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BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan--Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey set out to Afghanistan to focus on the top issues of concern of enlisted Soldiers.
Dailey visited Soldiers and Senior Leaders at Bagram Airfield, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shorab, and FOB Dwyer. He spent more than an hour at each location talking with service members about readiness, NCO education, and Soldier for Life.
While at Bagram Airfield the SMA met with sergeants major. The intent was to share changes that have been made, how it affects their careers, and the future of the profession. This included discussion on the Qualitative Management Program and the Qualitative Service Program.
Sometimes programs set in place don't work out as planned, therefore a step back is taken to re-assess and re-evaluate in order to make improvements, Dailey said after sharing a story that could have potentially caused a good Soldier to lose his career.
"Everybody who is qualified will be looked at by the board," said Dailey. "We have to select the best qualified for the needs of the Army and we are going to select the best for every position."
Command Sgt. Maj. Jill L. Crosby, 1st Cavalry Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade said, it doesn't matter who the person is or what rank they wear, they can be replaced.
"The SMA gave us the real truth," said Crosby. "We have to remain competitive and do what the Army needs senior leaders to do."
The Select-Train-Educate-Promote (STEP) program was another topic Soldiers heavily inquired about. STEP is a policy that represents the Army's investment in Soldiers' professional military education through a deliberate, continuous, and progressive process.
"We need leaders to invest in Soldiers careers," said Dailey. "We need to sustain and retain the best Soldiers and we are not going to disadvantage them."
Dailey said the way to sustain and retain the best is by investing in their academics through NCO professional development schools. He said changes were being made to ensure noncommissioned officers throughout the Army received the training opportunities for career advancement whether deployed or stateside.
In an effort to get junior Soldiers the training they need to meet promotion requirements, Military Training Teams (MTTs) will be established in deployed environments in March 2017. Also, there are plans to increase the level of accreditation of all professional development schools.
Currently, the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy is the only NCO professional development school acknowledged by military and civilian organizations as an accredited academic institution. However, some colleges do recognize and provide lateral credit for successful completion of BLC, ALC, and SLC.
"In order to maintain the stewardship of the profession, leaders must invest in their Soldiers," Dailey said. "It is for this reason the Army has changed how leaders are evaluated."
This year the Army released a revised version of the Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report intended to better assess the performance and future potential of enlisted leaders.
Dailey said the new evaluation will help restore balance to the reporting system. He added that previous reports indicated 80 percent of NCOs were evaluated "among the best." Dailey said that system took away from those who truly earned top marks on their evaluations.
As the senior enlisted leader of the Army, Dailey understands that every decision he makes will have an effect on those he leads.
Good, bad, right or wrong, Dailey's presence influences people and has a lasting effect.
SPC Erica Manning, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Brigade, 320th Field Artillery said the visit from the Army's top enlisted Soldier did more than provide motivation, it provided answers to questions leering on their minds.
"The visit reinforced some of my concerns about Basic Leader's Course (BLC)," said Manning. "It's good to know that there are reforms taking place all the time to help enhance our careers."
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