Junior leaders offer feedback at symposium

By Staff Sgt. Adam KeithFebruary 19, 2015

Junior leaders offer feedback at symposium
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, I Corps commanding general, welcomes junior leaders from across JBLM to the Junior Leader Army Profession Symposium here Feb. 4, 2015. The symposium was designed to gather feedback from junior leaders on the Army ethic, whi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Junior leaders offer feedback at symposium
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, I Corps commanding general, welcomes junior leaders from across JBLM to the Junior Leader Army Profession Symposium here Feb. 4, 2015. The symposium was designed to gather feedback from junior leaders on the Army ethic, whi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Junior leaders offer feedback at symposium
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Don M. Snider, senior fellow at the Center for Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE), speaks to junior leaders from across JBLM at the Junior Leader Army Profession Symposium here Feb. 4, 2015. The symposium was designed to gather feedback from junior lea... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Junior leaders from across JBLM gathered to offer feedback on the Army profession and Army ethic during the Junior Leader Army Profession Symposium here Feb. 2.

The two-day event, hosted by I Corps and facilitated by the Center for Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE), focused on small group breakout sessions attended by active duty, National Guard and Reserve soldiers, as well as Army civilians. CAPE is responsible for the Army profession doctrine, the Army ethic and character development.

Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, I Corps commanding general and a guest speaker at the event, said as a junior leader, he never had the opportunity to hear from senior leadership about the Army ethic and what it means to be a professional.

"What the Army is doing right now is investing in the future and the fact that you are here, and the fact that you are having this discussion ... is pretty indicative of the value placed on you as leaders," Lanza said. "Part of what allows us to bridge forward as a profession [are the] ladies and gentlemen sitting right here."

"It's more than just a discussion - it's what you do as a leader and how do you define yourself as a leader," he said.

Col. Denton Knapp, director of CAPE, said feedback received from the junior leaders would be incorporated into an updated version of Army Doctrine Reference Publication 1, The Army Profession.

"This symposium is another step forward [in conjunction with] the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff's symposiums that were held last year. The events held last year were attended mostly by senior Army leaders; this is the first opportunity we've had to vet it though the junior leader level," said Knapp.

Knapp said the feedback from this symposium would play a critical role in shaping the final publication.

"The junior leader level is where the rubber meets the road. The expectation is that they will give us very candid feedback and will it resonate throughout the rest of the force," said Knapp. "We need to know if we got it right, and if not, what do we need to add to it."

Knapp noted it was also important to ask the junior leaders what CAPE needs to focus on when seeking to implement the publication into everyday life for soldiers and civilians.

"Success is not giving a class on the Army profession. Success is talking about it at motor pools, rifle ranges, in the field or in the office," said Knapp. "You have to be able to talk about it during everyday operations."