AMC commander meets with future leaders

By AMC Public AffairsFebruary 13, 2015

AMC commander meets with future leaders
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The U.S. Army Materiel Command's most senior leader met with a group of junior employees of the organization, here, in January.

Gen. Dennis L. Via, AMC commanding general, shared words of advice and answered questions during a brown bag lunch discussion with 12 aspiring leaders from across AMC's subordinate commands, including Aviation and Missile Command, Army Contracting Command, and Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center.

Via began the discussion by thanking the interns for their commitment to the Army and talking about the positive aspects of government service, "By working in the government you can not only make a good living, but you can make a good life."

Via gave the group professional development advice, tips and techniques as well as his own keys to success. He told them to get out of their comfort zones and take advantage of career opportunities.

"You are your own best career manager," said Via. "To succeed you need to work hard every day and seek out the tough jobs, broadening your horizons. Be persistent."

He encouraged the employees to never stop learning and to take advantage of training opportunities available through the Civilian Education System.

"Education is key, you need to make sure you never stop learning" said Via about the importance of being an expert in your field.

The interns also asked questions and provided feedback to Via and John Nerger, executive deputy to the commanding general, who attended. They discussed topics ranging from the resizing of the Army, future hiring and retention efforts, to their personal experiences and career paths.

"When working for the Army you never have to question whether the work you are doing matters," said Nerger who shared how he also started his career as an intern.

Nerger asked the group to each share a positive and negative experience they had working with the Army.

"When I started in 2010 I couldn't decide what to major in," said Cathryn Schartung, a chemical and environmental engineer with AMRDEC. "Working with the Army really solidified what I wanted to do, and it was incredibly helpful in guiding my career path."

The young employees said the experience was enriching.

"It was a wonderful thing to meet and talk with leadership," said Schartung. "The advice was priceless information."