FORT GORDON, Ga. — A Fort Gordon junior noncommissioned officer’s commitment to improving the quality of life for single service members earned Army-wide recognition during the 2026 Installation Management Command (IMCOM) Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Training Forum in Orlando, Florida, Aug. 7-15.
U.S. Army Sgt. Kandice Pritchard-Harmon, a Dental Specialist assigned to the Fort Gordon Dental Activity, was named the 2026 U.S. Army BOSS President of the Year during the forum’s awards ceremony.
The recognition capped 18 months of focused effort to strengthen Fort Gordon’s BOSS program, expand participation, develop partnerships and ensure single service members have a voice in matters affecting their quality of life.
Fort Gordon also earned two additional honors during the forum. The installation’s BOSS program won first place for Best BOSS Showcase for its “BOSS in a Box” project, while Ms. Lorrie Chadd, Fort Gordon’s BOSS MWR Advisor, was recognized as the forum’s Best Volunteer on the Support Team. For Pritchard-Harmon, the recognition represented far more than an individual achievement.
“It means everything and more to me,” said Pritchard-Harmon. “I was introduced to the BOSS Program eight years ago during a time when I really needed it after the tragic loss of two of my brothers. Since then, I’ve used it to make meaningful connections with other service members, network through my military and local communities, develop as a leader, learn new skills and advocate for myself and others. Seeing that all the work being done locally has been noticed all the way at the top makes it all worth it.”
When Pritchard-Harmon assumed responsibility as Fort Gordon’s BOSS President, she saw an opportunity to strengthen an already active program.
“The program was active, but not meeting programming standards,” she said. “I also noticed that morale was relatively low amongst our single service member population, so, having been a BOSS President before, I wanted to use the tools and strategies that I learned at other garrisons and apply it to the program.”
Her priority was establishing relationships across the installation.
Pritchard-Harmon met with the Installation’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR) and Garrison leaders, worked to restore Unit BOSS Representatives, engaged senior leaders throughout the installation and partnered withChadd to develop programming with MWR and Garrison partners.
The effort was aimed at more than simply increasing the number of events. It was about rebuilding awareness of what BOSS could provide and creating opportunities for service members to connect with their installation and surrounding community.
Fort Gordon’s unique mission also presented an additional challenge. As a training installation and joint-service environment, the BOSS team worked to ensure Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines had opportunities to participate.
“While we had push, there were also kicks, but we persevered in spite of,” Pritchard-Harmon said.
That persistence translated into measurable growth.
Under her leadership, increased communication and engagement helped expand the BOSS team and contributed to a reported 200% increase in event participation. Increased participation also supported expanded recreational and life-skills programming, including scuba diving, pool and bowling events and grilling classes.
“My favorite event executed with BOSS so far is the Autocross,” she said. “We partnered with Lt. Col. Luke Maffey from the Cyber School and Porsche Club of America, to put together this installation-wide event where participants had to navigate a cone‑marked course one car at a time in a low‑speed, high‑skill challenge designed to test precision, control, and focus. It’s a great way to push limits safely and have a blast doing it.”
The program also strengthened its connection with the surrounding community through volunteer opportunities, environmental activities and community partnerships.
For Pritchard-Harmon, BOSS is not simply an entertainment program. She views quality of life as directly connected to a service member’s ability to remain focused, resilient and ready to accomplish the mission.
“Soldiers are only as good as their quality of life,” Pritchard-Harmon said. “A military’s combat readiness and effectiveness depend directly on how well its personnel are treated and supported.”
She said issues such as financial stability, access to support, unaccompanied housing, dining and overall well-being can affect a service member’s ability to remain focused on the mission.
“As leaders, we must prioritize the everyday well-being of our forces to ensure mission success,” she said.
That philosophy has shaped the way she approaches her role as BOSS President.
Every event, volunteer opportunity, trip, program and partnership is ultimately intended to improve the experience of the service members who call Fort Gordon home.
While Pritchard-Harmon received Army-wide individual recognition, she emphasized that the award represents the work of an entire installation.
“It says that that’s exactly what we are: a team,” she said of Fort Gordon’s three awards at the forum.
She credited Chadd, Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Durette, senior command, Garrison and MWR leaders, unit representatives, community partners and the service members who participate in BOSS programming.
She also pointed to the “BOSS in a Box” project as an example of the collective creativity behind the program.
Although only the BOSS Triad is eligible to attend the training forum, Pritchard-Harmon said Fort Gordon’s broader BOSS team was involved in developing the submissions.
“We ensured that our installation took part in the creativity and execution of our award submissions,” she said. “Who better to highlight it all?”
The recognition also reflected the trust developed between Pritchard-Harmon and Fort Gordon leadership.
“It always helps when you have those who put their trust, faith and confidence in your vision,” she said. “That doesn’t happen overnight. I knew I had to prove to my senior leaders that I could bring the vision to life, and they gave me the floor to do it. I didn’t have all the answers, but that opened the door for me to reach out to fellow BOSS Presidents, lean on my Garrison CSM and work closely with my MWR Advisor to make it happen. “Once we applied a strong foundation, all we had to do was built from it.”
The progress did not come without setbacks.
Funding, gaining organizational support, maintaining leadership & event continuity and sustaining participation are challenges faced by BOSS programs across the Army. Pritchard-Harmon said there were times when she questioned whether she could make the program work. What kept her moving forward was her belief in the purpose behind the program.
“We do all of what we do for the service members,” she said. “Every event, volunteer opportunity, trip, program, conversation, late night, idea and challenge is ultimately about making their military experience here at Fort Gordon a little better.”
Rather than allowing limited resources or setbacks to stop the mission, the team looked for ways to accomplish it with what was available.
“No matter what, the mission gets executed, and that’s what makes our program here shine,” Pritchard-Harmon said.
The IMCOM BOSS Training Forum provided Pritchard-Harmon with an opportunity to learn from BOSS leaders, MWR Advisors and senior enlisted leaders from installations across the Army. She plans to bring those lessons back to Fort Gordon.
“One of the lessons I learned was that it’s not that we can’t — it’s how we can do it,” she said.
As a junior NCO and an advocate for the installation’s single service member population, Pritchard-Harmon said the forum also challenged her to think differently about how she approaches advocacy. She also gained new strategies for communicating BOSS opportunities in an evolving Army information environment, including ways to promote programming under the Army’s current digital communications requirements. For Pritchard-Harmon, the goal is to use those lessons to reach both service members already engaged with BOSS and those who have yet to discover what the program offers.
What began as a source of connection and support eventually became a platform through which she could develop as a leader and advocate for others. Today, that journey has taken her to the highest level of recognition within the Army’s BOSS program. But she remains focused on the people the program was created to serve.
“To our Unit BOSS Representatives and the single, single-parent and geo-bachelor service members we serve, this is YOUR program,” Pritchard-Harmon said. “You are the most important role in it. None of what we do matters without you. Thank you for trusting us to represent your voices, advocate for your quality of life and create opportunities for you to live, connect and thrive.”
For Pritchard-Harmon, the plaque and Army Commendation Medal may bear her name, but the achievement belongs to the community that made it possible.
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