JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (March 4, 2015) -- Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey made his first official troop visit to discuss the Army's priorities, outline his initiatives, and get feedback from Soldiers on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, or JBLM, March 2-3.
Over the two-day visit, Dailey interacted with Soldiers on a personal level and offered professional advice while attending events across the post.
The Army will place a great deal of emphasis on developing adaptive leaders for a complex world, he said. To do this, units will continue to train for decisive full-spectrum operations and focus on core Soldier competencies and military occupational skills, Dailey said.
Soldiers and leaders will need to embrace lessons learned, train for regionally aligned operations, continue to strengthen partnerships and take advantage of broadening opportunities, he said.
"Unlike our sister [military] services, we are predominantly a personnel service, and we focus on people. If you want to build an Army of the future, especially when you have to get smaller, it's key that we invest in people," Dailey said.
He explained that this investment can be seen in the restructuring of the non-commissioned officer, or NCO, education system. Dailey wants Soldiers to use self-development, institutional training and operational experience to increase their performance and provide educational credit. He said these practices will benefit the Army and add value to military training in the eyes of the civilian employers.
Dailey also said the Army is looking to expand the number of formal education opportunities for enlisted Soldiers. The goal is to ensure Soldiers are capable and confident in their abilities.
He wants to build on the educational opportunities afforded to Soldiers and has submitted a proposal to Army Secretary John McHugh to begin a program called "Army University." Dailey said this program will make it easier for Soldiers to access education and allow the Army to become its own credentialing service. He said his personal goal is for all Soldiers to leave the military with a skill-related credential.
To compliment these changes to the NCO educational system, Dailey advises that Soldiers take responsibility for their career. He said Soldiers should do their best to excel at measurable tasks, like physical fitness and weapon marksmanship. Soldiers should take their time in the NCO education system seriously and look at it as an opportunity to set themselves apart. He said it should be the personal goal of all Soldiers to be the best.
Dailey recounted that when he was squad leader, he was convinced that he was the best squad leader in the Army. He said that all squad leaders should strive to make their squad the best squad in the Army.
Dailey advocates this level of personal accountability in all avenues of NCO responsibility. He wants leaders to personally invest in the prevention of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence and substance abuse.
It is Dailey's belief that effective leadership must spring from the leader's effort to take care of Soldiers. He said effective leadership leads to trust.
"Trust is the bedrock of the Army profession," said Dailey during a town hall meeting. He wants leaders to ask themselves two questions every day: "Who do I trust?" and "Do my Soldiers trust me?"
"If they don't [trust you] … you need to do something about it. If they do, you need to continue to do what you're doing," he added.
Among other topics, Dailey took time at a town hall meeting with more than 500 Soldiers to address Soldier concerns that included increased involvement in the Middle East, changes to Soldier compensation and benefits and the effects of troop reductions.
When speaking on force reductions, Dailey said that the Army wants to ensure the best Soldiers are the Soldiers who remain in the force.
Dailey encouraged Soldiers to recognize exceptional performance within their formations. He said they should seek opportunities to be ambassadors of positivity for the Army by striving for professionalism and excellence.
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