JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – The 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC), brought senior enlisted leaders together for the 593rd Senior Leader Symposium on Feb. 22, 2023.
The Symposium educated the senior leaders about physical, mental, and spiritual resources available to Soldiers and how they can best use them. Representatives from organizations across the base that support logistics and Soldiers' readiness spoke at the Stone Education Center on ways to improve Soldiers' quality of life.
Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Fairley, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the event planning team assigned to the 53rd Transport Battalion, explained the origins of the event, “This symposium is a direct result of Command Sgt. Maj. (Terrence) Scarborough’s intent to improve organizational readiness and to promote senior leader application of resources available.”
He added, “Our hope is that the leaders participating in the event take away an increased knowledge and awareness of the unit and Soldier readiness resources available,” said Fairley.
“The Army is made up of cohesive teams that take care of soldiers and families, which aligns with Command Sergeant Major Scarborough’s intent,” Fairley said.
“His initiative was to provide guidance and mentorship to make sure that we are all in sync to provide the best mentorship for our Soldiers,” said Master Sgt. Michael Lewis, another member of the symposium planning committee assigned to the 593rd ESC.
Sgt. Maj. Keith Michaud, the 593rd ESC operations senior enlisted advisor provided insight into the future of the ESC’s “People First” plan. People First is an Army initiative to improve soldier readiness in the mental, physical, and spiritual domains.
Michaud said, “Sergeant Major Scarborough has empowered the staff at the organization to create building blocks for success that will enable our subordinate units the ability to understand and recognize friction paths.”
Michaud wants his Soldiers to know their options when they need support. He explained the importance of his formations having access to the help they need. Soldiers at the 593rd have access to medical care and behavioral health counseling thanks to resources such as Madigan Army Hospital and the Army Welfare Services.
“They need to share this information with their platoon sergeants, their squad leaders, and their team leaders, and ensure that the Soldiers on the lowest level understand the resources available to them,” said Michaud.
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