FORT LEE, Va. - Coaching, teaching and mentoring are important to ensure the Army continues to grow a strong noncommissioned officer rank, and this was the focus of the 2012 Sergeants Major Conference held here May 7, during the Sustainment Commander's Conference.
The wealth of knowledge and experience was vast as sergeants major from around the Army converged on Fort Lee to share their knowledge and insight on the way ahead. Representatives from numerous commands were present as the senior NCOs discussed the future of the sustainment community and how to guide junior Soldiers into becoming leaders.
The enlisted leaders covered many topics during the half-day event including updates on training, equipment and force structure. The opening presentation by Command Sgt. Maj. James E. Riddick, Combined Arms Support Command command sergeant major, highlighted the newest training initiatives being developed at CASCOM.
Riddick concentrated on unit training management and the importance of using the Sustainment Unit One Stop Page to assist in maintaining training standards through the Combined Arms Training Strategy.
"CATS establishes the Army's collective training standards for logistics units in the operational force," Riddick said. "When a sustainment unit is evaluated, these are the standards by which they are measured."
After his brief, attendees participated in briefing and discussions on topics from transportation, ordnance, quartermaster, adjutant general and financial management schools. This afforded them the opportunity to pass along information they thought would be relevant for Soldiers to be successful in the sustainment community.
The Sustainment Commander's Conference provided a multi-faceted platform for idea and information sharing, which included various discussions and panel presentations. The conference was followed by the Association of the United States Army Sustainment Symposium and Exposition at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
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