JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Edward C. Morris, the ordnance regimental command sergeant major, and Sgt. Maj. Gene E. Canada, the ordnance chief enlisted career manager in the personnel development office, met with the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command ordnance Soldiers, July 21, 2015, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
"I am here to listen to any issues and concerns that you, as ordnance Soldiers, are experiencing, in order to do my part to help make improvements," said Morris, when interacting with the Soldiers.
The visit was an opportunity for those within the ordnance military occupational specialty to provide direct and personal feedback to the senior enlisted leadership within their field.
"We were able to discuss real issues that we are facing in our field," said Spc. Nathan Hopf, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th AAMDC and native of Torrance, Calif. "We discussed everything from how hard it can be to get parts, lack of equipment and the lack of man-power which makes it difficult to accomplish the mission."
"This was an opportunity for Soldiers in the ordnance career field to have a voice," continued Hopf.
During the visit Soldiers also discussed opportunities for personal development and career progression.
"It was helpful to hear about the various tools that are available to us to be able to progress as a Soldier in this field," shared Hopf. "A big discussion point was mentorship, having experienced Soldiers share their knowledge with the junior Soldiers is something I have been grateful to have provided to me from my leaders here."
Many Soldiers appreciated the visit because it highlighted the importance that all Soldiers play in completing the mission.
"Visits that include senior leadership addressing Soldiers and personally fielding their questions is really beneficial for low density MOSs, especially with the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, because it demonstrates that commanders care about all our Soldiers equally, not just air defenders," said Sgt. Maj. Kelvin Tomlinson, the 94th AAMDC Logistics Sergeant Major.
"Many times it feels like maintenance Soldiers are forgotten about or we completely operate in the background," said Hopf. "Being able to talk to Command Sgt. Maj. Morris and Sgt. Maj. Canada really made me feel appreciated. Their visit definitely reinforced the importance and relevance of our jobs."
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