REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- As one Soldier prepares to start the next chapter of life, he reflects on a career of securing the high ground.
As Command Sgt. Maj. James N. Ross, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command, prepares to relinquish his responsibilities May 8, he spoke about his time serving with and leading Soldiers.
"As I sit here and contemplate my very soon retirement after 30 years of service, I think, like most people will tell you, it is the people I will miss most," Ross said. "I still plan to be involved with the military, whether it is through the local Association of the U.S. Army chapter or other avenues, and trying to stay involved and continue to support Soldiers and their families. I will just be doing it without the uniform.
"I will always be thankful for this journey because of the people who have helped me in my success. You don't get here without having great people around you who believe in you, and that is really what makes our Army the best in the world," he added.
Ross currently serves as the command sergeant major for USASMDC/ARSTRAT and the senior enlisted adviser for the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense.
As he reflected on his career and the path he took to get where he is, he offered some advice for new Soldiers and some tips to help them succeed.
"When talking to large groups of Soldiers I like to explain to them is that one way to look at it is the Army is operating on a big highway," Ross said. "About 80 percent of the Army's enlisted force is in the middle of the highway and it is a comfortable place to be. That is where the average Soldier is driving down the highway. It used to be, that if you were within this 80 percent, fully qualified population, you were safe.
"On the left side of the highway you have Soldiers who have some type of negative behavior in their file," he continued. "It could be some type of disciplinarian actions; it could be a failure to meet the Army's height and weight control standard; it could be that they failed their PT test or anything that could get a Soldier in a negative light in the Army. And what they are doing is giving the Army an opportunity to take them off the team because of the competitive environment.
"Now on the right side of the road, that is kind of where the superstars are operating," Ross added. "Those Soldiers are getting their college degrees and military education, they are consistently scoring 270 and above on their PT tests, they are shooting expert with their weapon, they are the top of their fields in their technical skills and they are constantly challenging themselves. You look at that 10 percent and that is kind of your elite formation. The way the Army is looking at it now is they are your best qualified Soldiers. And looking at the Army now, Soldiers need to be a lot closer to that right side of the road and look at those things that their peers aren't doing."
Ross said Soldiers need to exceed not only their leaders' expectations, but also to push themselves and always be ready for the next challenge that comes along.
"Soldiers need to be doing the things that not everybody is doing," Ross said. "The best Soldiers are taking initiative and doing the hard jobs that take their profession to the next level. They are becoming those Soldiers and NCOs of the Year and becoming members of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. They are getting credentials as a professional that will really set them apart from their peers, and that is absolutely the answer to the test on how to be successful in the Army.
"If Soldiers aren't close to getting in the best qualified category, or already there, I would say they could consider themselves at risk in today's environment," he added.
Ross, a native of Battle Creek, Michigan, enlisted in the U.S. Army in September 1985 as a combat engineer. In 1990, he reclassified into Air Defense Artillery as a PATRIOT missile crewmember.
"In my career, I have made a lot of mistakes," Ross said. "The beauty of it is that I reflect back and can now laugh at some of those mistakes. Most of the time when Soldiers make a mistake, it is not because they are trying to do the wrong thing. It is just a fact of life that sometimes we don't always cross the finish line first and we don't always meet the standard the first time.
"As I talk to groups of Soldiers I like to use vignettes, either about myself or other examples around the force," he added. "Because what I am hoping is they will latch onto something and can remember it. For years in the Army we killed Soldiers with PowerPoint and I decided to use words as a vehicle to tell the Army story and help Soldiers remember some of the messages I am trying to convey to them."
Ross took a moment to thank a Soldier who gave him guidance and encouragement when he started on his Army journey.
"Early in my career when I was a combat engineer, I had a platoon sergeant named Sgt. 1st Class Larry Smith," Ross said. "He was affectionately known as, 'The Dawg.' I will be honest, I wasn't a great Soldier. I was floundering, I was struggling and I was trying to adapt to the Army and he really showed me what a noncommissioned officer can do to really effect change in a positive way. He took me under his wing and taught me more than I will ever be able to pass along. He really showed me what 'right' looked like.
"Last year, I actually went to Pennsylvania and attended his funeral," he continued. "He passed away from cancer, and I spent time with the family. I shared with them how much he affected me and really put me on a trajectory of success, because without him I don't believe I would have made it past my first enlistment.
"I always remembered what one person can make it they are willing to lead and set the right example," Ross added.
Ross has held every leadership position from squad leader to command sergeant major at assignments in Germany; Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Hood, Texas; Saudi Arabia; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. He has served overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt and Qatar.
"I have thought long and hard about this and I think the most rewarding position I have ever held in the U.S. Army is my current position as the command sergeant major of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command," Ross said. "Every job I ever had really led me and prepared me for this, and I think that I can comfortably say that I was well-prepared when I took this job.
"I have not taken one day for granted because of the incredible responsibility to serve as both Lt. Gen. Richard P. Formica's and Lt. Gen. David L. Mann's battle buddy and senior enlisted advocate for our Soldiers," he continued. "I am going out on a high note. There has been no greater honor than serving in my final and last job in the U.S. Army."
His military education includes the Air Assault School, Master Fitness Trainers Course, Instructor Training Course, Space Fundamentals Course, Missile Warning and Defense Advanced Course, Senior Space Seminar and the Keystone Command Senior Enlisted Leader Course, among others. Ross has completed all levels of the noncommissioned officer education system, including the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, Class 53.
Ross has an associate degree in general studies from Central Texas College, Bachelor of Arts in homeland security from American Military University, and a Master of Arts in leadership from the University of Texas at El Paso.
"As I go around and visit troops across the globe, a very common theme asked is, 'Command Sgt. Maj. Ross, I want to make the Army a career and I want to be a command sergeant major. How do I do that?'" Ross said. "I would say that from the day a Soldier enters basic training and however long their career is, if you want to be successful in the Army, especially now with the downsizing and with it becoming a lot more competitive just to stay in, they need to look to the Soldiers on their left and right and do more than them.
"Soldiers need to look at their military and civilian education early in their career," he continued. "It took me 27 years to get a master's degree. I don't consider myself a role model. I would tell a young sergeant who is finishing his or her bachelor's degree to start aiming for the next level. That is really a great way to set somebody up for success because it provides them with options. Even if they don't make the Army a career, they take advantage of programs like tuition assistance.
"So as Soldiers look to their left and right and measure themselves against their peers, if they want to be successful they have to be doing more than just the average Soldier is doing," Ross added.
Ross has earned the Air Assault Badge, Combat Action Badge and the Master Space Badge. He is a member of the Sergeant Morales Club and the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, and a member of the Ancient Order of Saint Barbara. He was named the 1990 NCO of the Year for Fort Riley, Kansas.
"I am extremely proud to have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest team that the United States of America has ever known," Ross said. "I need them to take it from here and know that my family is counting on them to continue with the great heritage of what it takes to be a U.S. Army Soldier.
"I have learned a lot working with the great professional Army civilians here at SMDC/ARSTRAT and they truly are the backbone of this organization," he continued. "They provide the continuity. I have such a great appreciation for the value they bring to our command and the Army as a whole. As far as the families go, I am great example. Since 2007, I have been gone more than I have been home. My family has been there for me and have been extremely resilient and supportive and I will always be grateful.
"Families are truly the foundation for our Soldiers and Warfighters," Ross added. "I will be forever indebted to my own family as well as the thousands of families who support their warriors."
When talking about what he will remember about the command, Ross spoke of the community and especially family members who serve alongside SMDC Soldiers.
He also spoke of friendships made throughout the years and of the command's Soldiers and civilians who will continue to face and overcome the challenges of the future.
"My wife, Ashley, and I are extremely grateful to this outstanding community and the way they rally behind the Soldiers and civilians of Redstone Arsenal," Ross said. "It is because of this great community that we are blessed to be retiring and staying here. We look forward to many years of joining the civilian community and looking for ways to support the great Soldiers, Warfighters, civilians and family members of Redstone Arsenal."
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