Leaders of Tomorrow

By Command Sgt. Maj. Joel Walsvik, 231st Maneuver Task Force Command Sergeant MajorJanuary 21, 2010

The beginning of each New Year is a time in which you reflect on past experiences and also establish new goals and priorities for yourself and also your families.

At the start of this deployment, I encouraged all Soldiers to set goals for themselves, goals that they can continue after the Kosovo mission. It is clear from my vantage point that Soldiers are setting themselves up for success by taking college classes here and on the Internet.

College courses taken online, or working with local communities here, are all opportunities to improve yourself and prepare you for today's deployment environment and the Guard mission at home.

Soldiers are setting goals for physical fitness and achieving them, creating positive steps for a healthier lifestyle and I see them encouraging other Soldiers to do the same, demonstrating the Army Values.

If goals are set that are attainable and beneficial to you or your family, positive results will follow. The combination of all these factors enhances the future of our junior-enlisted leaders, and their future as a citizen-Soldier both here and at home.

Our mission in Kosovo is to maintain a safe and secure environment and ensure freedom of movement. This is accomplished primarily by our patrols on the ground. Now, more than ever, the National Guard is counting on our junior enlisted leaders to accept their challenge and accomplish the mission.

The patrols cannot be successful without the support from other elements, such as supply, admin, maintenance, commo, and operations. Our junior enlisted leaders, ranging from first time deployers to multiple deployers, develop and master critical skills, from leadership to TTP's, that make them valuable assets for their country, as well as enhance their skills when they return to their civilian job and communities back home.

The benefits from our Soldiers experiencing a different culture and working with others from across the United States and around the world are an opportunity their peers do not have that places them ahead of the pack as they return to life back home.

I am very proud to serve with our junior leaders today. In my 30-plus years wearing a uniform this is the most experienced and professional group of Soldiers I have ever served side-by-side with. I know you are our community leaders of tomorrow.