In an effort to streamline communications and better synchronize efforts to support all non-commissioned officers on Redstone Arsenal, the command sergeant major for Aviation and Missile Command, Command Sgt. Maj. Tod Glidewell, held the first NCO meeting in the AMCOM headquarters Oct. 10.
Thirteen senior NCOs on Redstone participated and had the opportunity to meet other NCOs on post and learn what each can do for one another.
Glidewell kicked off the meeting stating that there were three main reasons why he thought it was important to start these monthly meetings.
One is to bring the NCOs on Redstone together so that they would come to know each other and be aware of the support that is available across Redstone.
"Many of you are probably the only NCO in your organization," Glidewell said to the group. "I wanted to bring everyone together to break down the communication barriers, pass information easier across the post so we can help each other get the mission done, and take care of our Soldiers, civilians and their families."
Second is that the new Garrison command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Kyle Crump, does not know many of the NCOs across the post.
Third is to ensure that all Soldiers are aware that the services provided by the Headquarters & Headquarters Company are still in place. The Installation Management Command issued an order in October 2011 that stated some installation garrisons would inactivate their HHC mission. AMCOM currently has the provisional HHC mission which the Garrison relinquished to AMCOM during a ceremony Oct. 1. Sgt. 1st Class Jason Cundiff is now the NCO-in-charge with Capt. Alyssa Wood as the HHC commander.
Glidewell wanted to ensure that all Soldiers are aware that HHC services have not changed, only the command. "Just like when you were in the regular Army, there has to be someone who can account for everybody here. This includes training and PT tests. We have to have someone to track all that because they are all inspectable," he said.
Glidewell talked about the current Army environment and with stronger regulations placed on PT tests, it is even more important that the NCOs receive the right support.
Some of the organizations on Redstone where there are only one or two Soldiers may not receive that support simply because they do not have the manpower to conduct the necessary training and tests, Glidewell continued. "What we're going to try to do is to make sure that we send the information to you, so that you know when trainings with other organizations are available, send you the slides, so you can review the training online, and we can keep you up to date," he said.
Additionally, any NCO can be alerted to go to drill sergeant school or professional military education at any time, and he or she will be required to do a PT test at those locations. "There is a large portion of our NCOs who are getting there and are failing out," Glidewell said. "So we want to give you a fair shake up front and make sure that you're better prepared when you arrive. If nothing else, we want to make sure that we bind the military together and that we're still headed in the right direction."
Kara Wall, AMCOM's community relations public affairs officer, attended the meeting and distributed information about upcoming Soldier-related events on Redstone and in the Tennessee Valley community, highlighting Veterans Week as one of the biggest events for Redstone Arsenal. "Our community is very supportive of our Soldiers, and they are hungry for your presence at these events," Wall said.
Glidewell added that Soldier participation at these events, especially speaking engagements, is a great opportunity to educate the community about the Army. "This is our chance to showcase the future of our Army, help recruit future Soldiers, and tell the Army story," he said.
About 1,000 Soldiers are assigned to Redstone Arsenal. Less than 60 percent are staff sergeants or below and most of them are with the Army Materiel Command Band. There are 14 general officers and more than 120 senior executives on Redstone.
"It is very important that we are able to identify all the Soldiers on Redstone, have an opportunity to meet them on a regular basis or just know where they are and how they are doing -- make sure that they are getting all the right information they need to meet their missions and take care of themselves personally and professionally," Glidewell said.
Sgt. 1st Class Reginaldo Martinez, modification and fielding NCO with the Apache Project Office, said he was glad that the meeting took place. "I'm glad that Command Sgt. Maj. Glidewell was able to bring in everybody. It is also good to at least be able to put a face to a name, get to know each other, and learn what we can all bring to the table to be able to help each other better," Martinez said.
Said Glidewell, "I think it was a very productive meeting, hopefully the first of many NCOs coming together. NCOs are known as the backbone of the Army. There is a lot of power in the NCO Corps that can make things happen. We just have to get those individuals in, communicate with them effectively. I think we can do a lot of good both on and off the installation."
In the future, Glidewell will try to bring in other organizational representatives to the meetings such as the Sergeants Major Association, the Association of the U.S. Army, and Army Aviation Association of America, to name a few, to share information on benefits and opportunities available to Soldiers and their families such as scholarships for the families.
Crump will hold the next meeting in November. Location, date and time will be shared via email to the NCOs on Redstone.
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