HONOLULU - With a little more than three months under his belt as the 15th Sergeant Major of the Army, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey, hit the road with his sights on the Pacific region.
Dailey completed a three-day tour of the U.S. Army Pacific area of operations at Fort Shafter, Schofield Barracks and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, May 11-13.
Dailey stands 5'9" and weighs 165 pounds, and while he may appear quiet, he quickly showed "One Team" Soldiers that he packs a big voice and an important message.
Dailey was eager to meet with Soldiers, leaders and noncommissioned officers who make up the Army as a profession here in the Pacific region.
Dailey, a naturally energetic and enthusiastic Soldier, spoke passionately to a crowd of more 1,500 Soldiers, primarily ranking from sergeant to sergeant first class, during two town hall meetings. Dailey walked up and down the aisles of the theater ensuring all eyes were on him and he addressed the need for NCOs to be refocused and to do what NCOs do best - lead, motivate and train Soldiers.
"I'm Sergeant Major of the Army, but I'm just a Soldier that's all I am," said Dailey in a lowered voice, putting himself on the same level as the Soldiers in the audience. "It takes one million Soldiers and leaders to run this Army. I can't do it by myself."
Dailey continued by adding that the Army must invest in the quality of Soldiers and leaders. "If you do not have talented leaders, then you won't have an effective Army," he said.
Dailey also said that NCOs need to take responsibility and care for all Soldiers better than their own mothers and fathers would because it is expected of them.
"I still have a mom," Dailey said. "She still asks if I'm eating and then I'll tell her 'mom, I'm Sgt. Maj. of the Army,' and she'll say, 'I don't care, you're still just my little Soldier.'"
The Sergeant Major of the Army's light-hearted delivery was tailored around his sense of humor, but his message was direct and taken seriously garnering cheers and applause from the NCOs in attendance that felt a new sense of purpose from the sergeant major's words.
Dailey said that all Soldiers had a story to tell and their leaders have a great impact on how that story turns out.
"I encourage leaders to ask how are you going to paint that billboard for those Soldiers," Dailey said. "As leaders, you have so much influence on Soldiers whether they stay in the Army or transition. What does your billboard say? What does it say today and what will it say tomorrow? Just remember, leaders have a big part in what those billboards say across the Army."
Just like during the town hall meetings, Dailey surprised the Soldiers once again, but this time with some good old fashion Army physical training.
Bright and early in the morning with a smile on his face, the Sgt. Maj. of the Army showed up at the 8th Theater Support Command PT session ready to sweat. He participated in an intense circuit training squad-on-squad competition. Dailey joked about how Soldiers fed off his greatness, but he happily accepted the victory along with his squad after the competition.
Physical fitness is one of Dailey's top priorities; he believes that if Soldiers are physically fit, then they will look and feel like Soldiers. He also said if Soldiers look and feel like Soldiers, then they would act like Soldiers.
"We have to get Soldiers back to that sacred hour," Dailey said looking like he wanted to run another five to seven miles. "We win wars between 6:30 and 9 a.m. everyday. Physical fitness may not be the most important thing you do that day, but it is the most important thing you do everyday. Soldiers have to get out there and extend their lives, do tough and realistic PT."
At the end of Dailey's three-day tour, he said he had gained a better understanding of the unique capabilities throughout the Pacific region.
"The Soldiers that are stationed here in Hawaii are really in a strategic place for us to interact with our partners throughout the Pacific. It really gives us the ability to maintain that day-to-day contact and interaction by being out here."
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