Top Army Adjutant General Leaders visit, discuss AG Corps future with U.S. Army Central HR professionals

By Sgt. 1st Class Nikki GlantonDecember 4, 2020

US Army Adjutant General's Corps
US Army Adjutant General's Corps (Photo Credit: Thomas Hamilton III) VIEW ORIGINAL

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- The U.S. Army Adjutant General School Commandant and leadership team visited U.S. Army Central headquarters for the first time and participated in an USARCENT HR educational forum, Dec. 3, 2020.

Over 100 USARCENT HR Soldiers and Civilians throughout the Middle East and Main Command Post at Shaw AFB tuned in for the virtual learning experience with Col. Marcus Motley, AG School Commandant, Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Atkinson, AG Corps Senior Enlisted Advisor, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Hickman, AG Corps Chief Warrant Officer.

"The center of gravity for the U.S. Army is the Soldier," said Col. Davie Wright, USARCENT Director of Human Resources. "Priorities like readiness, modernization, and reform, drive changes in the HR community, and we're fortunate to be located near the Soldier Support Institute where the AG School commandant and Corps leaders develop doctrine, training, and force structure across the globe."

Due to ever-changing doctrine and contingency operations, the USARCENT HR team hosts weekly assessment briefs and educational forums to ensure units that support USARCENT meet specified milestones and receive the latest information.

"Our team's mission is to support contingency operations throughout the theater and ensure Soldiers are trained and ready to support commanders no matter the mission," said Wright. "Being able to discuss the State of the AG Corps, Professional Military Education curriculum changes, and the implementation and training of the Integrated Personnel and Pay System with the Army's AG leaders was paramount."

Sgt. 1st Class Marshall Padgett, the USARCENT HR Plans and Operations Senior Enlisted Advisor, said, "During this forum, we also discussed realignments of units and personnel and how the HR community can help contribute to the force."

He said, "It's not every day that a specialist in theater or any unit can ask the Regimental Sergeant Major a question and get a direct answer."

"Changes to doctrine and plans can't happen without feedback from the field," Wright added. "You can have a concept, but what's most valuable is receiving feedback from Soldiers about what's feasible to execute."

USARCENT is a Coalition Forces Land Component Command and the Army Service Component Command of Central Command.

"We're different from organizations like U.S. Army Europe and U.S. Pacific Command," said Padgett. "Unlike them, we don't live in our theater. Our MCP is in America, and our theater is in the Middle East."

"We're grateful to have AG Corps Leaders participate in our educational forum," said Wright. "We were able to explain the complexities and variables of the USARCENT HR mission, and provide our Corps' top leaders the information needed to advocate on our behalf."