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Army Senior Leaders Conduct CENTCOM Holiday Visit

By Lt. Col. Lee Peters, Chief of Staff of the Army's Public Affairs OfficerDecember 23, 2015

CSA and SMA host townhall with MFO Soldiers
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, left, and Sergeant Major of the Army, Daniel A. Dailey, visit Soldiers serving with Multinational Forces and Observers on the Sinai peninsula, Egypt, Dec. 22. Milley and Dailey were on a five day tour of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
CSA and SMA visit with Soldiers deployed in Afghanistan
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, left, and Sergeant Major of the Army, Daniel A. Dailey, have dinner and discussion with Train, Advise, Assist Command - East (TAAC- E) Soldiers on Forward Operating Base Fenty, Jalalabad, Afghanistan, De... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
CSA presides over reenlistment ceremony in Kuwait
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, administers the oath of enlistment to Soldiers reenlisting at a ceremony held on Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Dec. 18. Milley was on a five day tour of the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility for operat... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
SMA visits with Soldiers deployed in the Middle East
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sergeant Major of the Army, Daniel A. Dailey, center, attends a reenlisting ceremony for Soldiers serving with the 1st Bn., 7th Air Defense Artillery, Dec. 20. Dailey was on a five day tour of the U.S. Army Central Command area of responsibility visi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
CSA and SMA host townhall with Soldies in Afghanistan
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, left, and Sergeant Major of the Army, Daniel A. Dailey, have dinner and discussion with Train, Advise, Assist Command - East (TAAC- E) Soldiers on Forward Operating Base Fenty, Jalalabad, Afghanistan, De... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The 39th Chief of Staff of the Army and the 15th Sergeant Major of the Army completed their first holiday visit with U.S. troops and commanders serving across the Middle East.

Over the span of six days, Gen. Mark A. Milley and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey visited Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Israel and Egypt to meet with U.S. Soldiers deployed during the holiday period.

"We thank you for your service to our Nation," said Milley. "And the Nation thanks you for your selfless service, especially during this holiday period when you'll be away from your families."

Dailey echoed Milley's thanks for their service and added, "It's never easy to be away from home during the holidays. We wanted to come here to show you how much we appreciate your commitment and sacrifice."

Milley and Dailey held numerous town hall sessions and small group engagements with Soldiers and leaders to listen to their concerns and field questions about the state of the Army, global threats, operational updates and any other topics for discussion as queried by the troops. The Soldier discussed topics included women serving in combat jobs, Russian and the Islamic State global threats, future Army end strength, weapon platforms, and military pay and benefits.

Milley also presided over a re-enlistment ceremony consisting of 22 Soldiers in Kuwait and a smaller ceremony in Egypt.

Dailey attended a third re-enlistment ceremony held in the United Arab Emirates, and told the Soldiers re-enlisting they represent what makes America great.

In all, Milley and Dailey's trip was a success as it inspired and motivated countless Soldiers to see the top two Army leaders during the holiday season.

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