SAN ANTONIO (March 12, 2012) -- "We put our hearts and souls into our installations," Joseph Westphal, under secretary of the Army, told members of the Installation Management Community, March 7.
Through lessons learned, he said, improvements have been made to the way the Army delivers services to Soldiers and their families.
Westphal made his remarks during a visit to the Fort Sam Houston headquarters of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command with his wife, Linda. The Westphals met with Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, IMCOM commanding general, and other top officials to discuss installation issues and take a tour of the campus.
"We feel that we have a requirement to take care of our Soldiers and their families for the sacrifices that they have made over the past ten years and that they continue to make," said Westphal.
Westphal also toured the command's Installation Management Academy and solicited feedback from a group of Child, Youth and School Services professionals attending a professional development course.
While many decisions on the future direction of the Army are determined at a high level, Westphal told participants their feedback would be critical to helping inform leadership.
"We have made strong commitments across all the leadership of the Army to sustain our family programs, to sustain our support of Soldiers and families," Westphal said. "It's up to you to help us define, inside of that, what's right, what's appropriate."
The Installation Management Academy and the professional development it offers, he said, ensure that the commitment to providing quality service will remain.
IMCOM oversees all facets of installation management including Soldier and family morale, welfare and recreation programs within its Family and MWR Programs division. Additional responsibilities of the organization range from construction to public works on installations around the world.
"Currently there is so much going on that this command touches across the Army," said Westphal, "So I needed to spend a little more time getting to familiarize myself with the workforce and the great work that [they] are doing."
ABOUT IMCOM:
IMCOM handles the day-to-day operations of U.S. Army installations around the globe. Army installations are communities that provide many of the same types of services expected from any small city. Fire, police, public works, housing, and child-care are just some of the things IMCOM does in Army communities every day.
IMCOM helps provide a quality of life for Soldiers, civilians and families commensurate with their service. IMCOM's professional workforce strives to deliver on the commitments of the Army Family Covenant, honor the sacrifices of military families, and enable the Army Force Generation cycle.
Army installations are the Department of Defense standard for infrastructure quality and are the provider of consistent, quality services that are a force multiplier in supported organizations' mission accomplishment, and materially enhance Soldier, civilian and family well-being and readiness.
To learn more about IMCOM:
Homepage: http://www.army.mil/imcom
http://twitter.com/armyimcom
http://www.facebook.com/InstallationManagementCommunity
http://www.youtube.com/installationmgt
http://www.scribd.com/IMCOMPubs
http://ireport.cnn.com/people/HQIMCOMPA
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imcom/
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