REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Networking connections are good to have -- even when you are an Army officer.
And Col. Todd Royar had a connection at the Aviation and Missile Command long before he became its chief of staff.
Besides learning about AMCOM through the aviation parts the command supplied his units over the years, Royar also had a professional connection with AMCOM through its commander, Maj. Gen. Jim Richardson. Royar had the opportunity to serve with Richardson when they were both assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) with Royar serving as the 101st Aviation Brigade's operations officer and Richardson as the commander of the 3-101st Attack Helicopter Battalion. During the assignment, the two officers deployed together to Operation Iraqi Freedom 1.
"We've interacted a fair amount during our careers. We've known each other for awhile," Royar said.
"So, I was thrilled when General Richardson gave me a call and personally welcomed me to AMCOM. I was excited to get the opportunity to work with him and the great team here at AMCOM. As a former brigade commander and a former squadron commander, this is a great opportunity for me to work with the civilian employees who impact Soldiers in the field."
The two aviators now work together, leading AMCOM as it continues in its mission to sustain and maintain aviation and missile systems for the Army.
"Our perspectives are similar," Royar said. "We bring a little of the field perspective to what is done here every day. We want to be able to provide the entire organization with a view for the importance of what they do for Soldiers.
"We want to ask the question: 'Are we doing the right things at the right time to make a difference for Soldiers in the field?' Soldiers don't know where their parts or their equipment come from. All they know is: 'Did I get the right piece of equipment? Is it safe? Are folks watching to ensure the appropriate risk management? Do I have what I need to conduct the mission?'"
For Royar, he has seen the affirmative answers to those questions every day since arriving at AMCOM about mid-summer.
"I am truly amazed and impressed at the extensive research and depth of work that is done by this organization to ensure units have the parts and equipment they need in a timely manner," he said. "I am truly impressed with the workforce's diligence to do the right thing for the right reasons so that Soldiers in the field can be successful."
The Soldier's perspective was instilled in Royar from the beginning of his Army career. A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Royar decided to pursue his college degree at the U.S. Military Academy, following in the footsteps of a fellow high school student who would later become his sister's husband.
"I decided if he can do it, than so can I," Royar recalled. "Like any young adult, I was just feeling out what was out there for me and looking for my right fit. My plan was to graduate and go on to my first unit, and then see what would happen. But, at that first unit, I began working with Soldiers and I found that was what I loved to do. I still love to do that."
Besides a great education, Royar appreciated the lessons in values and leadership that West Point and then his Army career offered.
"The whole experience reinforced my moral and ethical values," he said. "What I really love about the Army is service to the nation. I am honored and privileged to be in this great organization. From the beginning of my career, I viewed it as every day waking up and asking myself 'Do I want to go to work?' and every day the answer has been 'Yes.' I truly love what I do."
His Army career started with flight school at Fort Rucker, Ala., where his class ranking at flight school gave him the opportunity to fly OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. Royar was one of the first commissioned officers to fly that particular model of Kiowa.
"I chose Kiowa because at the time it was arguably the most advanced aircraft in the fleet," Royar remembered of his early Army days. "It was fun to fly. The Kiowa intrigued me and I enjoyed its reconnaissance mission.
"I flew Kiowa all the way from commanding at the company level up to the battalion level where I was afforded the opportunity to also get qualified in the Apache. Both are great aircraft. They are optimized for different things and they are mechanically different, but the basic flying is the same."
Along with serving as the operations officer for the 101st Aviation Brigade during its deployment to Iraq in 2007-09, Royar also deployed to Afghanistan in 2011-2012 as the commander of the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. He has also served as the deputy chief of staff for the 101st Airborne Division; squadron executive officer and operations officer for the 2-17 Cavalry of the 101st Airborne; and brigade adjutant for the 4th Brigade (Aviation), 4th Infantry Division. His career has taken him to war in Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as assigned him to units in Germany and South Korea.
"The conditions of my various deployments are different,but the mission of the aviation formations was always the same. We were there to support Soldiers on the ground, and that never changes," he said.
Royar's assignment prior to coming to AMCOM was as the division chief in the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, where he was responsible for activities with partner nations. He described it as a "broad and interesting portfolio" as it included a wide variety of issues, such as building partner capacity, security force assistance, foreign disaster relief, humanitarian operations and countering violent extremism, among other objectives.
"While in that position, I also had the opportunity to briefly serve as the military advisor to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (Samantha Power)," he said.
"There was an underlap of the position in New York, so I was selected to fill in for several months as I dealt with the same issues on the Joint Staff. It was an interesting time because that was when Russia had just invaded Crimea (2014-15) and I got to see the interworkings of the U.N. and sit in on some of the security council meetings."
Through the deployments and challenges of being an Army career officer, Royar has had another Army officer to lean on and depend on.
"I have a phenomenal wife," Royar said of wife Mary Lou, a former Army JAG officer whom he met at Fort Hood, Texas, and who later left the Army to be at home with their three sons.
"She has kept things going when I've been gone for long periods of time. She defines what 'better half' means."
Royar's Army career has honed him into an experienced staff officer who now brings his capabilities to AMCOM.
"Every experience you have you generally learn something from," he said. "I've been very fortunate to have some great people who have worked with me and that I've worked for. I've learned an immense amount from all of them, and hopefully I can make them proud."
His role at AMCOM is to coordinate the headquarters staff and to ensure the commander's intent is meant in all aspects of aviation and missile support.
"It is rewarding to be able to, hopefully, give back, albeit behind the scenes, to Soldiers in the field. I hope the work I do here helps to maintain their readiness in their jobs," he said.
For the civilians at AMCOM, Royar hopes he embodies many of the qualities he looks for when reviewing a Soldier's capabilities.
"Soldiers have to be inquisitive. They have to be able to ask questions. And, when you explain the commander's intent to them, they need to be able to operate with minimal direction," he said.
"To be a good Soldier, you have to take seriously your commitment to the nation, to your fellow Soldier and to improving yourself. When you decide to serve, do it for the right reasons. This career is a combination of service and leadership, and what the military can provide you in terms of advancement, opportunity and a future."
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