'Leadership Kansas' class gets lesson on Fort Leavenworth

By Lt. Col. Jeff AllenAugust 23, 2013

CGSC student panel
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Major Anastasia McKay (center), a student in the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., answers a question from visiting community and business leaders as part of a student panel. The visiting group, part of the Leadership Kansas ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Deputy Commander addresses Leadership Kansas group
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Victor J. Braden, Combined Arms Center Deputy Commanding General, Army National Guard, addresses members of the Leadership Kansas program about the roles and responsibilities of CAC and Fort Leavenworth. Leadership Kansas is a statewide pr... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- Forty business, education, community, and elected leaders from across Kansas visited Fort Leavenworth today as part of an annual program designed to enhance their knowledge of the state's diverse resources and organizations, and to motivate future leaders to use these resources.

The visiting group, part of the Leadership Kansas program, consisted of men and women who are all recognized leaders in their field or profession, and were nominated to take part in this program.

While travelling to Fort Leavenworth the group was greeted by Mr. Jack Walker, Deputy Garrison Commander for Fort Leavenworth, who provided the group with a thorough understanding of the fort's roles, missions, and diverse community makeup. He also explained the post's economic impact to the state and surrounding community.

Once on the post, Brig. Gen. Victor J. Braden, Combined Arms Center Deputy Commanding General, Army National Guard, met with the group and gave them a further understanding of importance CAC has to the Army, particularly on leader development, the Army's top priority. A Kansas native, Braden is also a graduate of the Leadership Kansas program.

In order to give the visiting class an appreciation for the types of officers stationed at Fort Leavenworth, particularly those enrolled here in the Command and General Staff College, a panel of student officers met with the group and answered their questions. The panel, consisting of five American officers, and one officer from the Australian Army, answered questions about a variety of topics to include: what communities can do to show their appreciation to Soldiers, how communities can influence the medical care and rehabilitative services Soldiers receive, what is the current morale of the force, and what is a typical day like for CGSC students.

When addressing questions on community support, the officers agreed that the American people have been very supportive of Soldiers overall, but they did have some ideas on how to make things better.

"Let your communities know that serving in the military is a noble profession," said Maj. Anastasia McKay, an Army medical doctor and CGSC student.

Major Daniel Snow, an Armor officer, agreed with her sentiment but also added that close relations between Soldiers and communities benefits both groups. "The tighter a community is with the military family, the better off the community," he said.

The Leadership Kansas program is designed to inform leaders about the challenges and opportunities facing business and the state in order to encourage solutions and collaboration. By inviting groups like this to visit with members of the military community, mutual understanding of shared concerns will increase. This results in a deeper appreciation of the military by the civilian leadership, and a better understanding by Soldiers of the challenges our community leaders face on a regular basis.

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