It’s hard to believe 60 days have already passed since I joined the incredible Fort Knox team as the Garrison senior enlisted advisor! The welcome from everyone at Garrison and across the entire community has been truly amazing – I’m proud to be a part of the Knox family.

Fort Knox Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Licea is joined by Army and Air Force Exchange Services staff and multiple unit leaders during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the 1st Theater Sustainment Command barracks mini market at Fort Knox, Kentucky on March 20, 2025. This market is the sixth of its kind on the installation.

This role is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in more than 22 years of U.S. Army service. The fast-paced nature of this position presents challenges, but overall, it has been deeply rewarding. I have been immersed from the start, engaging with our community and learning the complex nature of running this vital installation. I have learned that Fort Knox truly is a dynamic work environment.

I recognized from the moment I received the unit colors that I’ve been given an amazing opportunity to shape the readiness and resilience of our Gold Standard installation. To that end, I plan to leave it better than I found it.

A mission of purpose

“The Gold Standard” isn’t just a motto here, it encapsulates what it means for our Soldiers, civilians and Families to work and live at Fort Knox. The mission is dynamic, not just for the people who work and call Fort Knox home, but for the greater Army.

Fort Knox serves as the Army’s hub of the Army’s Soldier development, management and progression. It is called home by some of the Army’s most important commands, such as U.S. Army Recruiting Command, V Corps, U.S. Army Human Resources Command and U.S. Army Cadet Command. That’s not all.

Fort Knox is also home to several other key Army commands, including 1st Theater Sustainment Command, 84th Training Command, Army Reserve Aviation Command and 100th Training Division. Fort Knox is built on the essence of providing top-tier base operations, managing and operating first-class training facilities. Key to the vitality of the garrison are several great quality-of-life programs that personnel have come to expect.

As the senior enlisted advisor of Garrison, I have seen just how important my position and our Garrison team are in ensuring we provide the very best services possible for this community. Our Army and Soldiers deserve nothing less.

A humbling role

There is no training prior to Day 1 that prepares any military leader to be a member of a Garrison command team. That’s because it takes time and patience to learn the role.

However, the Army’s leadership principles outlined in Field Manual 6-22 build a solid foundation when walking into a new position like this. Leveraging the six principles of mission command and the “Be, Know, Do” model have allowed me to navigate this new position through focus and humility.

Fort Knox Garrison senior enlisted advisor Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Licea watches as Col. Christopher Ricci, Garrison commander, signs his name on a proclamation April 16, 2025 for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

This position comes with a big responsibility to advise and provide sound counsel to both the Garrison commander and deputy commander, as well as to our installation’s directorates and staff offices, to accomplish our mission.

This role has allowed me to see firsthand how the different pieces of installation service and support all fit together and then engage with our professional workforce as they bring their very best every day to ensure we live and breathe the Gold Standard motto while taking care of our community.

A powerful team

The Fort Knox Garrison team is a community of people who believe in the importance of teamwork! Everyone in our Garrison aims to make this installation great for our Soldiers, Army civilians, contractors, families and retirees. Mutual trust and transparent communication are at the forefront of everything our team does.

For instance, already I have seen directorates like Public Works and Human Resources work tirelessly on challenges that have had an immediate impact on our community. From clearing snow covered roads and restoring power after severe weather to helping Soldiers and their Families with vital personnel services, selfless service and teamwork are at the core of how we operate.

This Fort Knox culture permeates every area and demands excellence in all we do.

Licea stands with members of the Fort Knox Military Police at their unit training compound.

A rich legacy

The installation’s rich history is undeniable. An attitude of lethality and victory was cultivated on this soil long before the start of World War II. That legacy was formed by the people who made Fort Knox the best community in the Army. It continues today.

Whether we are taking part in events to honor the Month of the Military Child with our Department of Defense Education Activity schools or being involved with the Army Community Service team during community events like our MilRocks Baby Expo, we remain a community-focused installation.

Additionally, our Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation team strives to deliver Gold Standard events not just for our community but also the surrounding communities. Their focus on engaging family programing, facility investments and quality entertainment has earned them the highest recognition.

Lastly, our Soldiers continue to be at the forefront of history, whether connecting to the local communities outside the gates or providing security for our fellow Americans here and abroad. Recently, members of the Fort Knox Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers group volunteered to distribute vital supplies to Hardin County residents following record-setting rainfall across the region. They demonstrated the essence of Army Values.

Licea joined 23 members of Fort Knox BOSS in Elizabethtown, Ky. April 12, 2025, who looked for creative ways to get flood victims’ attention to the assistance they were offering. They made a sign and stood next to the street where the supplies were housed. They also took to Facebook to alert victims of the assistance.

The personnel at Fort Knox are actively part of life in Central Kentucky.

A look forward

The summer will unquestionably get busy with the kickoff of Cadet Summer Training later this month, followed by various other community events, such as the end of the school year, the Army’s 250th birthday and our 4th of July festivities. At every opportunity, I will strive to focus on what I can know instead of what I can’t, and I will keep clear expectations. I will continue to make an effort to connect with this outstanding team, ask the community value-added questions, and listen to the answers.

It's my full purpose to work to the best of my ability for our Soldiers, their Families and the Army civilians who call Fort Knox home. We will seek to be the best installation in the Army because our community deserves nothing less from us than the Gold Standard.

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