Posted on 03/24/2005 5:02:47 PM PST by Wiseghy
SMA shares vision of Army with Soldiers at Drum By Sgt. Cain S. Claxton March 24, 2005
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Army News Service, March 24, 2005) -- The sergeant major of the Army visited Fort Drum March 22 to explain Army changes, specifically how those changes affect the enlisted ranks.
Talking to Soldiers of all ranks and job skills, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston outlined the Army’s transformation into consolidated brigade combat teams/units of action and its effect on Soldiers.
The BCT/UA transformation will make the Army more adaptable to changing battlefields, Preston said, but will also “bring stability and predictability into Soldiers’ and family members’ lives.”
In the BCT alignment, a Soldier has greater opportunity to stay in a particular organization for at least three to five years, and in some cases decades, he said.
“Imagine being able to spend 25-30 years on one installation,” Preston said. “A sergeant can buy a house. Spouses could go from having jobs to having careers, and more opportunity for promotions and earning potential. Children wouldn’t have change schools every two to three years. They could compete for scholarships and awards.”
The transformation also may result in shortened deployments, from one year to nine months, he said.
Preston also highlighted the Army’s Soldier makeover, an effort to shape the attitudes of Soldiers across the board into “infantry mindset,” he said.
One piece of transformation is what the Army is doing with brigades and consolidating job specialties, Preston said. “The other piece, the most important piece, is ‘Individual Transformation.’”
Preston emphasized what Army leaders call the “Warrior Ethos” and the mantra, “Every Soldier is a rifleman,” as the keys to “Individual Transformation.”
“We want to get to the place where everybody who wears a uniform is a deployable Soldier,” Preston said, “ready and relevant for the fight.”
Using an illustration from sports, Preston said, “We want to get away from the one-event athlete and move to the pentathlete.”
As Preston sees it, Soldiers in the future will be more skilled in more areas, “with every Soldier an infantryman first.”
Accompanying the attitude change, the Army also has introduced a new uniform. Preston wore the Army Combat Uniform, touting it as “a warrior’s uniform,” during his visit. He explained the history of the uniform’s development and its features to sergeants at the Noncommissioned Officers Academy here.
Widely regarded as the standard bearer for all Soldiers, but specifically the enlisted ranks, Preston has traveled the world to meet Soldiers since the day he took over as the 13th sergeant major of the Army a year ago.
“I’ve had a chance to see 10th Mountain Soldiers on deployment,” Preston said. “They can hold their heads high. Let me just say the 10th Mountain Division has a great reputation.”
The visit was Preston’s first here and the first by a sergeant major of the Army in many years. During his visit, Preston toured several training areas. He also delivered the keynote address at the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers conference at Lloyd’s Landing here, in addition to addressing sergeants at NCOA.
(Editor's note: Sgt. Cain Claxton is a 10th Mountain Division journalist.)
This sure would have made a difference to my family 20-30 years ago. Sounds like a good idea. I hope it works.
"Preston emphasized what Army leaders call the “Warrior Ethos” and the mantra, “Every Soldier is a rifleman,” as the keys to “Individual Transformation.” "
So the Army wants to become the Marine Corps. "Every Marine is a Rifleman" is one of the Marine's mottos.
No.
The Army wants to become a better fighting force.
If that means adopting some of the better concepts of the USMC, so be it. Just like Marines when they attend ARMY Airborne School (Ft. Benning), the ARMY Armor School (Ft. Knox) and the ARMY Field Artillery School (Ft. Sill).
I think that what works works. If you are going to do a good job, well take what works and put it together with other things that work.
The Marines developed close air support during the Banana wars and amphibious doctrine between WWI and WWII. That doctrinal contribution was greater than their battle contribution during WWII. On the other hand, the Marines have borrowed Armor equipment and theory from the Army, and modern maneuver warfare doctrines developed by John Boyd, and AF colonel. Isn't it great to not have to pay the butcher bull (casualties) to learn things in your organization? Isn't it great that we are all ON THE SAME SIDE?
I knew the Army of One -and black berets made in China were
just a steppingstone. I hear the UN will design the new
uniforms,and revamp the UCMJ to comport with our Eurofag
oligarchy of Despots that now runs everyhting including the Congress-and the Executive.
Trust me. The army should have done that years ago instead of buy into the political correctness of the Clinton Social Experiement that was the army of the 90s.
And that, my friend, is why I am now a reservist.
RLTW
My greatest mistake was moving from combat arms (Cavalry) to combat support (Military Police).
MPs with their close proximity to the action and their gender mix were ground zero of the touchy feely army. My tab and background made me a knuckle-dragging neanderthal in their book.
Of course, as soon as OIF kicks off, the army breaks the glass and lets all the politically incorrect types out...
By the way, rest assured that the Corps never completely fell for the touchy feely crap. I spent 10 months with the 1MEF in Hillah. They took care of business and took care of each other. With my detachment co-located, they even took care of us. They were - and still are magnificent.
The COS will turn the army around. Special Operators have a way with rooting the problem and dealing with it. Unfortunately, he's got a bunch of touchy-feely promotional types executing it. That'll take a little longer.
Until then, however, I'll point my son toward the USMC.
RLTW
I know the Army officer tasked with getting the berets. He was faced with a short arbitrary deadline, and there was no US hattery that could respond. He called all of them. All of them no-bid.
So long as China is on the tit, they will hesitate to start a war that would alienate their best customers.
I agree-but I wish the Army would execute that murderer
Hasan Akbar--and dismiss all charges against the Army Medic they claim murdered a severely wounded Iraqi.IF A Judge in
Florida can order a disabled woman to die as that State will not allow a dog or a convicted murderer be put to death--then an Army Medic in a hotzone ought be accorded the same power over life and death. And that Akbar-if demented(an I agree anyone who submits to Islam is demented)
ought have some heroe slip some liv egrenades into his sleeping quarters so justice could be served.Thou shall not
suffer a murderer to live.
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