1ID leaders help mentor USMA cadets

By Sgt. Andrea Merritt, 1st Sustainment BrigadeMay 7, 2009

1ID leaders help mentor USMA cadets
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Cadets and mentors for Battle Command Conference XII head to Thayer Hall at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., for the Regimental Panel portion of the conference April 21. Select senior leaders from across the Army served as pane... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
1ID leaders help mentor USMA cadets
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During an informal tour of the academy April 21, Cadet Anthony Formica, a senior at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., shows a few of the Fort Riley, Kan., mentors "The Great Chain." Its links at one time stretched across the Hu... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
1ID leaders help mentor USMA cadets
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sergeant Ondre Miles, a platoon sergeant with the 24th Transportation Company, and 1st Lt. Rachel Elphinstone, a platoon leader also with the 24th Trans. Co., participate in the leader-to-leader exercise April 21 during the Battle Command Confe... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Recently, more than 120 leaders from Army installations across the country, including Fort Riley, gathered at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, for Battle Command Conference XII.

The mentors ranged from ranks of lieutenant to general and staff sergeant to command sergeant major. They came from as far as Hawaii and from stateside installations such as Fort Riley; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Hood, Texas.

During the conference, which took place April 20-21, leaders mentored more than 1,000 cadets and shared their experiences in leading Soldiers, especially in a combat environment.

Some mentors were even scheduled to leave for deployment in about a week from the date of the conference and gave up a portion of their block leave to attend, which showed how important they felt it was for leaders in today's Army to invest time in the leaders of tomorrow.

"We are here to pass along enduring truths from one generation to the next," said retired Gen. Frederick Franks, the institution's visiting Chair in the Center for the Professional Military Ethic and a 1959 graduate of the academy.

"We want to teach cadets what it means to be a professional officer, a professional Soldier," Franks added.

Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Carey, the command sergeant major for U.S. Army Forces Command spoke to the cadets on the theme of the conference: "Every Soldier Has a Sergeant."

Carey spoke openly with the future platoon leaders about leading Soldiers and the importance of working well with platoon sergeants. He also addressed concerns many cadets had about leading a platoon where most of the Soldiers already have combat experience and how to gain respect from their subordinates and get them to listen.

"From the first day you get there, you are going to have to start building that team," said Carey. "They want a good leader. Show them you are with them and they will go anywhere with you."

Carey also advised cadets to learn as much as they can from their platoon sergeants by listening and not being afraid to ask questions.

"Nobody wants you to fail. Their successes in training mean they will more than likely come home alive from combat," Carey said.

At this year's Battle Command Conference, mentors were able to spend a second full day speaking with cadets as opposed to just a few hours in previous years.

Mentors rose early on day two and spent several hours in small group settings where cadets were able to ask questions of the mentors and discuss many aspects of leadership.

During the leader-to-leader exercises, which covered the importance of the platoon leader-platoon sergeant relationship, all mentors served as small group facilitators.

Cadets watched video clips and then discussed with the mentors what they would do if they were platoon leaders in the situations portrayed.

For the combat leader topics, cadets were able to address panels who shared their experiences in continuing missions after losing Soldiers in combat and the importance of establishing a good Family Readiness Group network to help support Families back home.

"Being able to interact with cadets who are going to be platoon leaders and discuss issues has been invaluable," said Col. Jessie Farrington, commander of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. "I like to pass on my experiences to them every chance I get, and let them know what to expect in the field."

By the end of the conference, some cadets felt a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders because they now had an idea of what to expect once they step into the real world.

"They helped answer questions about what I can expect once I graduate. Many of the senior leaders here have 30 plus years of experience in the Army, so they gave well-rounded answers to the questions we had," said Cadet Kristopher Wrieden, a senior at the academy who is scheduled to graduate this month.

Also, having the full spectrum of officer and noncommissioned officer ranks present was beneficial for the cadets.

"Honestly, what the NCOs had to say was just as important as what the officers had to say," added Wrieden. "It was good to see what the NCO thinks of the future platoon leaders and what they will expect of me. I value their input just as much as any other officer."

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