occurs.
Our class greatly appreciated CW5 Galloway‘s words of advice. He serves as a great mentor and leader to all Officers, Warrant Officers, NCOs, and Soldiers alike. He too had a mentor when he was a less experienced Soldier, and still to
this day, he continues his relationship with that person. His example inspires us to maintain our mentoring relationships
throughout our careers as we continue to develop young, less experienced individuals.
Lastly, FM 6-22 reminds us that ―Soldiers can increase their chances of being mentored by actively seeking performance feedback and by adopting an attitude of life-long learning. These
self development actions help set the stage for mentoring opportunities.
Soldiers who seek feedback to focus their development, coupled with
dedicated and well-informed mentors will be the foundation for
embedding the concepts of life long learning, self development, and
adaptability into the Army‘s culture.‖ Always be alert and receptive to
Soldiers seeking mentorship, and be willing to be the tip of the spear in
growing our future leaders. This way, you will contribute to maintaining
our Army with highly competent Soldiers.
The authors from left to right, CW2 Michael Falton,
CW2 Robert Wolfe, CW2 Karen Smith, and CW3
Arnold Guzman.
35
How an Unpredictable
Army Forces Generation (ARFORGEN)
affects Army National Guard (ARNG)
Unit Readiness
By CW2 Darren Henry, CW2 Ellen Smith,
CW2 Mercedes Devarie, and CW2 Joe Luna
The Army National Guard (ARNG) is traditionally a part-time force consisting of CitizenSoldiers that rely on benefits and employment
from the civilian sector for themselves and their
Families. There are many challenges that exist in
the current ARFORGEN model that affect this
population. The ARFORGEN model was introduced in 2006 as a way to continuously predict
when a unit was projected to mobilize to a theater
of operations, e.g., Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) (Afghanistan). The original concept for the ARNG was
based on a ―six year cycle‖ with 4 years in the reset or train cycle, and 1 year each in the ready
and available pools. As requirements increased in
each theater of operation, the model has adjusted
into an ―event-driven‖ model that has made the
ARFORGEN model more unpredictable. This article will outline some of the demands and challenges the ARNG faced during the ―ready‖ phase
of ARFORGEN (one year from mobilization date)
for our most important resources, Soldiers and
their Families.
Medical Implications
for Mobilizations. As
stated in the previous
paragraph, for typical ARNG
units, the ARFORGEN Cycle
is ―event-driven,‖ however,
when applicable, the goal
should be a five year cycle
(non-typical units are on a
three year cycle, e.g., Aviation). On year four,
units typically enter their ―ready‖ year and become sourced and alerted for a pending mobilization in support of either OIF or OEF. There are
potential Medical issues that may arise during
the units ―ready‖ year. Units in their ―ready‖ year
face a number of decisions related to medical readiness for Soldiers and their Families. When
alerted, ARNG Soldiers must consider Family
member enrollment in TRICARE Reserve Select,
36
TRICARE Standard, TRICARE Prime, Prime
Remote, or the US Family Health Plan. This
process starts with the initiation of early eligibility for TRICARE.
The National Defense Act of 2009 states
that Soldiers and their Families are eligible for
early eligibility for TRICARE up to 180 days from
the mobilization date. The source document for
this TRICARE coverage is the Department of the
Army order, followed by the individual order with
the actual report date to a mobilization station.
What typically happens is the Soldier‘s orders are
produced at roughly the 90 day mark prior to the
mobilization date. This affects the Soldier and
their Families by taking away 90 days of free
health care. The common argument is that the
Soldier and their Families are entitled to 180
days, so they want the extra 90 days. The common response to this argument is in the way the
law reads ―up to 180 days,‖ with ―up to‖ being the
emphasis.
Related issues to be taken into consideration are the additional medical and dental attention that an ARNG Soldiers needs prior to a mobilization. Not affording the additional 90 days of
medical benefits impedes a Soldier from making
the progress necessary to become medically deployable, potentially affecting a unit‘s readiness. If
the Soldier is not medically ready to mobilize, the
Soldier will not mobilize with his / her unit. The
impact of replacing that Soldier with another Soldier is the time that the new Soldier will have to
become medically deployable for the mobilization
making it difficult for the unit (assuming the unit
has another Soldier to fill behind the medically
non-deployable Soldier).
Upon creation of the law, the intent was to
give the Soldier and their Families increased benefits, but the orders process did not change in
coordination with the law, giving the beneficiaries
no increase in the benefits that are deserved.
How should this process be changed? This prob-
lem is common when laws, policies, and systems
do not talk and the effect is that while it looks like
a benefit, it is actually not a solution at all.
Lawmakers, policy writers, and systems need to
discuss implementation plans so that while a law
or policy is implemented, there is a system to
support it. In this case, the orders processing system needs to change to produce the mobilization
order 90 days earlier.
Education and
Incentive Benefit
Implications for Pending
Mobilizations. The allure
of receiving money to help
pay for college, even
attending some state
universities free of charge,
is quite an incentive to
prospective enlistees for the National Guard.
When potential enlistees realize that they can not
only receive money to pay for college, books, etc.,
and serve their country with only a one weekend
a month and a two week annual training requirement, many rush to their recruiter to join.
However, the challenge to a new recruit seeking
to serve in the Guard and meet their college education goals in a timely manner is understanding
how the current operational tempo of the ARNG
will affect their educational program. New recruits understand that Soldiers mobilize in support of operations all around the world, most notably in Iraq and Afghanistan, but not all recruits
understand fully how the National Guard plays a
role in the current mobilization cycle. Additionally, most do not understand how the demands of
service schools, call ups for state emergencies, and
of course mobilizations, all affect the timeline and
schedules of most college degree plans.
When slating National Guard units for mobilization, it is critical that leaders at the highest
levels understand how the mobilization will affect
those Soldiers that are currently enrolled in college. Many schools and universities are able to
work with Soldier-Students when enough advance
notification is given. This lead time allows students to work with their professors and universities to complete current requirements and make
arrangements for future requirements, as well as
develop a more flexible plan for continuing towards their degrees while mobilized. Often times,
professors are able to accommodate students by
allowing for electronic discussions and submissions of assignments, but establishing an education center in theater that offers courses towards
degree programs is also very helpful. Not every
operation or theater lends itself to obtaining college credits, but for those that do, it is immensely
beneficial to Soldiers that have to put their college
goals on hold to serve with their units. It is imperative that all aspects of the deployment and
mobilization process be taken into account. Soldiers must be able to project a timeline from the
time that they leave home station, hit the mobilization platform, and are established in theater so
that they can work with their schools and develop
that alternative plan for their absence. This requires much advance notice and coordination for
the development of the ―patch chart‖ and alerting
units.
Another consideration that should be taken
into account is the benefit program itself. It is
paramount to ensure the benefits available to
Soldier-Students are providing enough incentive
to keep our current Soldiers and recruits involved
in the higher education process. It can be challenging enough to obtain a college degree without
the added stress of having to do so while preparing to deploy to a hostile environment; considerably different from what most of their peers are accustomed to. Studying for a college exam while
double checking your packing list to make sure
your IBA is in your rucksack isn‘t the norm for
the typical college student. It is imperative to
continue to focus efforts on incentivizing the educational program at the appropriate levels and
continue to provide the educational assistance
and counseling to ensure our Soldiers meet their
goals of obtaining a graduate or post graduate degree, if not more.
Civilian
Employment
Implications for
Pending
Mobilizations. The
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
(ESGR) is a volunteer organization that provides
information to Soldiers and employers in the
event of mobilization.
ARNG units in their
―ready‖ year of the ARFORGEN model depend on
Soldiers attending pre-mobilization training
events that involve leaving their civilian
workplace for a period to prepare for the upcom-
37
ing mobilization. In addition, Soldiers have to
work with their employers to work on a solution
during their absence. Implications are involved if
a unit‘s deployment stands down in the latter
stages of the pre-deployment process.
ARNG Soldiers have become a very big part
in contributing to many federal missions since
2001. The call up of Reserve and Guard Soldiers
is not always a smooth task and doesn‘t always go
well for the Citizen-Soldier. The unfortunate part
is that this not only affects the Soldier‘s personal
life but the Soldier‘s entire Family, as well as the
employer. As HR professionals, we are called up
for duty and go through all necessary preparations, both as a Soldier and in our personal lives.
The Citizen-Soldier must give notice to his or her
employer of the upcoming absence at which time
the employer will arrange to temporarily fill the
vacancy during the mobilization.
Some Soldiers may relocate their Families
to move them closer to other Family. With all
these things that the Citizen-Soldier, their Families, and employers go through, it is very unfortunate that Soldiers end up being stood down and
not deploying. This not only puts a hardship on
the Soldier but also the Soldier‘s Family and their
employer who now, under law, must reinstate the
Soldier with their job with the same like pay and
status. This is a scenario that might not play out
completely to this extreme, but it unfortunately
has become a reality from time to time.
The decision to stand units down is not that
of the unit‘s leadership, but one that comes from
that unit‘s higher headquarters as the mission in
theater changes and the unit is no longer needed
for that particular operation. Although the ESGR
assists in resolving conflict between employers
and service members, they can assist the Soldier
in ensuring that the employer understands the
law and that they rehire the Soldier upon release
from his or her Title 10 (United States Code) mobilization orders.
Deployments affect Families. As ARNG
Families prepare for a deployment, an array of
concerns arise. Simple things Families have to
consider are how to operate the riding lawn mower, how to open and close the pool, and how to navigate through online banking. Families should
consider making informal standard operating procedures to capture all of the necessary informa38
tion a spouse may have questions about. For a
spouse, stress is a common theme when facing
mobilizations. Soldiers do not always realize the
steadily escalating stress levels for Family members, even though the deployment is up to 12
months away. Some of the stressful items that
come up are the location of important documents,
tough conversations such as death, how to handle
all the situations the Soldier would normally
handle, dual military concerns (e.g., Family care
plans), and other considerations.
Spouses manage the home front alone
while their Soldier is gone. Family Programs and
Family Readiness Groups play a large factor in
educating and assisting Families while their Soldier is deployed. Spouses become very good at living alone for a year, however, when the Soldier
returns, there is a feeling of uselessness of the
Soldier due to their spouses independent nature
over the previous 12 months. Military Families
deal with so many issues due to a deployment,
and although the Military has many programs to
assist us, it does not lessen the anxiety deployment creates.
Conclusion. The mobilization cycle is a
difficult one for our Citizen-Soldiers. This article
tells part of the story of how some simple things
can have a great affect on how Soldiers and their
Families prepare for mobilization while in the
―ready‖ year of the current ARFORGEN model.
As our situation in Iraq and Afghanistan stabilizes, Soldiers and their Families will see a decrease
in the amount of mobilizations, but nevertheless,
there are always improvements that can be made
to provide a more stable process for preparing and
assisting our Soldiers and their Family members.
1st TSC Soldiers Train on Postal Operations
By Spc. Jamie L. Philbrook, 1st TSC Public Affairs
FORT BRAGG, NC – In April through May 2013, members of the 14th Human Resources Sustainment Center (HRSC), 1st Theater Sustainment Command, hosted an advanced postal operations
course at the Postal Training Center here.
Two instructors from the Interservice Postal Training Activity of the Soldier Support Institute‘s
AG School, Fort Jackson, SC came to Fort Bragg to teach the four week course. The course was open to
all postal and human resources specialists assigned to Fort Bragg.
―We had 12 Soldiers who had never worked in a post office when they started the course,‖ said
MSG Tony Daniels, Postal Operations Division Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, 14th HRSC, 1st
TSC. ―They didn‘t even know how to turn on the Integrated Retail Terminal, (a stand-alone, point of
sale workstation that automates retail transactions for the United States Postal Service), but as they
progressed thoughout the course, it showed how they improved and understood all of the proper
programs and procedures needed,‖ MSG Daniels added.
―They learned the 10 areas postal clerks are responsible for, which range from selling you your
stamps to unit mail room operations, registered mail, and transportation of the mail. Everything that
was taught included all of the postal operations necessary to move mail into and back out of theater,‖
said LTC Jerome Kuczero, Chief of the Postal Operations Division with the 14th HRSC, 1st TSC.
Postal operations is a crucial part of military operations not only state side, but while deployed
as well (see photo caption below). It boosts the overall morale of Soldiers and the unit, ensuring that
mail is handled properly and packages are sent and received in a timely and efficent manner.
MSG Daniels explained that the Postal Operations Course gives HR Soldiers the opportunity to
understand the postal language and operations prior to working in a post office down range.
―A lot of Soldiers get sent down range and assigned to a post office with little to no experience
and are learning by on the job traning,‖ said MSG Daniels. ―The problem with that is some of the
violations in a post office are federal offenses. It is a lot more beneficial for Soldiers to go to the training
and learn and understand through reglatory guidance what is required prior to deployment.‖
Despite that fast paced learning enviroment, PVT Rhys A. Mack, Postal Clerk, 14th HRSC, 1st
TSC noted that the class was enjoyable and well structured. The course, normally a five-week course,
was slightly accelerated and compressed into four weeks.
―I enjoyed taking the class,‖ said PVT Mack. ―International mail was my favorite part. I would
like to take the Supervisor‘s Course when I am able to. It was very well planned out, I learned a lot and
the instructors were very helpful.‖
SPC Jimmy Bennett, 2nd Field Artillery Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, and a
native of Columbus, GA, helps sort more
than 4,000 pounds of mail that arrived in
Afghanistan during the last Christmas mail
surge. The 2-18th is in a location in Afghanistan that didn't have an Army post office.
“Everybody on the camp knows when mail
day is. They know that their families are
sending everything they’re asking for,” said
SPC Bennett. US Army Photo by SFC
Adam Stone, 316th Sustainment Command
(Expeditionary).
39
Warrant Officer HR Integration Program –
an Army Reserve Viewpoint
By CW2 Colby Lancelin, CW2 Venus Lagmay,
CW2 Roy Hall, and CW2 Barry Wilde
There are many challenges facing US Army
Reserve (USAR) HR Warrant Officers when these
officers integrate with their Active Component
peers. Aside from the academic differences encountered in the classroom in WOBC and WOAC,
and in the conduct of day to day business, there
are other real world challenges facing these two
components, especially evidenced in a deployed
setting. This article will propose that the USAR
HR Warrant Officer incorporate into Active Component (AC) HR Warrant Officer assignments on
a volunteer basis so that these many differences
are mitigated. This integration will serve to foster better understanding between the two components and better competence in the myriad Army
human resource systems and procedures that the
Active Component uses – systems which the Reserve Component AG Warrant Officer are only
exposed to while in training at WOBC and
WOAC.
Conversely, the AC AG Warrant Officer
placed in Army Reserve assignments can perform
and accomplish the same cross training on Reserve systems and procedures. As best stated by
Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth J. Lull, in his article,
CSIP [Command and Staff Integration Program]:
AC Battalion Command from an RC Perspective,
―AC commanders who participate in this program
must be among the best the branch has to offer.
They should remain competitive upon their return
to active duty and be afforded as good or even a
better opportunity for selection to senior staff colleges and positions of higher responsibility. These
officers have a wealth of knowledge. Likewise,
RC officers who lead AC Soldiers must be exceptional leaders and the best of the best.‖ If this is
the case among officers participation in the CSIP,
then it can only be as beneficial or more to AC /
USAR HR Warrant Officers performing in a similar conceptual program.
The overall goal of integration between the
two components is a proposal to initiate a program similar to the CSIP program engineered by
the former Chief of Staff of the Army, General
40
Dennis J. Reimer. The purpose of the proposed
AC / USAR HR Warrant Officer program is to foster an exchange of ideas; integrating the AC and
USAR into a more functional AG Warrant Officer
and provide each participating officer with unique
experiences that will have a positive impact on
their future assignments and deployments. In
addition, this program will develop better trained
HR Warrant Officers, shorten learning curves in a
deployed environment, and in the end, take better
care of Soldiers.
So what are the challenges that face the
Army Reserve HR Warrant Officer when exposed
to the day to day operations of their Active Component peer? First, there are the systems challenges. The Reservist will be routinely accustomed to using Reserve systems such as RLAS,
AGRMIS, IWS / SMS, and MPDV. Also, he / she
will routinely use ITRS, which synthesizes many
of these systems and allows for easy reporting of
data from one source. Moreover, although the
human resource core competencies between the
two components are the same, there are two vastly different system sets that manage these competencies.
The Reservist will be well read in USAR
PAM 600-5, which outlines essentially all the HR
tasks to be accomplished on a day-to-day basis.
This PAM provides checklists for all the varied
personnel actions that pass through the S-1 or the
G-1 shops daily. The Reserve Warrant Officer can
easily manage and direct their shop in following
this regulation. The Active Component counterpart uses EDAS, TOPMIS, and eMILPO, and will
rely on the many AR regulations that govern myriad personnel actions.
None of this is of any consequence when
the two components do not come in contact. However, because of the many deployments over the
past ten years, Army Reserve elements have been
placed subordinate to Active Component elements, and Active Component elements have been
placed subordinate to Army Reserve units. This
wholesale integration of Army Reserve and Active
Component units in a deployed setting has
created a need to better integrate the human
resource management of these two components in order to better meet the Army‘s strategic requirements in maintaining excellence in personnel management and to better take care of Soldiers.
Another challenge that faces the USAR HR Warrant Officer is that in many cases he is not in an
Active Guard / Reserve (AGR) assignment where he is working every day, but rather in a Troop Program Unit (TPU) assignment where he only works one weekend per month. As a result, he is not prepared to manage an S-1 shop and is not always prepared in even the Reserve systems. This Soldier is
typically assigned a monthly report to complete on the weekend battle assembly, or he is working on
more specialized tasks such as solder readiness program support on an as needed basis. When this Soldier is mobilized and cross leveled for deployment, there is little time to re-learn the systems he learned
in WOBC / WOAC and thus, the learning curve is high. When his unit does deploy, he needs to integrate and start communicating immediately with, and in many cases, active component higher and
lower echelons. Not being an expert, familiar, or not having access to Active Component systems
creates many problems in the working relationships between the two components and also creates miscommunication in processing personnel actions. The detriment ultimately is to the Soldiers in his unit
and to the Soldiers which are in subordinate units. Personnel actions are accomplished more slowly,
there can be many inaccuracies, and Soldiers‘ careers can be negatively affected.
Aside from the mobilization and deployment issues that arise when Army Reserve elements integrate with the Active Component, there are also challenges that the Active Component face when filling
some of the harder to fill HR Warrant Officer assignments. One possible solution is to fill these assignments with a qualified Reservist who volunteers for an active duty tour. He will benefit from immediately working on active duty, and will learn and put into practice his skills, and conversely, the Active Component will benefit by being able to fill critical assignments.
To address 420A Warrant Officer shortages and vacancies within active duty units, leaders and
policy makers should consider activating Army Reserve Soldiers for these active duty billets in order to
meet the Army‘s strategic requirements for maintaining appropriate strength management. This initiative may potentially provide rear detachments adequate personnel to carry out specific missions,
tasks, and mandates by their deployed counterpart.
Coordination and collaboration between respective branch management components will broaden
and enhance communication processes allowing Soldiers across the spectrum of the Army to serve in
various positions, assignments, and echelons. Vital active duty exposure of tactics, operations, and systems conducted in a modular environment and concept speeds up the learning curve – ultimately reducing the time it takes to train and develop mobilized Army Reserve Soldiers.
Finally, Army Reserve Soldiers will possess the knowledge, experience, and confidence to positively affect the performance and mission of units and the Army by inheriting these tools before deploying and forced into extreme or austere environments. Commander‘s and staff officer‘s expectations are
met more effectively and efficiently when a Soldier is confident and knowledgeable in their abilities and
capabilities. Unit commanders can expect greater productivity sooner, making the entire unit a more
progressive and agile force, able to meet their strategic goals, and conducting full spectrum operations
at the optimal level while maximizing the Army‘s assets.
In the end, this program has the potential to be as successful as the Officer CSIP program, becoming a superb forum for integrating AC and USAR HR Warrant Officers into a seamless HR Warrant
Officer. The Army is facing draw down in the near future, and an increased reliance on the USAR HR
Warrant Officers for wartime missions, sustainment, and support contingency operations such as those
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reserve HR Warrant Officers cannot continue to operate independently from
the AC HR Warrant Officer and efficiently meet the requirements of the Army. They face the same
challenges in the HR world, so it will benefit both components as these challenges are addressed with
the same focus, initiative, and innovation.
41
Adjutant General Officers Build Teamwork Climbing
Fort Jackson’s Victory Tower
By CPT Thomas Cieslak
Adjutant General Captain’s Career Course 004-13
FORT JACKSON, SC – Instructors and Students of Adjutant General Captain‘s Career Course 004-13
climbed Fort Jackson‘s Victory Tower here 11 June 2013 using teamwork and cooperation to navigate the rope
course.
For 1LT Jean Gwon, a native of Irvine, CA, and a student of the course, the morning of rappelling and
climbing strengthened bonds she has with fellow students. ―I think team building events such as this builds confidence in yourself while establishing trust among your peers,‖ said 1LT Gwon. It was refreshing, 1LT Gwon
stated, to see everyone in the class develop as a team despite coming from around the world with different experiences prior to attending the course.
The training event removed students from their classroom and placed them in situations requiring personal courage and teamwork to be successful. “Team building events are important because these types of
events promote esprit de corps and competition within our class,‖ said MAJ William Talbert, one of three instructors teaching class 004-13. Despite going over the rappelling edge for the first time in his career, MAJ Talbert‘s
greatest satisfaction came from seeing students of the course actively encouraging others navigating the various
stations at Victory Tower.
The Adjutant General Captain‘s Career Course, located at Fort Jackson, mints human resource professionals and prepares them to provide personnel services as Battalion level Adjutants.
AG officers attending AGCCC at the AG School observe
the cadre of Fort Jackson’s Victory Tower demonstrating
rappelling techniques.
CPT Jesse Scrivens, AG Captain’s Career Course 00413, descends a short wall prior to rappelling from Fort
Jackson’s Victory Tower.
1LT Raine Maus moves along
a rope at Fort Jackson’s Victory Tower. 1LT Maus is an AG
student attending AG Captain’s Career Course 004-13
at the AG School, Fort Jackson, SC.
CPT Scott Stephens and 1LT Liz Ayotte begin to rappel
from Fort Jackson’s Victory Tower.
42
The 3rd BCT, 25th Infantry Division S-1 Section managed to set up their VSAT
in the field in late April 2013 using wind mill power. Attached to the windmill
are solar blankets that send the collected energy into four batteries that,
when plugged into the VSAT, have enough power to run HR operations. Just
an amazing capability that not many people may be aware of! The 3-25 ID
Bronco S-1 Section is led by MAJ Michael Horkay.
Brigade S-1 members of the
10th Combat Aviation Brigade
(CAB) from Fort Drum, NY, receive their Combat Patch at a
patching ceremony on Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan in
May 2013. From left (far) to
right (closest), Brigade S-1
members include: SPC Colon, SPC Arca, SPC Key, PFC
Patterson
and
MSG
Lightbourne putting the 10th
CAB combat patch on PFC
Espinoza.
43
Adjutant General’s Corps
Welcomes Eight into Hall of Fame
By Wallace McBride, Fort Jackson Leader
Fort Jackson welcomed eight men and
women into the Adjutant General‘s Corps Hall of
Fame on 31 May 2013 at the AG School‘s Hall of
Honor. The program honors leaders from the
Army‘s human resources ranks and recognizes
people who have made positive, lasting and significant contributions to the AG Corps. The inductees were welcomed to Fort Jackson on 31 May
during a special reception at the Soldier Support
Institute (SSI). COL Todd Garlick, SSI Commander, said there was a ―symmetry‖ with having
the Hall of Fame ceremony at a post that routinely trains new Soldiers.
―The sons and daughters of America are
embarking on their careers, full of energy and setting off to achieve their dreams and aspirations,
while here, in this [SSI] auditorium, we‘re inducting eight members into the AG Corps Hall of
Fame for a career of service in support of Soldiers,‖ COL Garlick said. ―Our job in the AG
Corps is to do everything we can, morally, legally
and ethically, to care for those Soldiers and their
Families. The retired Soldiers and DA civilians
we‘re recognizing today have made that their life‘s
passion,‖ COL Garlick added.
All inductees are honored with a permanent photo display in the AG Corps Hall of Honor
at the AG School. This year‘s inductees join those
from past years with displays within the school
where students and the general public can view
them.
The 2013 AG Corps Hall of Inductees are:
MG
(Ret)
Patricia
Hickerson.
MG
(Ret)
Hickerson ended her 32-year
career as Adjutant General of
the Army, where she began the
design and development of the
Army
casualty
information
processing system, which
became the basis for the Defense Casualty Information Processing System in
use today. She was also critical in the development and fielding of key Army enterprise personnel systems, such as the Standard Installation /
44
Division Personnel System and Personnel Electronic Records Management System, which permitted the elimination of the paper Military Personnel Records Jacket. Her assignments include
serving as Executive Director of the Military
Postal Service Agency; Commander of the Army
Physical Disability Agency, and the Commander
of the 14th Army Band.
COL (Ret) Lester Bowen.
COL (Ret) Bowen retired as
Deputy Chief of Staff,
Operations / Mobilization, Total
Army Personnel Command after
26 years of Army service. He
deployed to Operations Desert
Shield and Desert Storm as
Chief of Theater Personnel Operations in the provisional 10th Theater PERSCOM, and executed the mission of the Theater
AG, a first for modern military history. His work
as the Theater AG formed the basis of how the
Army supports units in current deployments.
COL (Ret) Bowen was also the longest serving G-1
of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC.
COL (Ret) Michael R.
Molosso. COL (Ret) Molosso
ended his 27-year career as
Commandant of the AG School
in 2002. Under his leadership,
the school molded a annual
student workload of 7,000
Soldiers into high performing
HR professionals. He also led
the Force Design Update conversion of Personnel
Groups into the consolidated Corps G1 / AG, and
the Enlisted Career Management Field 71 consolidation study, which merged CMF 71 Soldiers into
the Enlisted AG 42 Branch of today. COL (Ret)
Molosso was Commander of the Eastern Sector,
US Military Entrance Processing Command, covering 33 stations throughout the eastern half of
the contiguous United States and Puerto Rico. He
developed and implemented a customer service
ethos known as ―The Prime Directive,‖ which
served as the support center pole for Commanders
and their organizations. COL (Ret) Molosso continues to serve in a civilian capacity as Deputy
Commandant of the Adjutant General School.
COL (Ret) Robert OrtizAbreu, Jr. COL (Ret) Ortiz
was at the Pentagon during the
terrorist attack on 11 Sept.
2001, and subsequently
authored the first Army Stop
Loss policies for all three
components in support of the
Global War on Terrorism. He
served as the G1 / AG for III Corps. The Corps
headquarters deployed to Iraq in January 2004
and replaced V Corps as Combined Joint Task
Force 7 (CJTF-7) in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom. This was III Corps‘ first combat deployment since World War II. COL (Ret) Ortiz led
the command‘s effort to reorganize and split the
CJTF-7 headquarters into Multi-National ForceIraq and Multi-National Corps-Iraq. His G1 team
restructured two major command headquarters,
resolved three- and four-star complex command
functions and relationships, ensuring each headquarters was properly manned for combat operations for the Iraqi theater.
CW5 (Ret) Jerry Dillard.
CW5 (Ret) Dillard dedicated
nearly 33 years of service before
retiring as the Warrant Officer
Advisor / Assistant Executive
Officer to the Chief of Staff of
the
Army. He provided insight and
Human Resources counsel to
the most senior leaders of our
Army and developed numerous cost saving
processes to improve the proficiencies within the
office. Since his retirement in 2006, CW5 Dillard
has been serving as the chief editor and facilitator
for S1NET. In June 2009, the S1NET became the
largest Battle Command Knowledge System forum, and remains the most active Army Professional Forum today.
CW5 (Ret) Gerald Sims.
CW5 (Ret) Sims served as the
second Chief Warrant Officer of
the Adjutant General‘s Corp.
He
provided expertise during the
Personnel Services Delivery
Redesign and was the main
driving force in updating the
Warrant Officer Management
system. Sims deployed to Iraq and assessed the
Iraqi Army‘s Combat Service Support capabilities,
and was part of standing up the FORSCOM Power Projection Enhancement Team. CW5 (Ret)
Sims retired with more than 30 years of service
and continues to serve as the Deputy Chief of the
Army Personnel Records Division at Human Resources Command.
CSM (Ret) William
Hoffer. CSM (Ret) Hoffer
retired from the Army after 31
years of service as CSM of HRC.
His efforts facilitated better HR
business practices at the
strategic and operational levels
as well as the AG Community
at the Army‘s tactical level. During his prior assignment as CSM of the 38th Personnel Services
Battalion, he spent almost five years creating an
environment of highly trained professional HR
Soldiers. His constant mentoring and care for
Soldiers made a tremendous impact during their
10 month deployment to Bosnia. CSM (Ret) Hoffer
now serves the Chief Military Personnel Services
Division, Carlisle Barracks, PA.
SGM (Ret) Gerald Purcell.
SGM (Ret) Purcell served in the
AG Corps for more than 24 years,
and retired as SGM of the
Directorate of
Military
Personnel
Management
(DMPM),
Deployment
Cycle
Support, at the Pentagon. Since
his retirement, He continues to
work as the desk policy officer in the DMPM.
SGM (Ret) Purcell implemented the first major
overhaul of the SPC-SGT Semi-Centralized Promotion System in 30 years, and shifted the foundation of the system to a paperless process. Purcell developed a system for the Army data bases of
record to automatically capture and calculate
promotion scores, increasing the relevancy of Soldiers records for promotion and reducing the
workload on the Human Resources community.
45
The 2013 National AG Regimental Ball
The 2013 National AG Regimental Ball was held at the Doubletree Hotel and Convention Center,
Columbia, South Carolina on the evening of 31 May 2013. The theme of this year‘s Ball was ―Remember the F.L.A.G. (Family, Leadership, Ambassadorship, Growth).‖ This was the largest ever attended
National AG Ball with 700 attendees.
The Ball‘s honored guest and marquee speaker was BG (P) Barrye Price, Director, Human Resources Policy Directorate, within the Army G-1 at the Pentagon, Washington, DC. Members of the 2013
AG Corps Hall of Fame and Distinguished Members of the Regiment were recognized at the Ball.
2013 Hall of Fame inductees include:
MG (Ret) Patricia Hickerson
COL (Ret) Lester (Les) R. Bowen
COL (Ret) Michael R. Molosso
COL (Ret) Robert Ortiz-Abreu, Jr.
CW5 (Ret) Jerry Dillard
CW5 (Ret) Gerald Sims
CSM (Ret) William (Bill) Hoffer
SGM (Ret) Gerald Purcell
2013 Distinguished Members of the Regiment include:
MG Marcia M. Anderson
MG Richard P. Mustion
MG Thomas C. Seamands
COL Tammy L. Miracle (ARNG)
CW5 (Ret) Joseph Burgess, Jr.
CW5 Warren A. Curtis
CW5 Jeanne Y. Pace
CSM (Ret) Dedria J. Porterfield
SGM Michael L. Byrd, Sr.
SGM (Ret) Tammy D. Coon
SGM (Ret) Michael L. Croom
SGM (Ret) L.Z. Harrison, Jr.
SGM (Ret) Raymond J. Moran
SGM (Ret) Michelle J. Richardson
SGM (Ret) Scarlett V. Williams
Mr. Bennie Evans Jr.
Mr. John J. Yesis III
Entertainment for the evening was provided by the 282nd Army Band stationed at Fort Jackson,
SC. COL (Ret) Robert L. Manning was also recognized with the award of the first newly minted AGCRA COL Robert L. Manning Achievement Medal.
46
Adjutant General’s Corps
Regimental of the Year Winners
AG Corps Officer of the Year:
CPT Scott Stephens, A Co, 30th AG Battalion (Reception), 192nd Infantry Brigade,
Fort Benning, GA
AG Corps Warrant Officer of the Year:
CW2 Camilla J. Henry, HQs, 172d Infantry
Brigade "Blackhawks,” Grafenwoehr,
Germany
AG Corps NCO of the Year:
SFC Dawn Ramos, HQs, Operations
Company, US Army Pacific, Fort Shafter, HI
AG Corps Soldier of the Year:
SPC Denicio E. Diaz, HHD, 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, Unit
23421, Box 57, APO AE
AG Civilian of the Year (Not Pictured):
Mr. James K. Miller, US Army Europe,
Unit 29351, APO AE
47
The Faces of the
2013 National AG Corps Regimental Ball
48
Joint Base Lewis-McChord Celebrates
with First AG Ball in a Decade
By CW3 Mark W. Hickman, I Corps G1 HR Technician
On 14 June 2013, over 260 Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) Adjutant General‘s Corps Soldiers
and HR professionals and their guests came together on a magnificent Pacific Northwest evening at the
Landmark Convention Center in Tacoma, WA, for the first JBLM Adjutant General‘s Corps Ball in a
decade. As guests arrived, and throughout the evening, each was treated to a spectacular view of Puget
Sound, with Mount Rainier reigning supreme in the distance. The event was sponsored by the Mount
Rainier Chapter of the Adjutant General‘s Corps Regimental Association (AGCRA), hosted by the I
Corps G1, COL Michael Miller, and was honored to have the 5th Warrant Officer of the Adjutant General‘s Corp, CW5 Coral Jones, as the keynote speaker. The Ball was the culminating event of JBLM‘S
HR Week and the FY 13 JBLM HR Enterprise Plan, which focused on professional development, discussion of key HR topics and programs, and building the JBLM HR Team. The AG Ball theme was
―Team of Teams.‖
After a social hour, with tremendous musical support provided by the 56th Army Band‘s Jazz
Quartet, the colors were posted by the 22d Human Resources Company Color Guard, led by SSG Jeffrey
Rice, the Adjutant General creed was recited, toasts were made, and a fantastic dinner was served
while being entertained by a performance from Congo Productions. Cakes for the Army‘s Birthday and
the AG Corps‘ Birthday were cut, dessert was served, and the keynote address, focused on a ―Team of
Teams,‖ was eloquently delivered by CW5 Jones.
The highlight of the evening was the awards presentation. 1LT Ann Chellman, WO1 Alicia Britton-Vasquez, SSG Margaret Navarro, SPC Craig Perkins, and Mr. Rory Janicke were named the JBLM
AG Officer, Warrant Officer, NCO, Soldier, and Civilian of the Year, respectively, and the 17th Fires
Brigade was named the JBLM Brigade of the Year based upon their performance in respect to the
FORSCOM HR Metrics. CW5 (Ret) Edwin Nieves, 1SG (Ret) Rory Janicke, and 1SG (Ret) Earl Kolb
were awarded the AGCRA Horatio Gates Gold Medal; MAJ Jason Cavness, CPT Rachel Davis, and 1SG
(Ret) Ramona Gresham were awarded the AGCRA Horatio Gates Bronze Medal; and the AGCRA COL
Robert L. Manning Achievement Medal was presented to 15 I Corps AG Soldiers.
As the evening‘s official festivities concluded with the retiring of the colors and invocation, COL
Miller reminded all AG Professionals that it ―is not the How or What, but rather the Why we do things
that matters most and that distinguishes AG Professionals as we Defend and Serve the world‘s greatest
Soldiers, Civilians, Families, and Retirees.‖
COL Michael Miller, I
Corps G-1 (center) and
PVT Kiana Spruill, 3-2
Stryker BCT cut the Army
Birthday cake at the Joint
Base Lewis-McChord
(JBLM) Adjutant General’s Corps Ball in Tacoma,
WA on 14 June 2013.
CW5 Coral Jones (right),
the 5th Regimental Warrant Officer of the Adjutant General’s Corp,
awaiting to cut the AG
Ball cake, was the keynote speaker.
49
Section IV: Army Bands
Supporting the Army Through Music –
A New “Brand”
As our bands have superbly served the needs of the Army and the Nation during
the last twelve years of conflict, we have also greatly expanded the types of ensembles
and the styles of music that we provide to meet the demands of our audience. Today‘s
Army Band is much more than just a marching band or a concert band. It is a music performance unit featuring diverse NCO-led Music Performance Teams supervised by Officers who are not only conductors but also production experts in addition to their command and staff responsibilities.
To many, the word ―band‖ conjures up a very specific and somewhat limited image.
Perhaps it‘s defined in their mind by the number of sousaphones or the formality of a
concert hall. While this may have been adequate to summarize what we did in the past,
what we are doing today goes far beyond most people‘s concept of ―band music.‖ Accordingly, we will update our ―brand‖ from ―Army Bands‖ to ―Army Music.‖ Our Enlisted
MOS titles (42R = Musician, 42S = Special Musician) went through this change last year
and it‘s time for our entire program to follow suit. Let me be clear - this will not change
the name of any unit! The XXth Division Band will remain the XXth Division Band.
What we will do is change ―Army Bands Online‖ to ―Army Music Online‖ and in cooperation with USAREC and human resource management officials change the ―Army
Band Career Program‖ to the ―Army Music Career Program.‖ These changes will help to
make clear the full range of what you do to prospective Soldier-Musicians, our supporters, and the many thousands of audience members who we serve so well.
COL Todd Garlick
Chief, Army Music
The 1st Cavalry Division
Band, commanded by
CW5 Jeanne Y. Pace,
participates in a division ceremony at Fort
Hood, TX.
50
US Army Bands Picture-Grams
SPC Joshua Peterson of the 188th North
Dakota Army National Guard Band, Fargo, ND, performs during a Music in
Schools Tour.
USAREUR Band performs at the V Corps Inactivation Ceremony
at Schwetzingen, Germany, in June 2013.
101st Airborne Division Band Brass
Quintet performs at the US Embassy in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan in July 2013.
(L-R) SPC Johnson, SPC Davis and SPC Holmes
from Shock Action, 1st Armored Division Band,
perform on stage as one of the opening acts for
Chris Daughtry’s visit to Fort Bliss, TX.
The Army Materiel Command Band performs with the
United Arab Emirates Military Band at Al Minhad AFB,
United Arab Emirate in February 2013.
3ID Band “28 Campaigns” performs on Camp
Leatherneck, Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
51
Section V: AG Corps History
The American Revolution,
The Army AG at Work
November 1779 – A heartfelt letter sent home from Lieutenant Reynolds, Aide to Colonel Timothy
Pickering, The Adjutant General, US Army, West Point. Lieutenant Reynolds never existed, but his
position as Aide did exist and chronicles left behind (from various archives and sources, US Library of Congress and the Library of West Point) by various Lieutenants tell of the stories discussed in the letter below:
Sic. (Thus says) Colonel (Ret) Gary L. Gresh
20th AG School Commandant
Writer and Historian
My Dearest Rebecca, My Wife and My Love, November 30th, 1779. I miss you and the children
daily and hope I can visit home soon. Please know that my services here are much needed and I am
certain our future depends on the success of this valiant mission. Our sons and daughters must be
made to understand the great sacrifices that are being made daily for this precious freedom we all seek.
Yesterday, November 29th, 1779 was a very special day here at our Fortress at West Point. General Washington had his key leaders to a conference meeting. General Von Steuben from Prussia, The
Marquis de Lafayette of France, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton, Aide-De-Camp, to General
Washington, Engineers Colonel Kosciuszko, and Captain Machin; and the Army Adjutant Generals Colonel Pickering and Colonel Scammell were all in attendance with an even larger contingent of the Army and its leaders.
The day started with Breakfast of dried beef and talk of the upcoming battles and the need to
keep the British Forces split between New York and Canada. As aide to Colonel Pickering, I got to sit
in on all meetings and see the leaders at work. Colonel Pickering is so very calm, which I believe he has
learned from General Washington. As the present Adjutant General of the Army, Colonel Pickering is
charged with all conscription of troops and spends most of his time talking with town leaders in an attempt to get more volunteers for the Army.
If I have learned anything from Colonel Pickering, it is the need for better troop accountability
and reporting. Many troops come and go at will, visiting home, and carrying letters back and forth. It
is difficult to know just how many troops we actually have, as there seems to be no formal reporting methods in place. Most companies rely on their First Sergeants to know who is enlisted and who is gone
on leave or duty elsewhere. But things become very complicated when we have battle losses and
wounded taken to various field hospitals and clinics. There is no system to account for such losses and
Colonel Pickering is determined to establish a formal accountability system for the Army.
During the Revolutionary War, the key element of the
West Point, NY - Constitution Island fortifications was
the "Great Chain" affixed across the Hudson River as of
30 April 1778. The Great Chain’s purpose was to block
the Hudson River to prevent the British from splitting the
American Colonies in two. The West Point chain was
forged at Sterling Ironworks in Warwick, NY. It was approximately 500 yards in length, composed of two foot
long, 2.25" thick iron links, each of which weighed 114
pounds.
52
General Washington has brought his staff here to oversee the specific timing and trials of bringing in the
great chain across the Hudson River, put in place by Colonel Pickering and his soldiers over the past two years.
Washington‘s Watch-Chain, as the newspapers in New York, have dubbed it, is the great chain across the Hudson, which has now been in place almost two years and seems to be doing its intended purpose of keeping the
British Navy in New York. Our gun batteries overlook the chain and river and are ready to attack any British
ship trying to navigate the Hudson north to Canada.
Colonel Pickering continues to maintain contact with the Sterling Foundry Works to replace weak links in
the chain, or to provide extra links as needed. The chain came out of the river yesterday and it was quite an operation to behold. General Washington took his entire staff down to the river bank to the chain emplacement
and oversaw the removal of the chain personally. It was quite a spectacle to see as the entire staff, General
Washington on his great horse, Nelson, overseeing all the Soldiers and officers conducting the boat operation to
retrieve the chain before the river would freeze over.
Two men were badly hurt when a boat got caught between the oxen lines and pinched the men in-between
the lines. I thought at first that they had legs amputated, but it turned out they just got severely cut and bruised
badly. Ice is the great enemy of the chain as the links will split and separate if the river freezes with the chain
still in the water. Boats were used to maneuver the barges and rafts toward shore where the oxen could pull the
great chain up on the bank of the river. It took the entire afternoon and evening by torchlight to get the chain
onto the shore and it was none too soon as the river had ice floating in it as we finished up last night.
I will never forget seeing General Washington riding back and forth on that great horse talking to every
Soldier, talking with the head of his honor guard and with his guests. General Washington is always at his best
when riding. He becomes more animated and actually talks to almost everyone. His staff meetings are much
different where he mostly listens to others.
General Von Steuben and The Marquis de Lafayette both commented to Colonel Pickering that General
Washington is the right man at the right time for the American Army as he is as noble as any aristocrat on
horseback yet is truly an American Patriot in demeanor and Leadership. Colonel Scammell is to take over as the
Adjutant General next week from Colonel Pickering. I wanted to go with Colonel Pickering as he is to return to
his regiment, but I have been told I will remain on here at West Point with Colonel Scammel to make his transition a bit easier.
I miss home and particularly the warmth of our bed at night. It seems to be cold here all the time with
nowhere to get warm. I finally found a pair of gloves that have helped immensely. My fingers get particularly
cold since I must remove gloves to write and I write a lot every day transposing figures for Colonel Pickering. We
have had several skirmishes on the north side of
the encampment with British soldiers who are
evidently trying to determine the best avenues of
approach to the West Point Fort. It is rumored
that the Army will move to New Jersey soon as the
weather at West Point is getting too brutal and the
Army must seek better winter quarters.
This will make Colonel Scammell‘s job more
difficult as he tries to maintain the Army‘s
strength, as many Soldiers will want to return
home in December as many contracts are over at
year‘s end. My job will be to try and convince
Soldiers to stay on with the Army as we go to
winter quarters.
It is getting very late and my fingers are once
again stiff and cold. I will write again when it is
possible; I remain your Loving and Humble
Husband, Lieutenant JR Reynolds.
The tools of the trade have changed over
the many years of our great Nation’s history,
but the heart of the AG Soldier is little
different today from that of Lieutenant
Reynolds, Aide to ColonelPickering, The AG of
Map of the Great Chain spanning the Hudson River at
the Army, 1777-1779.
West Point.
53
A Revolutionary War General
Escapes History’s Margins
By Julie Turkewitz, The New York Times,
City Room, Blogging from the Five Boroughs
Mention "the Victor at Saratoga" and people may think that you are talking about a horse. Yet
that so-called victor, General Horatio Gates, the commander of the American forces at the Battle of Saratoga, played a crucial role in the triumph there over the British forces of General John Burgoyne in
October 1777.
Though other figures of the War of Independence are still widely revered and studied, Gates
faded from the national memory. He died in New York in 1806 and was buried at Trinity Churchyard
in Lower Manhattan. Precisely where is not known.
In October 2012, more than 150 people gathered at the cemetery just off Wall Street to celebrate
the installation of a marker that will serve as his gravestone and to highlight his long-neglected role in
American history (see photo below).
"This is a great day in my point of view in the history of the city of New York," James S. Kaplan
said in an address to the gathering, made up mostly of members of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The story of Gates's recent escape from history's margins began with Mr. Kaplan, a New York
tax lawyer who discovered the general's legacy during a visit to the Saratoga National Historical Park
in upstate New York two decades ago. For the past 16 years, he has conducted an early morning walking tour of Lower Manhattan on the Fourth of July, with Gates's story as the center piece.
Make that very early morning: It begins at 2 AM and ends at 6. "You wouldn't believe how
many people have said, 'It's a great time of day for a tour, because I'm not doing anything then,'" Mr.
Kaplan said. According to Mr. Kaplan, General Gates was a perpetual underdog who believed that men
should advance in life through merit, not wealth. General Gates was born in England and became a
Soldier. After several frustrating years trying to advance, he left the British Army and sailed to the
American colonies, becoming a farmer in Virginia. When the Revolutionary War broke out, he volun54
teered for the colonial forces. In this army, he rose rapidly through the ranks, perhaps largely because
he had a deep understanding of the enemy.
By August 1777, the British and American forces were at a standoff in New York. General Gates
was placed at the head of the Northern Colonial Army. Within a month of taking control, his force grew
to be equal in size to that of the British. Eventually he amassed an army of 17,000 men. "People kept
coming in," Mr. Kaplan said. "It was like Woodstock." In September, British and American troops
clashed at Saratoga, and the Americans were defeated. Some of the officers serving under General
Gates, including Benedict Arnold, urged an immediate counterattack, but he called for restraint and
told them to wait for a British offensive. Sure enough, a British attack failed, allowing American forces
to encircle and defeat the British on October 7th.
While it was General Gates's strategy that achieved an American victory, it was Benedict Arnold
who led that final attack. That is why Arnold, not Gates, is often credited with the victory. "It was his
strategy that was successful," said Mr. Kaplan, referring to General Gates. Saratoga was a decisive
moment, spurring the French to enter the war on the side of the Americans, which helped secure eventual victory.
"Many people today," Mr. Kaplan said, would say that "Benedict Arnold won it. "I say it's bunk,"
he continued. "The whole thing was over before Arnold even jumped in." Yet General Gates might
have helped put himself on the path to relative obscurity. He eventually had a falling out with George
Washington and in 1780, his forces were defeated at the Battle of Camden in South Carolina. The New
York chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution decided his memory was worthy of revival.
After Mr. Kaplan wrote an article for the Last Exit magazine in 2009 about the general, the organization's New York State regent, Denise Doring VanBuren, made a commitment to raise $2,200 for a marble marker on the south side of the Trinity cemetery in Lower Manhattan. In October 2012, members
of the organization, some of whom had traveled from as far as Florida and Kansas, gathered by the plaque. With the cemetery's soft green ground treacherous for high heels, they listened as Mr. Kaplan
spoke of the general, who was in his 50s at the time of Saratoga and was called "Granny Gates," by his
peers.
"I thought it was such a wonderful historic opportunity to be here," said Rhoda Justice Garcia,
63, of Tampa, FL, a descendant of BG Silas Newcomb, another Revolutionary War leader. "I knew
about General Horatio Gates, but now I will look up more."
When the word reached Horatio Gates of the outbreak of war in late May 1775 between the British
and American Colonies, he rushed to Mount Vernon and offered his services to George Washington. In June, the Continental Congress began organizing the Continental Army. In accepting command, George Washington urged the appointment
of Gates as Adjutant of the Army. On June 17,
1775, Congress commissioned Horatio Gates as a
Brigadier General and Adjutant General of the Continental Army. He is the first Adjutant General of
the United States Army. Additionally, his strategy
at the Battles of Saratoga in 1777 proved decisive
in an American Victory over the British.
55
Section VI: AGCRA
The Chief of the Corps Announces
the new AGCRA
COL Robert L. Manning Achievement Medal
As Chief of the Adjutant General‘s Corps, it is a privilege and an honor for me to announce that the Adjutant General's Corps Regimental Association (AGCRA) National Executive Council has unanimously approved
the renaming of the AGCRA Achievement Medal to the COL Robert L. Manning Achievement Medal.
During COL Rob Manning's tenure as the longest serving AG School Commandant, Chief of the Corps,
and Chief, Army Bands, from 2008-2012, his energy and enthusiasm were unsurpassed in promoting the AGCRA, the importance of membership and, in particular, the use of the AGCRA Achievement Medal to recognize
contributions at the Chapter level. Rob's efforts were singularly instrumental in promoting the values and lineage of the AG Corps and in recognizing worthy AGCRA members by our Chapter Presidents and senior leaders
within the Association. Rob was also instrumental in bringing tangible benefits to all AGCRA members through
annual scholarships, the first ever AG Corps historical print, and through promoting the work and values of our
Corps.
Accordingly, the Achievement Medal has been recast as the COL Robert L. Manning Achievement Medal.
Congratulations to Rob on this honor as he is truly deserving of this recognition for all of his contributions to the
AG Corps and the Adjutant General Corps Regimental Association.
Very respectfully,
Todd Garlick
Colonel, AG
Chief of the Adjutant General's Corps
Defend and Serve!
COL Todd Garlick, Chief of the AG Corps presents the first AGCRA COL Robert L. Manning Achievement Medal to COL (Ret)
Manning. Assisting COL Garlick are CW5 Coral Jones, Regimental WO, and CSM Christopher Culbertson, Regimental CSM.
56
2013 AGCRA Third Annual Scholarship Winners
AGCRA awarded $1,000 scholarships to six outstanding applicants submitted for consideration
as Family members of AGCRA members. The 2013 applicant field was extremely strong again in its
third year of competition and it was very challenging for the scholarship selection board to make the
final selections. Based on their academic performance, community service, and ability to articulate
future goals, the individuals shown below were voted as most qualified to receive 2013 AGCRA
scholarships made possible by active AGCRA membership dues and proceeds from the AG Corps
Regimental Print purchases. AGCRA scholarships are primarily supported by sales of our beautiful
and historic AG Corps print. So don't put off buying it any longer and support our scholarship program.
Congratulations again to all 2013 AGCRA scholarship recipients!
Toney Benson
Sponsor - Ms.
Christine Benson
Toni M. Shelton
Sponsor - CPT David Loy
Ashlyn M. Koonce
Sponsor - LTC David
Koonce
Hayle Stoner
Sponsor - LTC Donald
Stoner
Jachike Madubuko
Sponsor - MSG Christine
Madubuko
Kevonya D. Webb-Riley
Sponsor - MSG Tracey
Webb
57
AGCRA Spartan Chapter at
Fort McCoy Re-activates
By SFC Karen R. Stokes, President, Spartan Chapter
Because of the high operational tempo of the Army and AG Soldiers always on the move via deployments or PCS, on occasion AGCRA Chapters fall into an inactive status. Conversely, when HR operations stabilize or a unit returns from deployment, AGCRA Chapters re-activate to again engage in Association activities and support. Such is the case with the AGCRA Spartan Chapter at Fort McCoy,
Wisconsin supporting the 181st Infantry Brigade and HR professionals across the post.
On 3 May 2013, the Spartan Chapter conducted a re-activation ceremony at the SSG Todd R.
Cornell NCO Academy on Fort McCoy. Chapter Officers were elected, Chapter business was conducted
and Mr. Terry Streeton, Director of Human Resources at Fort McCoy, was invited as the Chapter guest
speaker.
Chapter Officers reiterated the Chapter‘s mission to organize Adjutant General‘s Corps Regimental Association activities to build and support a network of human resource professionals in the local
area, in addition to providing esprit-de-corps, professional development, fraternal bonding, sharing of
information on HR programs and activities and enhancing the member services of the Association.
From top left, clockwise, during the Spartan
Chapter re-activation ceremony on 3 May 2013:
Mr. Terry Streeton, Fort McCoy HR Director addresses the Chapter; audience members; ceremony cake; and SFC Karen Stokes presenting a
certificate of appreciation to Mr. Streeton.
58
Soldier Support Institute NCO Academy attains 100%
AGCRA Membership
Soldier Support Institute NCO
Academy Class #016-13 attained
100% AGCRA Membership. The
Class Advisor is SSG Harvey
(center sitting down).
Class Advisor is SFC Alberico
(kneeling front right).
Class Advisor is SFC Wimbley
(standing third from right).
59
COL Mark Rado, President of the Gold
Vault Chapter of the Adjutant General‘s
Corps Regimental Association (AGCRA),
presents a token of appreciation to Cathy
Fyock, Chair of the Kentucky Society of
Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Ms. Fyock spoke at the quarterly AGCRA
Gold Vault Chapter breakfast on 21
February 2013 at Fort Knox about the
value of human resource professionals
obtaining certification, and the benefits
of SHRM membership.
AG Warrant Officer Basic Course 003-13
graduated on 1 May 2013 and achieved
100% AGCRA Membership during their
tenure at the AG School. The Class
Advisor is CW2 Juan C. Jusino.
60
AGCRA AWARD Winners
1 February 2013 – 10 July 2013
GATES GOLD
COL Philip J. Smith
BG Jason T. Evans
MAJ Andre D. Watsonconnell
1SG Monique C. Washington
COL Bruce D. Jenkins
CPT Rebecca J. Cozad
SFC Eric R. Chrisman
COL Michael D. Copenhaver
COL Robert C. Whaley (2nd)
CW4 Julie Reyes (2nd)
LTC Alan C. Shaw
SGM Verdell G. Brown
LTC(P) Alan G. Kellogg
MSG Willie E. Yarbray
Mrs. Eldora Johnson
Mr. Larry J. Willis
CW5 Tommy W. Daughtry
CW5 Edwin Nieves-Beauchamp
1SG (Ret) Earl Kolb
1SG (Ret) Rory Janicke
SGM Luis Colon
GATES BRONZE
COL Paula Z. Jones
1SG William F. Engel
1SG Viva Jester
1SG Amador Medina III
1SG James W. White
CW5 Michael J. Wichterman, Sr.
SSG April L. Story
MAJ John L. Schimming
LTC Darwin A. Frett
CPT Rachel Davis
MSG Alfredo N. Woods
CW3 Joey B. Collins
Mr. Chris Stieb
MAJ Jeffrey McCartney
LTC Terry G. Owens
MSG Tyrone . Edwards
SGM Tamara J. Gregory
MSG Vienary D. Tanksley
CW2 Taryn E. Dinsmore
CW3 Kymila K. Cheese
CW2 Benjamin R. Deshields
SGM Ronald E. Walker
MSG(P) Matthew J. Quick
SFC Claudia Tapia
SSG Zenia D. Boswell
SSG Scedric Moss
MSG Alvin E. Banks
SGM Diana M. Broussard
SGM Carla D. Sanders
COL Lynn Can Nicolas
MAJ Monica Ryan
SGM Shannon A. Caviness
MSG Vetta L. Stanley
1SG Chad Pinkston
MSG Sebastian Q. Harris
SFC Dawn Ramos
MSG Jervie Windom
MAJ Marie F. Slack
COL John A. Cooper
CW3 Maribel Aponte
CW2 Juan C. Jusinomorales
SFC Jeffery J. Baker
LTC James J. Galluzzo
CSM Annette R. Weber
CPT(P) Kennisha N. Allen
CPT(P) Xavier C. Allen
MAJ Tynisa L. Jones
MSG Everett W. Johnson
CW3 Jeffrey Gordon
MAJ Jason Cavness
MAJ Robert A. Arroyo
1SG (Ret) Ramona Gresham
CPT Rachel Davis
SGM Luis Colon
SSG Mishi M. Brantley
CW5 Andre S. Davis, Sr.
MSG Marc Goulet
LTC Frances A. Hardison
MAJ Angela C. Borden
CW4 Yinusa Adeoti
LTC Henry Davenport
COL ROBERT L. MANNING
ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL
MAJ Frankie C. Cochiaosue
1LT Stephanie M. Hanson
WO1 A. Rafael Fabiandiaz
SGT Teneka D. Mercado
SPC Malissa A. Nuckolls
SPC Virginia Null
CPT Marquis A. Naylor
1LT Alexandra M. Nieves
1LT Luis L. Regalado
CW3(P) Ivette Reese
SFC Faisal Amin
SFC Samterrille D. Horn
SSG(P) Raquel Quinones
SGT Mark Miller
SFC(P) Maria Flores
SFC Jeffrey W. Webb
MSG Richard D. Thomas
SGT Jose A. Medinaramos
Ms. Kathryn L. Gay
SGT Julia P. Griffin
MAJ Elizabeth Mason
CPT Nathelyn S. Blake
CPT Jamie D. Vestal
SFC Reginald L. Douglass
MSG Nakia L. Jones
SSG Maria C. Rivera
SFC Daniel A. Geisel
CW2 Timothy H. Rajala
1LT Alvonia L. Gregory
SSG Richard R. Walton
1LT Delores Cantrell
CW2 Henry Dabney
CPL Atiya N. Gallishaw
SPC David M. Woolford
SFC Dannia M. Benitez
SSG Sara Charbauski
SPC Christopher D. Flowers
SSG William C. Youngblood, Jr.
CPT Mary Margaret Wong
SGT Elgin L. Grove, Sr.
CW3 Kenneth B. Thompson
1LT LaKeshia T. Pride
61
COL ROBERT L. MANNING
ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL
(Continued)
1LT Hernando C. Flowers
CPT Kenneth Reyes
2LT Michael J. Wilcoxson
MSG Tanya L. Deppen
MSG Meshall E. Winnegan
CPL LaTanya N. Cook
SPC Latiea D. Session
SPC Derris T. Henderson
SPC Christopher I. Perryman
CPT Megan C. Cain
MSG Jamie K. Price
MSG Kelvin D. Simmons
SGM Sondra A. Phillips
MSG Antheena F. Felton
1LT Heather Bricka
MSG Daniel Smith Lai
SFC Patricia Castro
CW2 Venus C.Lagmay
1SG Dudley R. Hunt
1LT Hannah Youngblut
SGT Amber R. Callen
Mrs. Marilyn M. Norris
Mr. Ronald Kimmel
CPT Jessica R. Lalka
MSG Timothy Pender
MSG(P) Willie T. Grandison, Jr.
SFC Fualole Gaston
SSF Felicia M. Cooper
SPC Amanda L. Arroyo
SPC Yunjue Wu
SPC Nieka Luz Quinones
1LT Alicia D. Scott
MSG Lisa L. Mealt
SFC Patrick J. Sullivan
SSG Ruta R. Yandall
MSG Bryant N. Maness
MSG James M. Lightbourne
CW3 Maria L. McDonald
MAJ John D. Clemons
SFC Robin Simpson
CW4 Gail B. Shillingford
MSG Charles Mursch
MAJ(P) Jeanette A. Martin
MAJ Latosha D. Floyd
SGM Spencer B. Miller
1SG Kevin M. McMullen
SGT Veronica L. Regan
SSG Alisha M. Parks
SPC Christopher A. Parker
SPC Janee M. Donaldson
MAJ Naomi S. Johnson
SGM Paul C. Blanchard
MSG Fabian A. Murillo
CW2 Robert Patton
CW3 Archie A. Clark
SPC Daisy Hunter-Lane
SSG Luz Strnad
62
SGT Valerie Booker
SGT Melvin Tiradorivera
CPT Elaina R. Hill
CPT Kristin Doneth
1LT Natalie Aldea
1LT Gary Clark
CW2 Marnisha Grant
CPT Andrene A. Alexander
SGT Vanessa Carter
CW2 Jennifer Sherman
SSG Ranilo M. Bacani
SPC Cesar Romero
SFC Bernard Espinas
SSG Marie Wright
SPC Ana Garciadealba
SFC Robert L. Hunter
SGT Gerald D. Sydnor
SGT Amy Chenoweth
SFC Sara Morales-Smith
LTC John Wieman
SGT Olasunkanmi Fakeye
SGT Jean Paul Ramossilva
SPC Trisha Barabin
SPC Jakeisha Evans
SPC Taurus Henix
SPC Jeremy Sullivan
SSG Maria N. Estrada
SSG Nubia Varner
SGT Randall Myers
SPC Dara Thach
SGT Refugio Z. Johnson
SFC Virshelle E. Dugger
SGT Ryan L. Houle
SPC Jose V. Blas
SPC Graysonmax S. Keller
SPC Dennell D. McDowell
CPT Shawn Skinner
SSG Leann Lichtenstein
PFC Nicholas Mitchell
MAJ June S. Copeland
SGT Shenita Y. Bryson
CPT Theresa Fouda
SGT Marshall Pampkin II
SFC Francine Chapman
MAJ William C. Talbert
LTC Thelma C. Brown
SFC John A. Voorhees
SFC La‘Quite M. Wimbley
SFC Thomas A. Alberico
CW2 Jimmy R. Matthew
COL Elvia D. Gaines-Edmond
1LT Brittany Bradley
SGM Richard W. Bell
CW2 CuiCui Randolph
SFC James Kirksey
CW2 Tawan Williamson
WO1 Sherab Wangden
SGT Michael Langlois
CPT Nathalia Johnson
SSG Jonathan Agosta
1LT James Johnson
WO1 Daniel P. Wood
SSG San‘Tora Mathis
SGT Medina Estelita
CW2 Detrottus D. Thomas
SPC Christopher Flink
SSG Ramona Sims
SPC Tommy D. Fitzgerald, Jr.
1LT Mary K. Hope
SGT Jazmine Silafau
SPC Mauricio Perez
2LT Freye Evangelista
CPL Michelle A. Daniels
1LT Katherine Ta
1LT Virginia Peschke
SSG Cassandra Ross
CPT Michael A. Hermes
MAJ Mark S. Morgan
CPT Michael E. Curnow
CPT Cristina J. Meyer
CPT Laurence W. Gauthier
MSG Paul L. Ewing
CW4 Lenell L. Cunningham
1LT Chelsea R. Baker
1SG Shamsul Alam
CPT Chet Y. Cooper
MAJ Shawn Neely
2LT Brittany J. Ledbetter
PFC Christopher McFall
PFC Kevin Brown
SFC Lynn Wallace
1LT John H. Panzer III
CPT Victoria M. Thomas
SGT Allison A. Edouard
CPT Clayton J. Cannon, Jr.
MAJ Myrta I. Crespo
SGM Wendy N. Thomson
1LT Anna B. York
WO1 Yvonne Ralph
SGT Miriam M. Weeden
CPT Jimmy Plata
HARRISON MEDAL
WO1 Timothy L. Collins
CPT Heath Morgigno
SFC Donald E. Engling
SFC Elizabeth H. Wozniak
SGT Heather L. Avant
SGT Noel Bonifacio, Jr.
CPT Judy Yoo
SGT Lekeita C. Bryant
WO1 Eva M. Bolton
SFC Sandra Y. Wilson
2LT Victoria M. Adame
CW2 Neil J. Rhinevault
HARRISON MEDAL
(Continued)
SSG Paul J. Smith
SGT Natalie Brisco
SSG Alina J. Kennedy
SGT Robert A. Hoilman
SSG Javier Nevarez
2LT Sara Mitchell
WO1 Dustin P. Robinson
SSG Immacula G. Pierre
SSG Kevin J. Alderson
CW2 James Stevens
CPT Christopher Parker
SSG Catrina R. Garza
SSG Evan Lim
CPT Allison Anderson
SFC Nicolas A. Henaolondono
CPT Mark A. Bennett
SSG Marie Wright
SGT Gabriel Ximenez
SFC Craig L. Ascher
2LT Steven B. Moon
CPT Denise Quigley
CW2 Eddie J. Molina
SFC Matthew J. Tanner
SGT Michael V. Joseph
SGT Silvia Padilla
SPC Carl W. Haight
SGM Ronald E. Walker
SFC Charles Sacco
CPT Katie del Castillo
1SG Chad L. Pinkston
CPL Dwight J. Smalls
1LT Virginia Peschke
SFC Katherine L. Doughtie
SFC Shanell Garrett
SGT Jenna Martin
CPT Nkeckukwuke U. Enwefa
2LT Steven B. Moon
CW2 Yvan F. Uyn
CW2 Janisha U. Henry
CW3 Olga Elliott
CW2 Angeline C. Jepsen
CPT Ian C. Faison
CPT Denise J. Quigley
CPT Penny M. Volino
AIT MEDAL OF
EXCELLENCE
PFC Stephani Buzar
SPC Robert Stam
SPC Casey A. Ryan
PFC Holly Parker
SPC Christopher Prescott
PFC Anthony Demeri
SPC Ashton Farmer
SPC Marco Alvarado
PVT Pierce Bennett
PV2 Bryant Roest
SPC John Henderson, Jr.
SPC Kirk Welborn
PV2 Ashley Collier
HONORARY HORATIO GATES
1SG (Ret) Gregory L. Sanders
COL Michael F. Pappal
MG (Ret) Raphael J. Hallada
SGM Leigh N. Perry
ROOSEVELT MEDAL
CPT Christina M. Duncan
CPT Melissa C. Comiskey
CPT Theresa F. Fouda
CPT Nichole Braxton
CPT Jade Root
CPT Amanda Obley
CPT Judy Yoo
PFC Lakeydra A. Flakes
SSG Tishune M. Jones
2LT Victoria M. Adame
2LT Veronica S. Chesley
2LT Jessica C. Donnelly
2LT Natalie A. Wynne
2LT Vidal L. Freeman
SSG Michael A. Sherwin
SGT Francisco J. Flores
2LT Eva Gonzalez-Vazquez
2LT Sara Mitchell
1LT Buba Touray
WO1 Michael D. Seymour
SFC Siclali Sanchez
CW2 Heather Langley
SSG Cheri N. Lee
SFC Katherine L. Doughtie
SSG Kimberly R. Peters
LTG TIMOTHY J. MAUDE MEDAL
CPT Scott L. Stephens
CW2 Camilla J. Henry
MG WILLIAM H. GOURLEY
LEADERSHIP AWARD
CPT John F. Pirina
CPT Keisha Spaulding
CPT Kelly Barton
COL FRANK C. FOSTER, Jr.
AWARD FOR WRITING
CPT Jade Root
CPT Katie del Castillo
CW3 Kymila K. Cheese
CPT Harvie Berry
SGM LARRY STRICKLAND
MEDAL
SFC Dawn Ramos
SPC Denicio E. Diaz
DINNIEN MEDAL
Mr. James K. Miller
63
NotNot
Getting
Copy
1775?
GettingYour
Your Mailed
Mailed Copy
of of
1775?
First, if you are reading this article in your personal copy of 1775, then you‘re probably OK. But if
you are getting ready to PCS or move, read on. And if you have a battle buddy who‘s griping they
for Sale
in the
Sutler Store
haven‘t received their copyItems
of 1775 lately,
have them
read this.
So, you‘ve PCS‘d from Fort Richardson, Alaska to Fort Stewart, Georgia and it suddenly dawns on
you that you‘re not hearing much from AGCRA, and you definitely haven‘t received any issues of 1775
lately. Your Association membership is good for another year (or is
it?), and fellow AGCRA members at Fort Stewart are receiving their
Wonder why I
copies of 1775. So what gives?
haven’t
At AGCRA headquarters at Fort Jackson, SC, the Association‘s
Executive Council receives this question a lot. The answer to what
received any
gives usually lies with the individual member who hasn‘t done one of
copies of 1775?
the following:
The member doesn‘t realize their AGCRA membership expired, yet
still believes they are a member in good standing.
The member moved or PCS‘d, but did not update their membership
and mailing data in their personal account at AGCRA.com.
The member lost his or her AGCRA.com user name and password
and can no longer access the Association‘s website.
What to do? Believe our battle buddy 2LT McGillicuddy has
figured it out below!
Better contact the AGCRA
Vice President for Membership at
[email protected].
Also check out AGCRA on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/agcra
Items for Sale in the Sutler Store
For more information or to purchase items, go to http://agcra.com/store/
Check out the AG Corps logo apparel available in the Sutler Store.
Cool dry polyester Polo shirts w/AG Corps Logo are available in both
women‘s and men‘s styles in an assortment of colors.
Crewneck and Hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants w/AG Corps Logo are
also available in Navy. For Golfers who want to show their AG Corps pride on the course, click on ―The
Golf Store‖ tab on the homepage. AG Corps Golf items include: Golf Towels w/Grommet and Logo
available in Red or Navy; a light weight Golf Wind Shirt w/Logo and zippered sleeves in two locations
available in Navy; and AGCRA Golf Tees (3 ¼‖) available in Natural or White.
All prices include shipping and handling.
AG Corps Golf Windshirt (Navy) – $50.00
Stainless Steel Travel Mug (Red) – $11.00
AG Corps Stainless Rollerball Pen – $10.00
AG Corps Ball Cap available in Navy or Red – $15.00
Executive Zippered Padfolio (Blue/Black) – $25.00
AG Corps Men’s Polo - Cool Dry Polyester (Navy, White, or Red) – $25.00
AG Corps Women’s Polo - Cool Dry Polyester (Navy or Red) – $25.00
AG Corps Laser engraved Wooden Humidor, Solid or Glass Lid – $45.00
AG Corps Golf Tees, 3 ¼”, 25 count (Natural or White) – $7.00
64

Summer 2013

Transcription

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