FORT BENNING, Ga., (Sept. 23, 2015) -- Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, spoke about sustained Army readiness at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference on Sept. 15.
In his position, Townsend leads the nation's contingency corps.
"The 18th Airborne Corps comprises about 80 percent of the Army's contribution to the Global Response Force," Townsend said. "There are certain capabilities from all of the services that are in a high state of readiness at all times to do whatever might pop up for our nation."
Townsend said part of that responsibility could include deterring the enemy.
"We've done some exercises, where we have practiced, trained - I like to say sharpened our bayonets - and improved our readiness. People were watching. Our friends were watching. I hope they were reassured. Our potential adversaries were watching. I hope they were deterred."
During his speech, Townsend said the Army is moving from the readiness model Army Force Generation toward a sustained readiness model.
"(Army Force Generation) is more cyclic in nature and is designed to provide the number of ready brigades we needed for overseas deployment, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan," Townsend said. "Brigades were either deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan, or were getting ready to, or they were coming back and resetting."
Now, Townsend said, the Army is going to a sustained readiness model, where a higher number of brigades (around 60 percent) will stay ready to deploy 80-90 percent of the time and be able to get ready to deploy on short notice.
"Those brigades will be ready for deployment around the world all the time and will stay at a higher level of readiness, something we used to call band of readiness," he said.
Townsend said if he could give young officers three pieces of advice he would tell them to trust, lead by example and focus on your piece of the Army.
Townsend said a leader has to trust his subordinates and the same leader has to earn the trust of the subordinates.
"Trust is a two way street," Townsend said. "You just have to assume that all of your subordinates are trustworthy and move out. Then you have to prove to them that you are trustworthy."
Townsend also urged junior leaders to trust their leaders.
"We don't have a crystal ball into the future, so we're not going to get it exactly right. But we have to anticipate what the future of warfare might hold and we have to get it about right and then our leaders will make up the difference."
Townsend said officers must also lead by example.
"You're a role model for your Soldiers all the time. Wherever you are, you must lead by your personal example and model the behavior you want them to have," Townsend said.
Townsend recalled a time when as a second lieutenant he became frustrated with the direction of the Army and a superior said, "Why don't you just focus on your little piece of the Army. You make your little piece of the Army as good as it can be and if every leader in the Army does that, our Army is going to be just fine."
Townsend said that struck a chord with him and has stuck with him throughout his career.
"We all have a responsibility to the large Army. Our Army and our Maneuver Center has brought us together to focus on the big picture, but when you get back out to your units, then just focus on your little piece of the Army and make it as good as you can," he said.
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