Like growing pains, advancing in one's career can sometimes be a stressful experience. But like a child turning into an adult, moving on is necessary for one to reach their full potential.
For Master Sgt. Chrisitan Carr, acting sergeant major for United States Army Garrison, the next stage in his development is becoming more than an acting sergeant major, but the real deal.
Like many enlisted personnel, Carr shares their goal of reaching the pinnacle of the enlisted ranks. However, doing so meant stretching out beyond a role he had grown to love.
"My most enjoyable time was a first sergeant. It was the best job I had in the Army in 16 years," said Carr, who was Company A, USAG first sergeant prior to "promoting" to his current position.
All good things unfortunately have to come to an end, and Carr's tenure as first sergeant was no different. When a vacancy in the battalion's sergeant major position occurred, Carr said he was approached by the battalion and garrison commander and garrison command sergeant major to fill position.
For Soldiers who served under Carr during his tenure as first sergeant, the choice to have him fill in the position a grade higher than his current was no surprise based on the type of Soldier he is.
"As a Soldier he truly encompasses the Army values," said Sgt. 1st Class Trina Tyus, now the senior paralegal NCO for the 642nd Regional Support Group, based out of Decatur, Ga. "He leads by example and is always willing to go the extra mile to help a fellow Soldier."
Sgt. 1st Class Chris Johnkins, operations NCO, Installation Management Command, Southeast, also served under Carr during Carr's tenure as A Co first sergeant.
"He's a Soldier's Soldier. He is there for the Soldiers. He works strictly for them and always puts them first."
It was a characteristic Johnkins vividly recalled in one of his Soldiers who was struggling with his physical training (PT). Carr helped the Soldier personally, helping him raise his PT score, allowing the Soldier to go on and become a leader himself by going on to graduate the Warrior Leader's Course, the first class in an NCOs leadership development. Likewise, Johnkins said he has also looked to Carr for assistance at times.
"He's one of my best friends, an outstanding person," Johnkins said. "He was there for me when I needed him, whether day or night, with any issue I ever had. He'd never hesitate."
Tyus agreed with the assessment of Carr's personality, describing him as " caring, compassionate and humble."
"He never made you feel like you were an inconvenience," she said of anyone seeking his help.
In her own life, Tyus said Carr helped her achieve a goal of gaining a 300 on her PT test, the highest score possible when not using the extended PT grading scale.
"He invited me to come in early and workout prior to the company PT and ran with me at lunch lots of times," Tyus said. "He's going to continue to mentor and mold and shape Soldiers and future NCOs (as a sergeant major)."
Though the change in status might have at the time seemed to be a loss for Carr, the gain for the Army is undeniable.
"Having leaders like him often plays a part in whether a Soldier stays in the Army or not," said Tyus. "He's the type who inspires Soldiers to stay in."
That quality, retaining Soldiers, is important because with the current operational tempo, lots of great NCOs are choosing to get out of the Army, Johnkins said.
As a sergeant major, Carr will have the opportunity to mentor many more Soldiers. Just at Fort McPherson, his transfer from first sergeant to acting sergeant major nearly tripled the Soldiers under his guidance, from 580 to approximately 1,400.
The opportunity, while providing more Soldiers with his guidance, also gave him new knowledge.
"It helped out immensely," Carr said of the development experienced as acting sergeant major. "There's a distinct difference between role of first sergeant and sergeant major."
Carr will continue to learn more about these differences when he leaves to attend the U.S. Army Sergeant Major Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas. Carr will begin the nine month course Aug. 3.
From there, Carr is unsure where he will head, as he will not receive his next assignment halfway through the course. However, he said he would like to land a position as a G1 sergeant major.
A hard driver, evident in his making sergeant major in 16 years, a rank many Soldiers do not make in their entire career, Carr (who credits his rise to good mentors throughout his career, taking care of soldiers, doing the right thing and taking care of his records) still has goals after becoming a sergeant major. According to current Army policy, he said sergeants major must be a staff sergeant major for two years before becoming a command sergeant major. Once his time as a staff sergeant major is complete, Carr said he wants to become a command sergeant major and be a battalion command sergeant major.
No matter what unknowns the next few years of his career bring, for Soldiers who benefited under his command there is one sure bet to make.
"He's going to be a great sergeant major for sure," Johnkins said.
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