ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Illinois -- Maj. Gen. James E. Simpson, commanding general, U.S. Army Contracting Command, made his inaugural trip to ACC-Rock Island, July 25.
Though this was his first face-to-face engagement with the ACC-RI workforce, it was the South Carolina native's third trip to Rock Island Arsenal. In the morning, Simpson presented his two-star chip to several members of the workforce and walked around the center to meet employees before meeting with leadership.
During his walk-around, he asked employees about the status of year-end actions, stressed the importance of communicating with co-workers during a high-stress time of year, and thanked employees' families for taking on more responsibilities while their loved ones work late hours.
Simpson led a town hall in the afternoon in which he detailed his leadership philosophy, which places commitment, competence and -- in particular, character -- at the forefront.
"Character, commitment and competence -- the most important word there is character," he said. "You can go home this afternoon and turn on the news or you can pick up the Washington Post or your local newspaper and you can see where someone gave some special treatment to somebody else, like a politician who gave away their character. I can't take your character away from you, but you can do something wrong and give it up."
Simpson also presented several length-of-service and promotion recognitions, including one marking 35 years of service by Melanie Johnson, ACC-RI executive director.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jose Castillo, command sergeant major, ACC, discussed the generational gap between current leaders and the newer, more inexperienced members of the workforce, stating that leaders who invest time and energy into getting to know their people will get better quality work and have a higher retention rate.
He also encouraged the younger generation to interact with others in order to enhance their people skills in order to grow their careers.
"We can truly see who the leader is in every organization regardless of what their rank or position is, based on the climate and the vibe," said Castillo. "Those who are always available, sensible and approachable, those are your people."
In closing the town hall, Simpson said it's important to continue to develop an organization that's flexible, adaptable and value-added to the Army.
"We are moving in the right direction and I am not worried about Rock Island. What I have seen since I've been here today is a great motivated workforce," said Simpson. "You all may even make me want to come back in January."
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