KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – The command sergeant major for U.S. Army Sustainment Command took time to meet with senior noncommissioned officers from the 405th Army Field Support Brigade and fellow sustainment sergeants major and command sergeants major stationed in the Kaiserslautern Military Community and across Germany, March 15, during his whirlwind visit to Europe this week.
Command Sgt. Maj. Marco Torres made time to meet with fellow senior enlisted leaders for a special NCO professional development discussion immediately following a mission brief by the 405th AFSB and hours before he and his commanding general, Maj. Gen. Chris Mohan, headed out to observe Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 operations in Belgium, the Netherlands and Northern Germany supporting current operations in Europe. In between, the ASC command team also visited the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, receiving additional briefings there and conducting several more key leader engagements.
The 405th AFSB’s command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Kofie Primus, put the NCO professional development opportunity in place, knowing the sage words from ASC’s top enlisted leader would prove valuable to him, his team and his peers. Also attending the NCOPD were senior NCOs calling in via video teleconference, like Command Sgt. Maj. James Holmes, 7th Army Training Command NCO Academy commandant, in Grafenwoehr, Germany, and others.
The senior sustainment sergeant major was quick to explain why it’s so important for him to meet with fellow senior NCOs at every opportunity.
“As a leader I grew up in a (brigade combat team), very tactically focused. I was always taught that you guys are the point of execution, where things are happening,” said Torres, further explaining why he and the ASC commanding general made the trip from their headquarters at Rock Island, Illinois, to Europe.
During the NCOPD, the ASC command sergeant major emphasized the importance of leaders always making an effort to be there.
“Where conditions are the worst, whether it’s cold or it’s hot or it’s mosquito infested – or where it’s most dangerous – that’s where we belong as leaders,” Torres said, “so that’s the number one reason why we are here now.”
As a global command with seven brigades around the world – six continents and 22 counties – it’s extremely important for ASC to meet with the leaders at each brigade to capture important feedback and lessons learned and take this critical information back to Rock Island – especially here and now – in Europe, he said.
“It’s huge what you guys are doing here,” said Torres. “We’re taking these lessons learned back with us to help inform the process.”
The commanding general will do so, in some capacity, through officer channels – commander channels – most likely to U.S. Army Materiel Command and U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command, “and I’m going to take it back as the new CASCOM command sergeant major,” Torres said.
Torres, who is slotted to be the next CASCOM command sergeant major, wrapped up his NCOPD at the 405th AFSB with some profound words about current operations in Europe as well as some sincere words of appreciation.
“This is the most dangerous time in our history since World War II,” Torres said, “and you are at the forward edge of freedom. I appreciate what you are doing, and I thank you. You are doing the world a solid.”
“It was a real pleasure to have Command Sergeant Major Torres here to speak with us,” said Primus. “The 405th AFSB team appreciates his leadership and support as well as that of Major General Mohan – two outstanding leaders.”
The 405th AFSB is assigned to ASC and under the operational control of the 21st TSC, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging AMC’s materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website and the official Facebook site.
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