40th Chief of Staff of the Army Initial Message to the Army Team

By U.S. ArmyAugust 12, 2019

I am honored to serve as the 40th Chief of Staff of the Army. It is an incredible privilege to lead the world's premier fighting force, made up of the Nation's greatest men and women.

Our Army -- Regular, National Guard and Reserve - is the best-trained, best-equipped, and best-led land force ever to take to the field. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Joint Force, Allies, and Partners to protect our interests and uphold our shared values.

Our Army serves to defend the Nation. When we send the Army somewhere, we don't go to participate, we don't go to try hard, we go to win. Winning matters! We win by doing the right things, the right way.

People are always my #1 priority: Our Army's people are our greatest strength and our most important weapon system. Our people are our Soldiers, Family members, Department of the Army Civilians, and Soldiers for Life (retirees, and veterans). We must take care of our people and treat each other with dignity and respect. It is our people who will deliver on our readiness, modernization and reform efforts.

Readiness: Army leaders have a sacred obligation to build cohesive teams that are highly trained, disciplined, and fit that can win on any battlefield. Cohesive teams drive tactical to strategic readiness and enable dynamic force employment. We must be ready to defeat any adversary, anywhere, whenever called upon, under any condition.

Modernization: The 2018 National Defense Strategy directs the Army to shift focus from irregular warfare to great power competition. We are at a critical inflection point and we must aggressively pursue the Army's modernization efforts in order to maintain our competitive edge. Modernization must include developing the multi-domain operations concept at echelon, delivering the six modernization priorities, and implementing a 21st Century talent management system.

Reform: We cannot be an Industrial Age Army in the Information Age. We must transform all linear industrial age processes to be more effective, protect our resources, and make better decisions. We must be the Army of tomorrow, today.

It is our duty to provide the Nation a professional, lethal, and decisive force that will win against any of our adversaries. Thank you and your Families for your service and sacrifice. I am proud to serve alongside this Nation's best.

People First - Winning Matters - Army Strong!

James C. McConville

General, United States Army

40th Chief of Staff

Related Documents:

40th Chief of Staff of the Army Initial Message to the Army Team [PDF]

Related Links:

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James McConville