Chief of Staff of Army, spouse, tour best of what Fort Johnson offers

By Angie ThorneJanuary 31, 2024

Chief of Staff of Army, spouse, tour best of what Fort Johnson offers
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gen. Randy A. George, chief of staff of the Army, talks to a Soldier participating in rotational training while touring in the “Box,” the Fort Johnson training area. (Photo Credit: Angie Thorne) VIEW ORIGINAL
Chief of Staff of Army, spouse, tour best of what Fort Johnson offers
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Patricia George (left), spouse of Gen. Randy A. George, speaks with members of the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program, as Col. CJ Lopez (second from left), garrison commander, looks on. (Photo Credit: Angie Thorne) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT JOHNSON, La. — Gen. Randy A. George, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, visited the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson Jan. 21-22.

During his visit, George observed rotational training and spoke with Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

As George witnessed the rotation in action, he saw first hand the collaboration between brigade combat teams such as the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions that contributed to making the rotation a success.

“Our CTCs (combat training centers), including JRTC, provide our formations the opportunity to see themselves on the modern battlefield. We can rapidly incorporate observations from conflicts worldwide, giving us the chance to quickly test evolving tactics and technology in a tough, realistic training environment,” George said.

George also wants more leaders involved in capability development to visit the CTCs and wants Fort Johnson’s tactical units to inform changes based on their innovation and tactical employment.

“Warfare and our world are changing rapidly. We must continuously adapt to stay ahead of our adversaries on the battlefield. Our Army combat training centers help us refine our tactics and training from the bottom up. We test what works and what doesn’t. We focus on making our formations more lethal,” he said.

As George toured the Fort Johnson training areas, his spouse, Patricia George, was busy touring facilities such as Fort Johnson’s School Age Center, Army Community Center, housing and the Home of Heroes Soldier Recreation Center, which is the headquarters of Fort Johnson’s Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers. Her tour focused on Soldiers and Families.

Topics of discussion included programs prioritizing spouse employment, youth, education, exceptional Family members and how BOSS continues to succeed by integrating with major subordinate commands and the community through a robust network of representatives.

Along with installation leadership, she also attended the Fort Johnson Department of Defense STARBASE (a youth program that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math in an interactive way) ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the facility while discussing plans for its growth.

JRTC and Fort Johnson; Chief of staff of the Army and spouse; tour training area; installation.