REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- With his welcoming smile and can-do attitude, it's easy to see that Maj. Curt Schultheis is happy to serve as the commander of the Aviation and Missile Command's Headquarters and Headquarters Company.
Although it doesn't involve overseeing the human resources responsibilities for thousands of Soldiers, the AMCOM HHC assignment does offer a unique mission set in managing the human resources function for the mostly high-ranking Soldiers assigned not only to AMCOM but also to Redstone Arsenal. AMCOM has the mission responsibility to provide HHC services for all Redstone Arsenal Soldiers.
"Getting to pick up a command position at Redstone Arsenal is a wonderful opportunity. This is a great location to serve in," Schultheis said. "I have a great team to work with in supporting about 600 Soldiers. The majority of those Soldiers are at my rank or higher.
"Most every Soldier who has walked through the doors here is kind and courteous. We work with them to the best of our ability, regardless of rank."
The AMCOM community welcomed Schultheis, 36, during a change of command in early June. As commander of AMCOM HHC, he leads a team of employees that includes James Taylor, Derek Gibson, Staff Sgt. Cynthia O'Connor and 1st Sgt. Joseph Thomas. The team manages the HR requirements and actions for Soldiers stationed at Redstone Arsenal, and for Soldiers assigned to AMCOM and serving in 33 units in five states. They have overall responsibility for the health, welfare, training and morale of these Soldiers.
"Human Resources has been a very interesting and challenging field," Schultheis said.
"In this career field, you meet so many people with different backgrounds. They are not like a piece of equipment that comes off the shelf looking like another piece of equipment. Everyone has their own story. There are no cookie cutter stories. You have to take each person individually and work through the different challenges they have and assist them in any way that you are able. It's all about helping Soldiers with what they need to be successful in the Army."
Growing up, Schultheis hadn't planned on being a Soldier or an Army officer. Although his father had served in the Army, Schultheis did not give it much consideration as a career until his older brother, who was attending the University of Mississippi, bragged on how much he enjoyed taking ROTC courses. As a freshman at Ole Miss, Schultheis took some of the classes his brother enjoyed and, by the time he started his sophomore year, he had been offered and had accepted an ROTC scholarship.
But, following his 2001 Ole Miss graduation as a Distinguished Military Graduate and his commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Chemical Corps, it took Schultheis a few years to discover his interest in the human resources function and then branch into the Adjutant General Corps.
"I first branched into the Chemical Corps. It was not my first choice, but it was what the Army needed me to do," Schultheis said. "My first assignment was as an assistant operations officer with the 164th Air Traffic Service Group in Seoul, South Korea. In that role, I was responsible for the nuclear, biological and chemical defense of our unit. I had to ensure that we were equipped and trained in case of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack."
Although it wasn't his dream job, Schultheis committed himself to the task.
"I learned later on to see the bigger picture. The needs of the Army sometimes outweigh what you want," he said.
Unbeknownst to Schultheis, the assignment laid the groundwork for what was to come. His next assignments took him to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where he served as the company executive officer for A Company of the 58th Transportation Company, and then to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he served as a Training, Advising and Counseling officer for A Company of the 187th Medical Battalion.
"When I was in college, I thought I wanted to be in the Medical Service Corps. When I was with the 187th, I got the opportunity to train as a physician assistant, and I found out that medicine was not my forte," Schultheis recalled.
"My time there really gave me a chance to take a look at who I am and what I wanted to do. It helped me make a decision about where I wanted to go in my career. I started to figure out that what I really liked doing more than anything was helping Soldiers. Being there for Soldiers and helping them through their issues is the greatest thing, and helping to take care of the Army's workforce is probably the biggest reward. I want to help Soldiers so that they can focus on their job."
With a promotion to captain, he also was given the time to attend the Captain's Career Course.
It was at his next assignment -- as the assistant operations officer and operations officer at the Charlotte Military Entrance Processing Station in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 2006 to 2008 -- that Schultheis really started to feel he had come into his own.
"We handled the initial screening and processing of recruits for all branches of service," he said. "I was in charge of the testing program. I would go out to high schools located in the western half of North Carolina, and administer the ASVAB (the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) testing and talk to students about future career choices."
Schultheis also worked to ensure that recruits met all the Department of Defense requirements and, if they didn't, worked to determine if those requirements could be waived.
"We had a lot of waivers at that time because we were at the height of the surge in Iraq. It was a unique and challenging time not only for ourselves but also for the entire military. When you are growing the Army, everyone is quick to bring recruits in to meet the mission," he said.
Talking to the students one-on-one about career fields was easy for Schultheis. But talking to them in large groups was challenging.
"That assignment really helped me to develop my speaking skills," he said. "When you speak in front of a group of kids they are critiquing every word you say. They hone in on your words and will pick up on things, and call you on them. The repetition of that from school to school built up my confidence as a public speaker."
His next two assignments -- first as the S1 for the 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.; and then the S1 for the 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Fort Polk, La. -- gave him in-depth experience in working human resources actions for Soldiers. S1 officers are responsible for force structure, manpower, personnel and administrative requirements.
"At the battalion level, I was the senior HR representative responsible for leading a human resources section for a battalion of about 1,000 Soldiers who were prepping to deploy to Iraq in 2010. I had to help get the battalion set for deployment," Schultheis said.
"Once we were in Iraq, I had to set up our HR operations just like we had back in the U.S. plus I took on additional responsibilities for our unit, including coordinating MWR activities, setting up postal operations and serving as the unit's public affairs representative."
Fortunately, Schultheis didn't have to manage through the death of any Soldiers at war. But, he did complete time sensitive paperwork needed to award several combat action badges and Purple Hearts.
At the brigade level at Fort Polk, Schultheis served as the senior HR representative leading an HR section that served 2,500 Soldiers.
"The people I got to work with I learned a lot from. It was one of the best group of officers I've ever worked with," he recalled. "We had a unique mission in that our unit was trained as a Defense Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Reaction Force. We were trained to respond to just about any type of major catastrophic event that needed federal assistance."
Schultheis and his family came to Redstone Arsenal in 2013, when he was assigned to serve as the Human Resources Plans and Operations Officer for the Army Contracting Command and Expeditionary Contracting Command.
"It was my first introduction to acquisition. I learned how the acquisition Soldier provides support to the warfighter," he said. "I learned what happens to take something from an idea to being fully developed and fielded to the Soldier."
And that job led to the opportunity to serve as the AMCOM HHC commander.
"There are a lot of possibilities and opportunities in his job," he said. "There are surprises and challenges every day. No two days are the same in this office. There's a different situation with a unique set of circumstances every time a Soldier walks through our door."
Schultheis and his family are enjoying their time in the Redstone community. They have relatives nearby in Memphis, Nashville and Atlanta, and a little further away in Maryland.
"Besides continuing my career and the opportunity to learn how to better support the Soldier, my time here at Redstone has allowed me to focus on my family, my military schools and civilian education," Schultheis said. "I've been able to accomplish two of my personal goals while we've been here -- to attend the General Staff and Command College, and to complete my master's degree in Human Resource Management."
Those goals are important to attain for an Army officer who is aspiring to continue his military career.
"I'm going to go as far as the Army will let me," Schultheis said. "I have loved everything that the Army has allowed me to do."
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