ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- Helping Adjutants General (TAGs) succeed in their mission was the focus of the Forces Command Commander's Western TAG Huddle, hosted by First Army here on Sept. 28-29.
Attendees included Forces Command Commander, Gen. Robert Abrams, and First Army Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Michael S. Tucker, as well as 25 TAGs.
TAGs oversee their state's or territory's military forces, including the National Guard, and the huddle was part of a series of engagements between the FORSCOM commander and adjutants general that provide a forum for information-sharing and dialogue, with a goal of overcoming challenges faced by the TAGs.
"This is a relatively long-standing practice where FORSCOM will gather the TAGs together to discuss Army and National Guard issues," said Jimmie Ring, assistant to the deputy chief of Staff, G3/G5/G7, for First Army. "It's important to engage in a dialogue with senior leaders to share ideas, discuss important initiatives, and resolve misunderstandings. It's also an important part of how the Army and FORSCOM are implementing Army Total Force Policy."
ATFP requires Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers be trained and held to the same standard. This helps ensure uniformity and seamless mission accomplishment whether the element called on is a two-person team or a brigade. The intent of the policy is to build and sustain readiness across the Reserve Component. First Army serves as FORSCOM's designated coordinating authority for ATFP implementation.
Because the TAGs oversee their state's or territory's National Guard, the huddle is also part of First Army's support to the Reserve Component. "We get a perspective from those close to it on what's working, what's not working, what they would like to see done," Ring said.
And that made for an excellent opportunity to present issues and have them dealt with, according to Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, Nebraska National Guard adjutant general.
"This helps us to build a relationship with First Army and Forces Command and to get ourselves aligned together so we're moving out as one team," Bohac said. "I will leave here with a better understanding of what Gen. Abrams and Lt. Gen. Tucker are looking for, and how they are looking to create the integration and synergy between the components."
First Army, as U.S. Forces Command's designated coordinating authority for implementation of the Army Total Force Policy, partners with U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard leadership to advise, assist, and train reserve component formations to achieve Department of the Army-directed readiness requirements during both pre-and post-mobilization through multicomponent integrated collective training, enabling FORSCOM to provide combatant commanders trained and ready forces in support of worldwide requirements.
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