FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Aug. 1, 2013) -- As part of the 'Health of the Force' trip, Gen. John Campbell, vice chief of staff of the Army, visited Fort Drum, July 31-Aug. 1, to review Fort Drum's Ready and Resilient Campaign, known as R2C.
"Following guidance from the Department of the Army," Campbell said, "we are looking at how we are implementing decisions, policies and resources around the Army and what we can do at the Headquarters of the Army level to help facilitate R2C."
Campbell was accompanied by Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, commanding general of U.S. Army Installation Management Command; Dr. Christine Altendorf, Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program director; Brig. Gen. Patrick Sargent, U.S. Army deputy chief of staff for operations; Brig. Gen. Henry Huntley, U.S. Army Human Resource Policy director, and other Army leaders.
July 31, the group met at the Commons to have group discussions and answer questions from Soldiers, spouses, Fort Drum program managers and civilians.
Spouses met with Ferriter; Fort Drum program managers met with Huntley; Soldiers met with Sargent and civilians met with Campbell.
They discussed topics such as sexual harassment, resiliency, child care, furlough and other subjects important to Soldiers and civilians.
"We really believe that with all the stresses out there," Campbell said. "We have to take our Soldiers from the time they come into the Army and build resiliency within them all the way until the time they get out, not only with our Soldiers and their families, but with our great civilians."
Speaking about R2C, Campbell said that it was not a new program and that the Army did not have a cookie-cutter approach to it, because what works on Fort Drum may not work at Fort Benning, Ga., or Fort Bragg, N.C.
On the topic of civilian furloughs, Campbell said Army officials are working to lessen the impact.
"We understand the impact that has on families and the people (who) are furloughed," he said. "The Department of the Army is working hard to make sure that we can hopefully buy back some of the days.
"We appreciate the value of our great civilians and want to thank them for their dedication and their continued patience to stay with us," Campbell continued. "As I talked to the civilians here, they are more concerned about continuing the mission than they are about the furlough. That shows you the kind of caliber of people that you have here on Fort Drum."
Meanwhile, Campbell said he had an opportunity about a month ago to visit Afghanistan and talk to some of the leadership in Regional Command-East, Regional Command-South and some of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) Soldiers.
"What I got from them is that they are still committed to the mission," Campbell said. "I feel very confident in what they are doing and how they continue to enable the Afghan soldiers to take the lead and get better because of the 'Climb to Glory Soldiers.'"
The Army's Sponsorship Program is one of the subjects that was discussed with the leadership.
"Fort Drum leads the way in the Army in the Sponsorship Program," Campbell said. "It's one of the best I have seen in the Army. Taking a new Soldier when they come in from another post and inculcating them with the ways of living up here in the North Country is awesome."
Another area of focus was physical fitness.
"As far as physical fitness," Campbell said, "some of the areas I saw yesterday and what Fort Drum is doing is very innovative and different from what I have seen in other posts and bases. Kudos to the leadership."
Resiliency is about having Soldiers, family members and civilians deal with the pressures and frictions that cause stress, he continued.
"I am very proud of what Fort Drum is doing up here in the North Country with their R2C program," Campbell said. "The good thing about the Army is that we are a learning organization. When we find an issue we've missed, we get right after it and work very hard."
The visit ended Thursday with a sensing session with the 10th Mountain Division leadership, to include 4th Brigade Combat Team at Fort Polk, La., via video teleconference.
Related Links:
Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2)
Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Campbell
Army.mil: Inside the Army News
STAND-TO!: Ready and Resilient Campaign
STAND-TO!: Ready and Resilient Update
STAND-TO!: Ready and Resilient Campaign: Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness
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