A self-proclaimed "Soldier for life," Command Sgt. Maj. Donna Brock will retire this week after more than 35 years of service to the Army. The current senior enlisted advisor to the surgeon general, and command sergeant major, U.S. Army Medical Command, joined in 1979 and has risen to the highest enlisted rank in Army Medicine -- also becoming the longest serving enlisted female on active duty.
"I am definitely a Soldier for life," Brock said. "Now, can I walk away from active duty? Sure. It's time -- time for me … to continue to grow into the civilian sector."
Brock has been preparing for her transition to civilian life and said she already has a part-time opportunity as a leadership coach and mentor waiting for her. But before the command sergeant major retires, she shares some final lessons in leadership with the force.
ON LEADERSHIP
"Leadership is being able to motivate people to do the right things -- and to do the right things when others aren't looking," Brock said when asked her personal definition of leadership.
Teamwork, Brock added, should be the mainstay of leadership.
"We're all part of a team. And team is really the focus that I put on leadership," Brock said. "There is an 'I' in leadership, but it shouldn't be the focus."
Taking care of your people -- and yourself -- is integral to being a good leader.
"We have to take care of our people, but as individuals, we also have to take care of ourselves. We tend to forget that, and I think that is so important nowadays. In terms of being healthy and medically ready, we have to take care of ourselves."
ON MENTORSHIP
Brock has dedicated many of the later years of her career to serving as a mentor for the enlisted corps.
"We have a responsibility to the entire force," she said about the importance of mentorship.
Brock's first mentor was her father.
"He has really motivated me to stick to what I'm doing," she said. "He's been really proud, and just really been one of my biggest cheerleaders and one of my biggest advocates."
Her first mentor while in the Army was her first platoon sergeant, who she described as "tough as nails."
"I saw in his heart that he really cared about us, though. He set me up for the future -- striving for excellence and advancing myself," Brock said.
Through the years, Brock has identified many mentors in her life. She said she took traits she saw from different people to develop her own leadership style.
"Sometimes mentors they just fall in your lap; sometimes you seek them out," she said. "Along the way you see the positive things people bring to a unit … use that and put it in your toolkit."
ON SERVICE
The command sergeant major said the Army works best when every member is a selfless servant.
"If you look at it in the big picture, everyone has their reason why they join, why they serve, why they stay or why they go," she said. "You hope that they joined because they're doing this for the benefit of others … for the future of our nation."
Her mother, who died suddenly at age 40 when Brock was young, is part of the senior enlisted leader's inspiration to serve others.
"My mom was just one of the best people in the world. She had a good heart; she just helped people. I think I got a lot of what I do from her," Brock said.
According to Brock, service is the "ultimate commitment."
"We can't forget why we serve. That commitment is to our nation and to the organization, the institution that is the Army," she said.
ON THE FUTURE
As she prepares for retirement, Brock said she takes comfort in knowing Army Medicine is on the right track.
"I like where we're going. I'm really hoping that our leadership in the future will continue on this path," she said. "Where we are going with health is the right thing for the nation."
The command sergeant major cited initiatives such as the Performance Triad, which emphasizes Sleep, Activity and Nutrition as three tenets of good health, as an example of the Army getting it right. The program launched during her period as the MEDCOM command sergeant major.
Brock is also particularly pleased with the future of the Army Profession in terms of character, competence and commitment.
"We already know we're good. We know that our professionals, our Soldiers and civilians, they've got the competence and commitment. We've proved ourselves."
She said as the force continues to train, it should focus on character building.
"We've got to look at the character because the character will drive everything else," she said.
Those who serve, Brock added, are unique individuals.
"We ask our Soldiers to do something that no one else would volunteer for. And when you volunteer for that … then you're among the 1 percent of the nation that actually serves; that's pretty special.
Brock is set to retire from the Army and transfer responsibility to Command Sgt. Maj. Gerald C. Ecker in a ceremony Oct. 24 at MEDCOM headquarters in San Antonio.
Related Links:
Active Army's longest serving enlisted female Soldier to retire
Social Sharing