1775, The Journal of the Adjutant General’s Corps Spring Regimental Association, (ISSN 1775 1551-8205) is published by the Adjutant General’s Corps 2013 Regimental Association, a non-profit organization, The Journal of the Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association headquartered at Fort CONTENTS Jackson, South Carolina, and The Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association Officers 2 is devoted to the advancement SECTION I: REGIMENTAL LEADERSHIP and professionalism of the Notes from the Chief of the Corps 3 Adjutant General’s Corps Notes from the Chief Warrant Officer of the Corps 5 Regiment members. Articles Notes from the Regimental CSM 6 appearing in the journal do SECTION II: ARMY HR PROFESSIONAL READING, DEDICATED not necessarily reflect the TO “AG NCOs” opinion of the officers and AG Officer Branch Update 7 members of the Regimental AG Warrant Officer Branch Update 9 Association, nor the Army’s HR leadership. Articles AG Enlisted Branch Update 10 submitted by members or AG NCO Challenges 11 civilian employees of the US USAREUR G1 / TAG NCOs 13 military services are AG NCOs – The HR Center of Gravity 15 expressions of personal AG NCO Education & Training – Keeping it Real 16 opinion, unless otherwise Impressions from Senior NCO CTSSB Board Members 20 stated, and should not be The Role of the AG NCO 21 interpreted as reflecting the SECTION III: ARMY BANDS official opinion of the Funeral Preparation – A Taps’ Perspective 24 Department of Defense. US Army Bands Picture-Grams 26 1775 is scheduled to be SECTION IV: AROUND THE CORPS published three times a year. S1Net Membership Milestone Hits 100,000 27 Articles for submission are Re-invigorating the Role of the OER Rater 28 welcomed and should be sent Commanding a Brigade Special Troops Battalion as an AG Officer 30 to the address below. The USAFOR-A HR Theater Wide Conference 32 editor and publisher of 1775 1st Cavalry Division G1 HR Best Practices 34 also invite the submission of HR Operations in a Combined Joint Interagency Environment 37 photographs and illustrations AG Leadership Rules to Live By 39 to accompany articles. Marching Towards Graduation – AG BOLC Paves the Way 41 The editor reserves the Training the Afghan National Army 5th Kandak’s Personnel Shop 42 right to reject any articles Army Learning Model 2015 44 and/or to modify articles for The AG Corps and Carlisle Barracks 45 clarity or space limitations. USAREUR’s 2012 Vollrath Awards 47 Requests for authorization to SECTION V: AGCRA reprint 1775 articles should be AGCRA Award Presentations 48 sent to the address below. Why Become an AGCRA Member 49 Contact Information: Activation of the AGCRA Old Dominion Chapter 50 VP, Publications, AGCRA Activation of the AGCRA Masters’ Chapter 51 PO Box 10026 100% AGCRA Membership 52 Fort Jackson, SC 29207 AGCRA Award Winners 53 Email: Not Getting Your Mailed Copy of 1775? 56 [email protected] Sutler Store Items 56 Visit us on the web at: www.agcra.com Look for the AG Corps 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees and 2013 AGCRA Scholarship Winners in our 1775 Summer 2013 Edition. 1775 Spring 2013 1 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 CSM: CSM Christopher D. Culbertson VP, Awards: CW5 (Ret) David A. Ratliff VP, Membership: SFC (Ret) Kenneth M. Fidler, Jr. VP, Publications: COL (Ret) Robert Ortiz-Abreu, Jr. VP, Sales and Sutler Store: CSM (Ret) Teresa Meagher VP, Plans and Programs: COL (Ret) William (Al) Whatley VP, Community and Corporate Affairs: LTC (Ret) Ward D. Ward VP, IT and Strategic Communications: LTC Troy W. Worch Adjutant: COL (Ret) Robert Ortiz-Abreu, Jr. Secretary: MAJ (Ret) William Villnow Treasurer: LTC (Ret) David Smoot AGCRA Webmasters: CPT Michael Skiff & 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 provided by Colonial Printing, Columbia, SC From the Editorial Staff: This edition of 1775 is dedicated to the “AG NCO”. The US Army’s NCO Corps distinguished itself as the worlds most accomplished group of military professionals. Historical and daily accounts of life as an NCO are exemplified by acts of courage, and a dedication and willingness to do whatever it takes to complete the mission. HR NCOs have also been celebrated for decorated service throughout the Army’s long and distinguished history, to current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In recognition of their commitment to service and willingness to make great sacrifices on behalf of our Nation, our Army, Commanders, Soldiers and their Families, we dedicate this edition of 1775 to the “AG NCO”. We hope you enjoy this edition of 1775 and solicit your comments and feedback at [email protected]. Bob Ortiz, VP Pubs & Editor, 1775 Colonel (Retired), US Army, [email protected] 2 The Journal of the Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association, www.AGCRA.com SECTION I: Regimental Leadership Notes from the Chief of the Corps By COL Todd Garlick, Commander, Soldier Support Institute, Chief of the AG Corps, and Chief, Army Bands schools, and all he wanted in return was the opportunity to reenlist and continue to serve his Country. It is this type of selfless service that epitomizes our AG NCO Corps today. Here at Fort Jackson, we have placed increased emphasis on the program of instruction at the NCO Academy. BG MacEwen, the previous Commander of the Soldier Support Institute, has commented more than once on the importance of the NCO. To paraphrase his words, if we don’t get our instruction right with our AIT Soldiers and young Privates, an NCO will have to fix it. If Fellow AGs, this edition of 1775 is we fail to educate a Lieutenant, Captain or dedicated to our Noncommissioned Officer Warrant Officer, an NCO will fix it. But if we Corps, the strength and “the backbone of our fail to instruct our NCOs, we will never get it Army” and our Corps. We have articles from right. For that reason, today’s program of across the width and breadth of our Adjutant instruction at the NCO Academy more closely General’s Corps that attest to our NCOs and resembles battle staff training, with a focus on the important role they play in taking care of the Military Decision Making Process our Soldiers. (MDMP). One of the honors that I have as the Chief AG NCO professional development courses of the Corps is being asked to preside over are doctrinally based and modularized around promotion, reenlistment and award the four HR Core Competencies of; Man the ceremonies. I was recently asked by an NCO, Force, Provide HR Services, Coordinate who I met at our Enlisted Critical Task Site Personnel Support and Conduct HR Planning Selection Board (CTSSB), to conduct his and Operations. The redesigned 42A reenlistment ceremony. As I prepared for this Advanced Leaders Course (ALC) and Senior event, I read through his ERB and biography, Leaders Course (SLC) are designed to produce and I began to appreciate what our young NCO HR leaders who are doctrinally sound, NCOs are being asked to do in caring for our technically capable, and execute HR missions Soldiers and their Families. This particular as critical and creative thinkers. Our NCOs NCO had recently redeployed from are receiving more hands on instruction on Afghanistan while serving with the 2d Brigade Army HR systems, and intense training on the (Strike), 101st Airborne (Air Assault). MDMP than ever before. Previously, he had served as a Senior One of our senior instructors at the Soldier Human Resources Sergeant in Iraq with the Support Institute’s Warrior Training Area, 101st Sustainment Brigade. Mix in multiple where we replicate a Forward Operating Base assignments in DC, and this particular NCO operating in an austere environment, and his young family had PCS’ed three times remarked on the products that a recent NCOA in nine short years, deployed twice, been on class had produced. In short, he stated that if extended TDYs to his NCOES, Instructor he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn Certification, and numerous other military that the products this NCO Academy class 1775 Fall 2013 3 produced came from a Captain’s Career Course – they were that professional and in-depth. This validates what I have seen as I travel around our Army and visit with HR professionals. Our NCOs are being asked to do more than ever before in terms of tactical and operational planning. Personnel Services Delivery Redesign, which placed personnel support at the tip of the spear in our deployable combat formations, has highlighted the importance of having AG NCOs who are masters of our profession. One trained and ready senior NCO in a battalion or a brigade can make a difference in HR support, and our NCOs are stepping up to that challenge. The state of our Corps is such that I am confident we are right in focusing development on our NCOs, who in turn are ensuring our junior enlisted, officers and warrant officers get the mentorship and leadership that they need and deserve. Gone are the days where we ask our NCOs to attend a school, learn through rote memorization, and where our instructors teach to a test. Our Army and our Soldiers deserve better, and our training developers and NCO instructors / facilitators have delivered. I use the term facilitator to highlight the fact that our cadre are learning how to leverage the experiences of our students in order to achieve the desired learning objectives.