Top commander from USAACE visits 3rd CAB

By Capt. Chad J Ashe (3rd ID)November 29, 2012

Top commander from USAACE visits 3rd CAB
HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. " Major General Kevin Mangum, commanding general of United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence, visited leaders from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Nov. 28 at Hunter Army Airfield, delivering words of encouragement as... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. -- Major General Kevin Mangum, commanding general of United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence, visited leaders from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Nov. 28, at Hunter Army Airfield, delivering words of encouragement as the unit readies to deploy.

The 3rd CAB is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan before the end of the year, marking the sixth time the Falcon brigade has deployed since 2001.

The commanding general gave awards to four 3rd CAB Soldiers. Major General Mangum then spoke on the three verses of leadership as they related to illustrations he applied to his own career. He also mentioned the importance of being a team player. The purpose of aviation operations is supporting the ground commander in combat, Maj. Gen. Mangum said.

This breeds an "other-oriented" leadership philosophy, Maj. Gen. Mangum said, which keeps the focus on Soldiers. A self-proclaimed Boston Red Sox fan, Maj. Gen. Mangum said he was unashamed to admit the inspiration for this "humble servant" leadership style was none other than New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Colonel Allan Pepin, commander of 3rd CAB, who served with the commanding general before on previous assignments, thanked him for visiting his Soldiers and imparting his leadership experience.

Major General Mangum, in tur,n thanked the deploying 3rd CAB Soldiers, underlining the role of selfless service in effective leadership and as a governing life principle.

"The most precious gift that we can give somebody else is the gift of selfless service. You're doing that," Maj. Gen. Mangum said.