ATLANTA -- Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem may be winding down operations, but you wouldn't be able to tell that from watching Command Sgt. Maj. Karl Roberts, U.S. Army Garrison command sergeant major Roberts, who has been acting in his position since April 1, said despite the closings of the two installations in accordance with the BRAC, he intends to keep customer service and Soldier training strong.
"As command sergeant major, I'm just trying to keep the standards and make sure customer service doesn't drop," he said. "We want the same level of support until the day before we close."
Such a level of support is important because of his commitment to servicemembers, Civilian employees, Families and the military retiree community, said Roberts.
"They are the heartbeat of what we do, whether at war or in the garrison," he said. Roberts said he is actively working to ensure that problems are addressed to keep things running smoothly.
To find issues, Roberts said he interacts with Family readiness groups, housing area coordinators and directorates on the installations.
Although he actively works to stay ahead of issues, Roberts said he also empowers subordinates, allowing them to solve problems at their level.
"In problem solving, we seek leaders and directors first. We owe it to them (to let them try) to fix problems first," he said, adding that he will only step in if leaders are not working according to the policy and philosophy of Col. Deborah B. Grays, USAG commander.
Besides keeping services running efficiently, Roberts said he is focusing on Soldiers. "I want to ensure when Soldiers leave the garrison, they are physically fit and trained to go to the conventional Army and combat," he said.
Roberts said he keeps abreast of Soldier issues through bimonthly command sergeant major meetings and by visiting tenant units and interacting with Soldiers.
Doing so allows him to feel the heartbeat of the Soldiers and to give out information to keep Soldiers informed of everything going on during day-to-day operations, he said. Roberts said he also holds an open door policy for Soldiers. Overall, Roberts said based on feedback he has received, morale in the garrison is very high.
"Soldiers and Families are happy as long as we maintain things," he said, adding there are no signs of slowing down. "When I first got here, learning garrison business (after) coming from the fight was a challenge, but as I sit on this seat every day, I get better."
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