New senior career counselor meets mission, finds a home at RHC-C

By Erin Perez, Regional Health Command - CentralSeptember 28, 2017

Retention Success!!
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Master Sgt. Christie Holloway pops a bottle of confetti to celebrate meeting the fiscal year 2017 retention mission more than a week early. Holloway credits her team of career counselors and retention noncommissioned officers for pulling together dur... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Celebrate!
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Regional Health Command -- Central's Retention Office and Command Sergeant Major celebrate a successful year end with healthy snacks, cake and sparkling cider. Master Sgt. Christie Holloway and her team worked diligently to close out fiscal year 2017... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Master Sgt. Christie Holloway, RHC-C senior career counselor, has an easy smile and an infectious laugh. Her Arkansas accent and Southern hospitality make you feel at home in her office. Don't let her easy-going attitude fool you, though. She arrived at Regional Health Command -- Central in August from the 85th Civil Affairs Brigade on Fort Hood, Texas, to find a retention program in danger of missing the fourth quarter retention mission due to a two-month personnel gap during PCS season this summer. She didn't let that stop her from motivating her team toward success with excellent leadership!

Holloway and her team of 12 Army Career Counselors stationed at RHC-Central's medical treatment facilities were able to meet 100 percent of the region's retention mission for the fourth quarter which led to closing out the annual mission at 100 percent for Fiscal Year 2017 on September 22, 2017.

Holloway attributes her success to the caliber of career counselors and retention noncommissioned officers working at the hospital and clinic level. She finds it easy to motivate them through developing a positive relationship with each counselor and daily one-on-one contact, she said.

"I am unbelievably proud of our career counselors, retention NCOs and our amazing Regional Career Counselor, Master Sgt. Holloway," Command Sgt. Maj. Tabitha Gavia said. "She has that spark that inspires people, as evidenced by the success of her team."

According to Holloway, from the moment she walked in the door at RHC-Central, everyone went out of their way to make her feel welcome. "The civilian staff have been absolutely wonderful," she explained, "it feels like home here--like I have come home to a wonderful family."

In addition to her current workload, Holloway is also pursuing her Masters of Social Work through Walden University. This 20-year-Army Veteran has five classes left until she graduates, and her future plans involve working with the geriatric population.

Holloway has big plans for her team in the next year, she explained, "My advice to all my counselors is to dream big. So, moving forward, I want to be a part of all my counselors' careers. I see something positive in all of them that they may not see."

Holloway served two tours in Iraq, and understands well the importance of taking care of Soldiers and their Families.

"My goal is to take care of my Soldiers because then, the mission will take care of itself," she explained. "The Soldiers we reenlist are trusting my team to take care of them and their families. When we have those relationships with our Soldiers, it brings out the best in all of us."

"We should inspire someone every day," Holloway advised. "What are you doing today to make someone else's life better?"

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