Brent Jurgersen officially started as the new director for Fort Belvoir Army Community Services Feb. 11.
The position is the ideal job for a man who spent 22 years in the Army training Soldiers and supporting their Families.
"This is my dream job," said Jurgersen. "To lead an organization that provides service to Soldiers and Family members. That's why I'm here, to make a difference in their lives. It doesn't get any better than that."
Jurgersen retired from the Army in 2011, and said he used every program office in ACS at some point during his military career. That experience is what he brings to the position and why he feels Belvoir residents should be excited he is in charge at ACS.
"From the Exceptional Family Member Program, to Army Family Team Building, to Family Advocacy, to Employment Readiness, as a noncommissioned officer, first sergeant, sergeant major, we dealt with ACS many times through Soldiers or their Family members," said Jurgerson. "I bring that perspective to this organization."
The Army Family Team Building program was helpful to Jurgersen in the latter part of his career during deployments.
"We relied on that program to take these young spouses and train them to take care of their Families while the Soldier was deployed," Jurgersen said of the AFTB.
Jurgersen's perspective is already being felt by the organization, according to Faitheleen Henderson, Army Volunteer Corp program manager.
Henderson said Jurgersen's life experiences and skill set have already breathed new life into the agency.
"You can already feel the change and it's not an abrupt change," Henderson said. "ACS has been a premiere organization and we lost some of that edge without a director. He's the person to bring that edge back."
Having a leader like Jurgersen, who is willing to help where a fix is needed, is half the battle in being successful, said Henderson. She is also encouraged by how willing Jurgersen is to listen to his employees and incorporate their advice.
"He's very open to our input and concerns," said Henderson. "You don't often get leadership that hears what you are saying to them and make a determination from that. He has a good balance of that, and that's refreshing."
One reason ACS is so special to Jurgersen, and why he wants to continue to help Soldiers, is because he was wounded twice while on deployment in Iraq.
Jurgersen was wounded on Jun. 18, 2004 and again on Jan. 26, 2005. He had to be resuscitated twice after the second time he was wounded, as he suffered a traumatic brain injury, a right knee injury, shrapnel wounds to his back and a left leg amputation.
Jurgersen feels like he should've died twice, but because he survived both incidents, he said it's his responsibility to continue to serve his country in any way possible.
"People will say I don't owe anyone anything, but I disagree," said Jurgersen. "I feel it's my responsibility to God, country, and all those Soldiers that didn't make it, to continue to serve my country in some capacity."
He plans on being as visible as possible in the community by attending events on and off-post, and he wants to meet Fort Belvoir's partners outside the gates.
It is important to Jurgersen to maintain positive relationships with the surrounding community because those associations can do a lot for a Soldier's success, he said.
"Fort Belvoir doesn't exist just inside the boundaries of the installation," Jurgersen said. "Organizations always ask, 'What can we do for Soldiers and their Family members?' I say embrace them and integrate them within your community."
Input will be taken from Soldiers and their Families, too, according to Jurgersen. He wants them to know this is their ACS.
"I want every servicemember and Family member that uses us to feel like a respected, valued customer," said Jurgersen. "We exist because of them. I want everyone to feel we care and provide the best possible service to them when they need it."
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