REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama -- One Soldier keeps the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command team together no matter where, when or how.
Capt. Christopher J. Carnes, USASMDC/ARSTRAT Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander, arrived to the command in May and manages personnel actions and provides command and control, training, administration, discipline and punitive actions, and morale and welfare for all assigned or attached Soldiers.
"SMDC is an entirely new perspective that I am seeing of the Army," Carnes said. "Coming from a brigade combat team, or even 1st Space Brigade, the level of exposure I have had working with Army civilians and very senior officers and noncommissioned officers was nothing like I have seen here. Being in an organization like SMDC has really taught me a great deal about what and who really keeps the Army rolling along.
"One thing I always try to take away from any place I go, whether it's a deployment or a new duty assignment or a new unit, is gaining perspective," he added. "Being around a diverse and broad group of people here at SMDC is one of the biggest positives of this job. Seeing how civilians, Soldiers and leaders respond to problems, how they provide encouragement and how they train and lead their people are all lessons I continue to learn and will take with me. I hope to use their examples in the future in order to become a better Army leader."
Before arriving to the SMDC headquarters, Carnes served in Germany, Afghanistan, Kentucky, Colorado, Oklahoma and Korea, and said he tries to understand what it is like to be away from family and friends as he goes to work in support of SMDC Warfighters.
"Probably the biggest responsibility we do here in the HHC are the administrative functions of the command headquarters," Carnes said. "We have Soldiers assigned to the HHC in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Hawaii, Germany and other places around the world. It is my job to ensure they are getting the care and needs Soldiers are expected to have.
"I didn't realize how geographically dispersed SMDC HHC is when I took this job," he added. "When I was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, our headquarters was in Italy and the fires battalion I was assigned to was in Germany, and we were able to train together, deploy together and jump together. I learned that just because you are separated by miles, doesn't mean you have to be less of an effective leader."
Carnes has been married for six years and said the hobby he enjoys most, and is really growing to love more and more each day, is just hanging out with his family.
"My son, Hudson, and our baby girl, Penelope, are amazing little kids. Any time I play soccer or football with Hudson, or watch Penelope drool is pretty awesome," Carnes said. "My wife Courtney and I really enjoy movies and finding new places to eat. We love to travel as well as be at the house and do a whole lot of nothing, whenever our kids allow us.
"Other than that, I like weightlifting, fishing, hiking, football, soccer and cooking," he added. "If I wasn't in the Army, my dream would be to open a restaurant and I don't know if I would limit it to one type of cuisine. With my mother being Colombian there would definitely be a Latin flavor, but I love a good burger, like the next guy so maybe something like a diner where I could keep my menu options open."
Carnes graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York in 2009 as well as from the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, the Field Artillery Captains' Career Course, among others. He said that with only seven years in the Army, he is still in "receive mode" and that no matter how old or how experienced someone is, they should find a way to learn something new every day.
"I would tell a second lieutenant coming into today's Army to trust and listen to their NCOs," Carnes said. "They need to understand why the Army placed an NCO with an officer at every level of their career and understanding the Army's intent behind that."
When asked if he would want to emulate another Soldier's career, Carnes said, "Straight off the bat, I would never want to be anyone in the United States Navy. Go Army -- Beat Navy.
"Most of our greatest leaders were great because they were placed in extremely difficult circumstances, and I don't know if I could have responded as well as they did," he continued. "I imagine every officer would love to be a MacArthur, Patton or Gen. Washington, but look at what they went through.
"I know you could go to just about any brigade combat team in our Army and find at any battalion, whether it be a support battalion, a fires battalion, an infantry battalion, cavalry squadron, or engineer battalion and find an officer or NCO who is worth patterning your career after," Carnes added. "I think the fact that we have that flexibility and those resources spread all throughout our Army is why we are the best Army."
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