Lt. Gen Kenneth R. Dahl, commander, U.S. Army Installation Management Command visited Fort Jackson March 22 to tour facilities and meet with post leadership to discuss best practices.
"There's a really, really good culture here at Fort Jackson," said Dahl. "Instead of focusing on the challenges you have, you focus on the mission and Soldiers, bringing them in to the Army and pushing them out to (Advanced Individual Training), and supporting the other folks that are on the installation, and that's really important."
Dahl began his visit meeting with Col. James Ellerson Jr., garrison commander, and Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier, Fort Jackson's commanding general.
"This is a first IMCOM visit of sorts," said Ellerson.
Past IMCOM commanders have been dual hatted as Assistant Chiefs of Staff for Installation Management, who focused primarily on policy and budget.
That changed on Nov. 4, when Dahl took the new three-star IMCOM position. The decision to make IMCOM a direct report to the Army chief of staff indicated how important the IMCOM mission is to senior Army leadership.
Ellerson said with that split, "The IMCOM commander now sees things through a different lens and can focus solely on the execution of services garrison commanders are supposed to deliver to support the senior commanders."
"The person in charge of executing now has the same viewpoint as the person who is trying to deliver so we are clearly on the same page, focused on what we need to do as a team and as an installation," he added. "This really helps us as garrison commanders."
The leaders then toured several areas on post. They looked at proposed future plans for primary post access through Gate 4 vice Gate 2, toured facilities at the 120th Adjutant General Reception Battalion and looked at flood damage.
Ellerson and garrison department heads then ate lunch with Dahl where he briefed them on his plans for IMCOM's way ahead.
"There are 75 active duty Army installations around the world," said Dahl speaking about the scope of responsibility and diversity of missions. "What you are doing here isn't really being done -- the way you're doing it here -- anywhere else in the Army."
He spoke to the group about the budget and his plans to reorganize the regions to make them more efficient and streamline processes.
"Each region will have 15 garrisons instead of 25 or more," said Dahl. "This means the regional commanders can be more responsive to the garrison commanders and deputies as well as senior commanders."
Speaking about his appreciation of civilian employees, Dahl said "When you form relationships with your deputies and directors, you're going to be enabling your mission and helping them support you better."
Dahl ended his tour with a quick stop at one of the child development centers to thank the care providers and let them know he trusts them wholeheartedly to manage the care of the Soldiers' children.
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