ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- Maj. Gen. Kevin O'Connell, commanding general, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, conducted a town hall meeting for ASC headquarters staff personnel in Heritage Hall, here, March 16.
Topics covered in the town hall were: The world and Army at a glance, ASC's organizational changes, leader development programs, Sexual Harassment, Assault and Rape Prevention (SHARP), the Combined Federal Campaign and Army Emergency Relief programs, and an update about upcoming events and projects on the island.
O'Connell emphasized ASC's importance to the global Army mission, noting the command's Distribution Management Center is key to Army wide mission success.
"We make sure our soldiers have the right stuff, in the right place, at the right time," he said.
ASC has about 44,000 people in 32 states and 19 countries, and offers logistics support to six major combatant commands: U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Northern Command.
ASC's vast global reach was summed up by O'Connell in a short, clear, and literal statement: "The sun never sets on ASC."
He also pointed out that ASC is not the only organization on the arsenal with global impact, noting the significance of U.S. Joint Munitions Command, U.S. Army Contracting Command, and Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center.
A hot topic currently throughout the organization are the challenges ASC faces in supporting the warfighter, particularly in regard to being understaffed.
"I believe we will be resourced to do our mission. But, I would feel much more comfortable if I knew we had the resources. In other words, the 1357 (projected personnel shortage) is out to FY 2019, and we're already 757 (people) short," said O'Connell.
"The devil's advocate says 'well you're doing the job now, so you don't need those 757 people.' So like I said, it's been challenging so far for us to turn the light on; why we have these requirements, and we need to get them documented. Sooner is better for me. I can't guarantee that we'll get them sooner, but I think we'll be resourced to do our mission."
O'Connell reiterated that SHARP is the Army's top priority, a directive passed down by the Secretary of Defense.
"I think we've got a good program," O'Connell said. "I think our training is good. Our incident rates are low. But you don't know what's not being reported. Reporting, you can look at two ways. It's good if you have a lot of reports because it shows your report mechanism is working. If you don't have many, it's good, but you're questioning 'is everything we have getting reported?' But I think we have a good program here."
The DoD is placing emphasis on workforce revitalization, hoping to positively develop the next generation of federal employees. O'Connell spent a good portion of the briefing emphasizing leadership development.
"It's very important that if you're a career management program director, or the senior person in a particular series (career field), you need to get your people together periodically," he said. "Give them information. Talk them. Know who they are. We've got to look at this as a career, not just a job."
Civilian career programs have expanded from 24 to 31 in an effort to give everyone a clear career development path.
The town hall closed with a few quick notes from the garrison commander, Col. Elmer Speights, about upcoming improvements to the island's roads and island events. Additionally, Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Bryant, command sergeant major, ASC, introduced two new members to the Audie Murphy Club in Staff Sgt. Kevin Hopson, ASC, and Staff Sgt. Brandi Manuel, ASC.
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