FORT GORDON, Ga.--(May 22, 2009) Since taking the helm of Training and Doctrine Command in December, Gen. Martin Dempsey has made it a point to visit the installations within the command.
On May 19, Dempsey toured Fort Gordon and met with senior leaders. He viewed training from the newest Soldiers, noncommissioned officers and warrant officers.
Dempsey said the Signal Center has an important mission in the fight on the war on terrorism and in the Army.
"This is not our father's Army or our father's Signal Regiment. We are way beyond Signal semaphores," he said.
The Signal Regiment's greatest challenge, he said, is to continue to stay at the forefront of rapidly changing technology and keep a step in front of the enemy.
"The Signal Regiment must be agile," he said. "The threats to technology are seeking ways to undermine it."
And it's not just about winning the war on terrorism, he said. Adapting to changes in technology and the way the Army does business will continue after the fighting ceases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When reporters asked about the challenges of Iraq and Afghanistan, Dempsey said it was difficult to compare the two nations as Iraq and Afghanistan are very different.
"In Afghanistan, the culture is extremely different from valley to valley. The economy is hard to identify," he said. "The enemy lives among the population." Iraq, on the other hand, is a "fairly developed country" with an infrastructure and a defined economic system.
Dempsey said he enjoyed his visit to Fort Gordon and Augusta and planned to return.
"I would like to stay another day, but I have another visit tomorrow. We'll come back to do something socially in the next months," he said.
Along with him on the trip was his wife, Deanie.
"I like to bring her with me. She'll go one way, and I'll go another. People will tell her the challenges Families are facing," he said. "This is a Family thing."
The support of Families is vital to Soldiers and the support of the American people is vital to Families, he said.
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