FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Fort Campbell's new garrison commander addressed the civilian workforce Tuesday morning during a town hall at Wilson Theater.
Colonel James "Rob" Salome shared his excitement about being back at the installation where he previously served as an operations officer with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
"It's very humbling for me to be a part of this team and to see all of the great work that you're doing here," Salome said. "What a wonderful reputation Fort Campbell has had for as long as I can ever remember."
A West Point graduate, Salome comes to the installation from Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served as the Commander's Initiatives Group director, U.S. Army Forces Command. After that duty assignment was complete, Salome said he chose to come back to Fort Campbell.
"What a great way to get to work with amazing people like you," he said.
"We impact so many Families on a daily basis and Soldiers on a daily basis and Army civilians on a daily basis and contractors. I think that it's quite a privilege. It's humbling. It's hard work. And you all do it better than anyone else. It's really just a great place. I'm excited to learn from all of you."
During his 32-minute presentation and slide show, Salome first showed a map of the world noting nearly 40 stars highlighting locations where he has served during his Army career. One of those locations was the nation's capital as a military aide to Vice President Joe Biden. His job required him to serve the vice president 24/7 with a team of five other military service members.
"One of the most unique things that I learned about that time is you're an Army of one. There's no other Army people around, but you're working with the Secret Service. You're working with the White House staff," he said. "So, I learned the importance of relationships and how important it is for you to have a relationship with the people who you interact with on a daily basis … People don't trust you based on the fact that you have a position. Trust is earned."
Salome is the great-grandson of a Syrian immigrant and grandson of a West Virginia preacher-coal miner. When his father came of age, he joined the Navy and took his wife, a nursery school teacher, and Family to serve his country in New Jersey. Salome grew up there and married his high school sweetheart.
Family is the most important thing to Salome, he said as a portrait of them popped up on the theater screen.
"That's my Family right there. They really are what makes me tick. They help me get through every single day. I'm running home every night, just like probably many of you are, to see my Family."
Another Family -- the Army Family -- also plays a central part in Salome's life.
Showing a slide of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command patch, Salome noted that the seven-sided patch lines up nicely with the seven Army core values -- loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.
"These words are the words that this installation has already embraced," he said. "I think the Army values are an important part of what makes us tick."
Salome shared his thoughts about each of the Army core values and how they influence his life.
Loyalty
"The Army says that loyalty is to bear truth and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, the unit and other Soldiers," he said.
"For me, loyalty is about people. It's about the welfare of everyone. Because I have to have a certain amount of loyalty to an idea -- i.e., the Constitution -- so that means I have to think about the welfare of everyone … It means trust. You can't have loyalty without trust. We all trust in the oath that we've taken to the Constitution. Finally, loyalty is about a network or a Family that we developed over time to a group or an idea. So, we as an idea, have decided that we are going to be loyal to the Constitution and to serving others."
"I'm loyal to the idea of the greater good," he added. "I think that's what the Constitution tells us -- we work together for the greater good."
Duty
"The Army says duty is to fulfill your obligations. That's a bit vague," Salome said. "I think it's about readiness. We have an obligation to be ready because the Constitution, our country and the Army has asked us to be ready. I think that it's about creating value for one another and to this idea that we all are a part of. I think also it's a moral imperative."
"We all have an obligation to contribute value to the idea," he added.
Respect
"The Army says treat people as they should be treated," Salome said. "… that requires us to have a very clear and candid dialogue with one another. And that you understand the person who you are talking with, and what their ideas are, and that you have empathy for who they are and what they are dealing with and vice-versa. Let's face it we all have tough days. So, we have to understand one another."
Salome noted that people should strive to develop a 15-minute relationship with those individuals we interact with on a daily basis.
"How do I establish a relationship with someone even for 15 minutes of that person's life? …," he said. "I think that is important that we try and develop that 15-minute relationship to make it as valuable as you possibly can so that they understand that we are really working hard to respect them and what their needs are and provide that service that we've been charged with. That's our duty. We are here to help them get through the day and get back to their Family or their job."
Selfless Service
"When the Army talks about selfless service, they talk about putting the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates before your own," Salome said. "I don't get to judge if I'm selfless. Everyone else gets to judge if I'm selfless … Selfless service is measured in quality and not in quantity. We really have to think about how we deliver that. It's the idea of giving. Selfless service requires us to give of ourselves."
Honor
"Honor is hard to define for all of us. I think it's a very personal thing. Honor is quickly lost. You can do something in an instant that will take away your honor," Salome said. "It's important for us to understand that as we interact with people because they are going to judge us. Whether we like it or not, they are going to judge whether or not our behavior is honorable."
Salome added, "I have to have a strong root character in order to be honorable."
Integrity
Integrity, like honor, "it is quickly lost," Salome said.
"It doesn't take but a second for us to lose our integrity. It's yours to hold and it's yours to lose. We can build it or we can destroy," he said.
"Having integrity particularly in the business that we're in is an obligation. It goes back to duty. It's an obligation that we have integrity."
Personal Courage
"I think personal courage is not limited to the squad leader, the platoon leader or first sergeant in a unit. It also takes personal courage to do your job every single day because there's hard decisions that need to be made about what dollars to spend and priorities that need to be made," Salome said. "We're not always right, but it takes personal courage to not be afraid to do the right thing when the time comes. The Army says that personal courage is facing fear, danger or adversity, both physical and moral."
Salome said he believes personal courage emerges in adversity. He noted that the Army and Fort Campbell Families have faced adversity in the past few years with sequestration and the drawdown of troops, which resulted in the inactivation of the 101st Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, as well as the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade.
"We will face adversity over the course of the next months and years ahead as we look at the different changes that the Army will face," he said.
In addition to facing adversity, individuals with personal courage admit when they are wrong and ask for help, Salome said.
"It's having the courage to be authentic about who you are," he said. "[Admitting] I was wrong. I don't understand. I'll face the consequences. Can you help me understand how to do it right the next time?"
Salome praised the installation workforce for its continued efforts and "fantastic work," but noted that there may be some adjustments as the post marches forward.
"What I'm interested in … is finding value. That's my No. 1 concern," Salome said. "It's not just about dollars. It's not just about efficiency, it's also about people and how do we find value in the people who we work with every single day, identifying that potential and developing it. This is a hard business that you all do. We have to do our job today to make sure that we add value to the organization as a whole, but we also have to identify the future leaders."
In closing, Salome shared his personal purpose statement with the crowd.
"I believe I have an obligation to give of myself without limit, to contribute value towards the greater good, to have the courage to reveal authentic character, and to find value in everyone."
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